Cosmos, Tomatoes and Lovely Perennials

Beautiful but tricky weather so far this May with some clear blue skies, days without rain and then hail with close to frosty nights. Another chilly one to come, but then it looks as if it will be safe to complete harden off the tender perennials and to plant them out as the night time temperatures hover around 10 degrees.

Over the next two Sundays there will be a range of perennials, tender annuals and tomatoes available. If you are interested in any of the plants and would like me to put them aside for pick up at either market, please email me: thedevelopingplot@gmail.com

Sofacoma Market: Sunday, 17th May 10.00am to midday

Wolvercote Community Market: Sunday 24th May 10am to midday

Cosmos: £2.00 a pot

One of the very best annuals for its productiveness, beauty and reliability. It gives height to garden borders and is a great late Spring filler. It can also self seed for next year. Enjoys sun and well drained soil and goes on generously flowering until the first frosts. These plants have been pinched out and are big enough to be planted out now, but will need some hardening off first.

Tomatoes: £1.75 a pot

The tomato plants will need hardening off and protecting from any late frosts and cold nights. The warm weather forecast for next week will be perfect for this. It is best to plant tomato plants when their first flowers appear and, if planting outside, when night time temperatures are warmer and around 10 degrees. 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 above are of the indeterminate kind which means they need 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.

Black Cherry: a sweet, juicy cherry variety which has dark, healthy fruit and is happy to grow outside.

Black Krim: my favourite large tomato which has a truly excellent flavour and produces a generous amount of fruit. Can grow inside or out.

Gardeners Delight: a long time favourite producing long trusses of cherry tomatoes packed with flavour. Reliable and long fruiting.

Sungold: a beautifully sweet orange cherry tomato with a soft skin and fantastic flavour.

Perennials

Apart from the salvias, these hardy perennials have been outside all Winter and have been completely hardened off and are ready to plant. The salvias have been out in the day and then protected from the very low temperatures at night which can knock them back a little.

Prices: 9cm/13cm pot, £3.50; 1 litre pot, £4.00; 2 litre pot: £6.50; 3 litre & above: £7.50

Salvia patens: these are in 2 & 3 litre pots

Salvia patens has one of the most unusual and beautiful blue flowers. Often classified as an annual it is perennial if Winter temperatures aren’t too brutal. They can be lifted and protected in Autumn, but mine were left outside in pots and have come back well. Feed to keep the lovely flowers coming.

Salvia Cerro Potosi: in 9cm and 2 & 3 litre pots

A very tough and extremely lovely hardy perennial salvia with a shrub like growth. Is excellent in the ground and in a pot. Enjoys sun and well drained soil. Its rich, bright flowers continue until the first hard frosts. Cut down to first signs of growth in April and it will start all over again.

Verbascum Southern Charm: pots in a range of sizes

An upright hardy perennial with soft spires of flowers in shades of apricot, cream and dusky pink. A wonderful cottage garden plant it flourishes in full sun but copes with some shade in my garden. It flowers on and off throughout the summer especially if you cut down the spires when they have finished flowering. Alternatively leave the attractive seed heads and allow it to self seed. Can grow up to between 90-120 cos.

Sanguisorba officinalis: in 2 & 3 litre pots

A fantastic plant which tolerates most soil conditions and both sun and shade. Its raspberry coloured bobbles appear from July to October and give height and movement to the border. It can reach up to 120cms and is completely hardy.

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