Seed catalogues already provide kitchen gardeners with a lengthening range of tomato cultivars such as ‘Tornado’, ‘Roma VF’ and ‘Marmande’, and melons such as ‘Ogen’, ‘Sweetheart’ and ‘Galia’ to tempt them, plus there are are lots of chilis,sweet peppers, aubergines to choose from.

British plant breeders are selecting specifically for the warming UK conditions, and trialling cultivars sourced from milder climates to see how they perform in UK gardens. This gives an ever-expanding choice of a range of unusal crops. Who would have believed a few years ago that UK gardeners could grow sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) .

Vegetable suppliers

Seeds of Italy has more than 500 Mediterranean vegetables, many of them heirloom or regional cultivars new to the UK, and also supply fruit trees.
Thompson & Morgan has new aubergines and new blight-resistant potatoes – ‘Sarpo Axona’ and ‘Sarpo Mira’. The company also offers cuttings or ‘slips’ of three cultivars of sweet potato, and many ‘heritage’ tomatoes and chillies.
Tozer Seeds breeds specifically for UK conditions, and trial cultivars from the Mediterranean. They offer an increasingly large range of sweet corn, and have seen a huge increase in the popularity of their ever-widening range of chili peppers. Their new butternut squashes ‘Hunter’ and ‘Harrier’ were bred to ripen fully in UK conditions.

 OUTDOOR RIPENING FIGS IN AUTUMN ARE COMMON IN UK GARDENS

Adapting veg plots to less water

The main priority is to retain winter and summer rainfall. Achieving a high organic matter content in garden soil is vital to help reduce evaporation .Conserving soil water, mulching, using garden compost, green composted waste, chipped bark or woven plastic landscape fabric, are also essential.

Using collected rainwater and even recycled household or ‘grey’ water has to become the norm. Rainwater can be stored, but grey water is best used immediately – see the water pages on this blog for more information http://www.myclimatechangegarden.com/blog/where-can-i-buy-a-rainwater-harvesting-system

A new iPad App is launching soon to make planning your vegetable garden even more enjoyable – and easy!

Garden Plan Pro  is the fastest way to plan a productive vegetable, herb or fruit garden and achieve your best ever harvest.

Designed by the makers of the award-winning garden planner, currently used by over 100,000 global gardeners with data from more then 6,500 weather stations in 20 countries.

Adapts to Your Location

Garden Plan Pro adapts to your local climate, giving recommended planting and harvesting dates for your area.

Simple to Use

With flexible drawing tools and an extensive database of plants and varieties, Garden Plan Pro makes it easy to design the perfect garden layout, rearrange plants and track progress.

Sign up for the launch at http://gardenplanpro.com/

On Saturday, 3rd September 2011 members of Capital Growth are inviting Londoners to explore their neighbourhood growing spaces. Many are putting on activities such as garden tours, talks, and games, as well as selling garden produce, homemade food and barbeques. A list of the participating gardens can be found here (http://dmtrk.net/8UC-IGMS-13QQWM-76AAH-0/c.aspx ).

The city of Toronto has looked at the carbon and environmental impact of food and food systems
and finds that 30-40% of its carbon footprint comes in one way or another from food related activities: transportation, energy growing, retailing.

Growing 10% of the vegetables in the city would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 37.9 kilotonnes a year, help meet Toronto’s commitments to reduce global warming, and avoid more than $5 million in environmental costs. Growing your own food involves caring for the soil, composting, and growing plants from seeds, it reduces transportation, packaging and waste, the energy input is mainly from the sun and from the gardener’s physical labour. In addition allotments provide a space where the local community can share knowledge as well as plants and produce.

http://www.toronto.ca/food_hunger/pdf/food_charter.pdf

“The Grow Your Own Show is totally, passionately and exclusively focused on cultivating, cooking and eating homegrown, local and organic produce,” says Event Director Diane Clifford.

“Our tag line of “Grow It. Cook It. Eat It” sums up our proposition completely. This show is focused on growing your own fruit and vegetables and then on enjoying them – it is absolutely not a general gardening show, nor a flower show, nor a country fair,” she adds. “We believe growing your own is a fun activity for the whole family and that our visitors will have a thoroughly enjoyable day out”.

The event is supported by The National Trust which has backed a number of campaigns in support of home grown and locally sourced produce. Richard Saville, Chairman of The National Trust South East Food Group said: “ We are delighted to support this exciting new show. The Grow Your Own Show comes at an ideal time where more and more people want to grow, harvest and eat their own local and seasonal food.”

The event is also supported by the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners, will are working closely with the Soil Association and who are also affiliated to the Royal Horticultural Society.

http://thegrowyourownshow.co.uk/

A recent RHS study has shown that rooftop gardening can help combat climate change by lowering surrounding air temperatures. RHS scientist, Tijana Blanusa, who undertook the RHS research, says: ‘With our climate getting warmer, gardeners will be playing an even more important part in helping reduce the effects.’

‘Getting planting right in urban spaces, which can be very limited, can have a major effect in not only helping reduce urban temperatures but will also provide other environmental benefits.

Urban gardeners wanting to make the most of their outside space and looking for tips on how green-roofing can work for them should visit  the 2011 RHS Plant and Design Show on 15th-16th February.

For the first time at this show, there will be two rooftop gardens, showing how gardeners can make the most of this valuable space.

The modern-style rooftop gardens are being designed by two rising stars of the gardening world: RHS Young Designer of the Year 2010, Hugo Bugg and Melissa Jolly who won a top award at BBC Gardeners’ World Live in 2010.

Further information

Venue

RHS Horticultural Halls, Greycoat Street and Vincent Square, London SW1. Find directions and travel information

Opening times

• Tuesday 15 February: 10am – 7pm
• Wednesday 16 February: 10am – 5pm

Saving and swapping seeds took on a whole new meaning for me today after spending a couple of hours at Seedy Sunday which took place in Hove Town Hall, East Sussex. This is where the campaign to  protect our seed varieties originally began in the UK some 10 years ago and which I can report is very much alive and flourishing today.

My welcome included  having “outlawed” stamped on my hand  – a reminder of the fact that Seedy Sunday aims to keep outlawed seeds not included on the National or European Seed Lists in circulation.

I then joined hundreds of people frantically rummaging in boxes and stretching across acres of tables looking for their seed” nirvana”.It was a healthy mix of organised chaos and laid back exchange of gardening tips sprinkled with the chance to really understand how important seeds are for our very existence and how we need to protect them .http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/hsl/

My search amongst the crowded stalls produced early Warwick Heritage dwarf runner beans mange-tout, dwarf nasturtium and oriental salad mix seeds.These are nestling on my kitchen window ready for when the days lengthen and my desire to venture into the garden returns – soon I hope!

http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/schools_organic_network/resources/growing/dfb_warwick.php

If you missed Seedy Sunday check out these web-sites to buy heritage and biodynamic seeds:

http://www.thomasetty.co.uk/

http://www.pennardplants.com/categories.php?cat=7

http://www.stormy-hall-seeds.co.uk/

Find out why saving seeds can help to combat climate change:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/09/saving-seeds-critical-to-combatting-climate-change.php

On 6th February one of  THE gardening events of the year takes place in Hove. Seedy Sunday runs from 10-4.30pm in Hove Centre in Norton Road and costs just £2.This quote from their web-site explains what it is all about:

“Seedy Sunday has blazed the trail for UK seed swaps over the past decade: it is the must-be-there event for seed swappers, conservers, developers and newcomers. It exudes innovation, creativity and common sense. It shows up the idiocy of draconian seed laws and the Gene Giants’ restrictive practices: in this warming world we need to exchange more diversity of uncontaminated plants to secure future food.

Seedy Sunday builds solidarity among all of us who respect our collective rights to save, sow, swap and sell seeds grown in our gardens and farms: it gives strength to seed law busters.”

Don’t miss it if you want  a garden full of unusual and delectable flowers and produce this summer – see you there!

http://www.seedysunday.org/page_id__136_path__0p1p.aspx

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jan/25/seed-swaps-biodiversity-seedy-sunday