February Gardening Magazines

After the subdued pages of cookery books past, the zingy saturated colour of Februarys’ Gardening Magazines dazzles.

The theme this month: Preparation with a capital P.

Digging over beds, preparing new ones, making raised ones, planning what’s going to go in which one and lots of seeds, sowing and propagators.

And packets of seeds as giveaways. Tomato varieties on offer – Moneymaker from Grow it!  Costoluto Fiorentino, Roma VF and Gardenpearl from Grow Your Own.

Grow You Own

Last summer (started off in a propagator in February and transferred mid May) the editor dedicated her greenhouse to tomatoes. A woman after my own heart!  Also growing 13 varieties, 2 in common – Gardenpearl and Black Cherry (which her team decided had the best flavour of the cherry tomatoes ).

The other 11 were Venus, Essex Wonder, Cuore di Bue, Cherrola F1, Rosada F1, Costoluto Fiorentino, Super Marmande, Orange Banana, Gold Currant Rush and Suncherry Premium.

And one tomatillo – De Milpa Purple.

On a smaller scale ( I don’t think they’ll fit many fully grown plants, which as the majority cost £150 plus is a pity ) there’s a useful comparison of Lean To’s and Mini Greenhouses.

Or for saving money, an article on how to build your own heated propagator.

Grow it !

Raring to go!  Lots and lots of practical how-to-articles for getting started on fruit and veg growing.

A couple of readers letters on last years’ tomatoes:

One, on the success of growing tumbling cherry tomatoes in hanging baskets outside the kitchen door. With the twist of a basil plant, added to the back of the basket. Perfect for deterring flies from entering the kitchen and for partnering with the tomatoes, sneaky snacking not withstanding, that do make it in.

Another, a query on what causes tomato leaves to curl on greenhouse tomato plants. Well one thing’s for sure – the reader was in esteemed company. All the greenhouse tomato plants I saw at Wisley were very curly (and I think the outdoor ones?)
The explanation could be fluctuation between extremes in temperature from day to night; for which light shading for the greenhouse was recommended and in addition, to be sure only to start feeding high potash when the fruit has actually set.

And something else I learnt – the Bokashi system of composting uses Active Bran as its ‘converter’. Dry bran, mixed with bacteria, yeast and fungi gets to work ‘pickling’ kitchen waste. More all powerful even than All Bran!

Grow it ! always finds interesting ‘Real Growers’ to go and meet. This month features Peter and Myra Grant who have, over the past decade, created a model Victorian kitchen garden . It photographs beautifully and I’m sure looks even better in real life. And as it looks like the pictures were taken late last spring, feasting eyes on all the emerging green is treat enough!

Kitchen Garden

Is thinking about early sowings for tomato plants, choosing Tumbling Tom Red and Tumbling Tom Yellow as hanging basket varieties.

Bob Flowerdew also makes his recommendations. For outdoors and mindful of blight – Legend, Histon Cropper and Ferline.
Outdoors for the joy of the tomato – Gardeners Delight, Marmande and San Marzaro, recommending growing under a plastic fly sheet, to keep off the rain, to keep away the blight.

In the greenhouse for disease resistance – Matina, Moravi and Matador and for early sowing Stupice.

For non-catalogue seeds, an article on seed swapping and just exactly what goes on, at a Seedy Sunday by the sea.

And for more conventional seed shopping, what’s new for 2010. I think most were covered last month but in case not:

• Marshall’ s: Premio (disease resistant) and Chocolate Cherry
• Simpson’s: Koralik (cherry) and Cherokee Purple (beefsteak)
• Medwyn Williams: Firebell (baby plum) and Tastyno (cherry)
• Moreveg.co.uk: Marglobe (early 1900s round red)
• Seeds of Italy: Scatolone di Bolsena

Lots to read and enjoy. Tomorrow I’ll be flicking through again to plan some days out based on recommended places.