thedevelopingplot

There will be lots of plants to choose from at Sofacoma Market this Sunday including a range of hardy and half hardy perennials along with the first of the tomato plants. All have been grown locally by me from seed, cuttings or division and most (apart from the tomatoes) are ready to be planted out. The varieties are chosen for their loveliness, reliability and their attractiveness to pollinators and are grown in peat free compost using an organic approach.

If you would would like me to put aside any of the plants for collection at the market, please email: thedevelopingplot@gmail.com

Upcoming Market Dates:

Sofacoma: 18th May, 1st June, 29th June, 13th July & 27th July

Wolvercote Community Market: 4th May, 25th May, 15th June, 6th July & 20th July

Perennials:

Prices: 9cm pot £3.50; 13cm/1 litre £5.00; 1.5 litre & 2 litre £6.50

The salvias are coming into flower now while the others will flower later this Spring & Summer. The pictures are just for guidance.

Knautia Macedonia: A wonderful plant with beautiful scabious type flowers in magenta. These are a magnet to butterflies and bees as well as being very lovely in the garden or in a pot. Flowers grow to between 12 and 18 inches on slender stems. It flowers long and hard and can be cut down at least once during the Summer to flower again (a range of pot sizes).

Achillea Summer Berries: a brilliant plant for pollinators, these lovely clusters of colourful flowers are a gorgeous mix of shades – both bright and pale pinks, together with coral, apricot, red and purple. Brilliant filler, both in the border and in a vase –  long lasting flowers which are a bonus for butterflies and bees.  Tolerates a range of conditions but enjoys sun 2ft (small to medium pots)

Salvia Nachtvalinder: one of the very best salvias which despite being a tender perennial comes back reliably year after year even in the harshest winters. Velvet-like, deep plum coloured flowers appear from May to the frosts. It grows up to around 50 cms in my garden; likes sun and free draining soil and is very happy in a pot if you don’t have the right conditions. Don’t cut back until April as the top growth protects the plant. Prune to healthy new shoots when they appear. These have been grown from cuttings and are limited in number [small and medium sized pots].

Salvia deep pink/red: another lovely, healthy salvia grown from seed – no name as the label for its parent plant has been lost. The original plant is reliable, has shrubby growth and grows to around a metre. Same care as above. 

Salvia Gold and Wine: a very pretty salvia which looks better in real life than in the picture. It is a new favourite with healthy growth and extremely attractive flowers. Has proved itself to be hardy over Winter and can be grown in a pot or in the ground in a sunny spot. Same care as other two varieties above. Can grow to 70cms or more.

Campanula Persicifolia: this is a reliable and beautiful hardy perennial with long, slender spikes of large, nodding, papery, bell-shaped flowers which appear from from June to August. It tolerates part shade and clay soil in my garden and it gently clumps up. It has very pretty lilac blue flowers which can grow up to 75cm depending on conditions. A lovely cottage garden plant.

Scabiosa Caucasica Fama White: another cottage garden favourite A very long flowering compact perennial with pretty pure-white pincushion flowerheads from early summer to autumn. It also clumps up well and can be divided every three years or so. Likes full sun and well drained soil. Height and Spread 30cm. ]Medium sized pots].

Astello Liquorice Blue: beautiful long spikes on long stalks of numerous whorls of purple-blue flowers. An excellent cut flower but a beautiful plant for the border as well. 3ft (90cm). [Large pots].

Devil’s Bit Scabious: a wonderful, adaptable plant which is a magnet for pollinators with its pretty and plentiful flowers. It produces purple/lilac, ‘pom-pom’ shaped flowers which are a favourite of bumblebees and butterflies. Found in the wild throughout Scotland, in damp to moderately drained grasslands it flourishes both in open and lightly shaded places. Flowers in late summer, early autumn. Up to 1m tall. It clumps up quickly and grows well from divisions. Small and medium pots.

Tomato Plants: £1.50 – £1.75 depending on pot size

As the stall won’t be back at Sofacoma for a few weeks, I am bringing some of the tomato plants this Sunday. There will be a few other varieties available in May.

These first tomato plants will need hardening off and protecting from any late frosts. The warm weather forecast for next week will be perfect for this. It is best to plant them when their first flowers appear and, if planting outside, night time temperatures are warmer. Then they will need regular watering and weekly feeds with either seaweed solution or tomato feed. All tomatoes enjoy sun and can be grown in the ground or in containers in a greenhouse or outdoors in a warm spot.

All four varieties below are of the indeterminate kind which means they need support (tying into a support such as a bamboo cane) and to have their side shoots removed as they appear. This may seem a lot of bother, but it is worth it for the delicious taste of a home grown tomato.

Tomato Black Russian: an old heritage variety, ‘Black Russian’ has large, deep red fruits with dark green shoulders. The flavour is excellent and is very rich and sweet with a hint of acidity. They start ripening nice and early indoors but also do well outside in a sunny summer. I grow this every year and it is a real favourite. £1.75 13cm/1 litre pot

Sungold: another favourite cherry tomato which has delicious orange fruit on long tresses. Crops very well outside and can be grown both inside and out as well as in pots. £1.75 in 13 cm/1 litre pots.

Cosolutto Fiorentino: an excellent Italian heritage beefsteak variety with sweet, fragrant, great tasting fruit. Does well outside in a warm Summer, but probably does best with some protection in a greenhouse. £1.75 in 13cm/1 litre pots.

Stupice Polni Rani: a blight resistant, early medium sized red tomato with a wonderful taste. The potato-leaf, plants produce large numbers of very sweet, 2 to 3-inch, deep red fruit. Originally from the Czech Republic, it does well both outdoors and in greenhouses (heated and unheated). £1.50 – £1.75

As well as the plants described, there will be other plants available on the day.

If you would like to know what’s available, please sign up below:

This week I am back at Sofacoma Market with a range of hardy perennials some ready to plant now and others whose roots haven’t quite filled their pots, but will be ready to plant in the next month. I am bringing them to market this week as there’s an unusually long gap before I am back (April 27th). If you would like me to put anything aside for you to pick up at the market, please email:

thedevelopingplot@gmail.com

Hardy Perennials

Grown by me from seed or division in peat free compost, these have been out all winter and in all weathers and are completely hardened off; all survive very low temperatures. They have been chosen because they are beautiful, but also because they are all extremely attractive to pollinating insects. Another bonus is that most of these plants have proved to be slug resistant in my garden.

Some of the almost ready plants have been potted/repotted over the last month. They do not need much care at this stage apart from watering and can all be kept outside until their roots have developed more fully and you are ready to plant them. Those marked with an asterisk will be ready in a few week’s time.

Prices:

9 cm pots: £2.50

12cm/13cm or 1 litre pots: £5.00

1.5 litre – 2 litre pots £6.50

Linaria Springside White: a magnet for pollinators, this elegant plant has masses of tiny, white, snap-dragon like flowers on top of very upright stems that are clothed in small soft-green leaves. A lovely self-seeding plant that might produce flowers in other colours. Can grow up to 90cm and likes sun. 1 litre pot: £5

Linaria Canon Went: another wonderful garden plant for pollinators with spikes of lovely pink flowers in summer 3ft (medium pot sizes)

Knautia Macedonia: A wonderful plant with beautiful scabious type flowers in magenta. These are a magnet to butterflies and bees as well as being very lovely in the garden or in a pot. Flowers grow to between 12 and 18 inches on slender stems. It flowers long and hard and can be cut down at least once during the Summer to flower again (a range of pot sizes).

Achillea Summer Berries: a brilliant plant for pollinators, these lovely clusters of colourful flowers are a gorgeous mix of shades – both bright and pale pinks, together with coral, apricot, red and purple. Brilliant filler, both in the border and in a vase –  long lasting flowers which are a bonus for butterflies and bees.  Tolerates a range of conditions but enjoys sun 2ft (small to medium pots)

Verbascum Violetta: a graceful plant which adds height to the border with slender stems of deep-violet flowers which rise from a rosette of dark green leaves. It self seeds gently and can be planted in sun or partial shade. Height 3ft (a mix of pot sizes)

Hesperis matronalis White (Sweet Rocket): Another wildlife friendly cottage garden plant which has a beautiful scent. Pure white, star-shaped flowers grow above neat green leaves. It is highly attractive to bees and other beneficial insects and self seeds freely. Hesperis can be grown in sun or partial shade and likes moist well drained soil It is fully hardy and grows between 2 & 3 ft

Hardy Annual Seedlings:

A range of annual seedlings are also available. They all need more time to grow, but are hardy and can be left outside to get on with it. They will be ready to plant out in a few weeks. These include Cerinthe Major, Orlaya Grandiflora and highly scented Sweetpeas in a range of colours. If you are interested, please let me know and I will bring some along.

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