Yesterday, we went to Potato Day at Ryton Gardens. We arrived just after 10am but too late to park in the car park. Instead, we were diverted to the field across the road to park in. The ground was solid with frost. It was a very cold morning. We had to queue to get into the gardens, about 10 minutes or so. Once in, OH and small person headed off to the Vegetable Kingdom and I found the potato tent. There wasn’t much room to get to the spuds. I felt an elbow or two. I missed the Sarpo spuds (I heard there was only the one sack). I didn’t take a bag to put the handfuls of potato-filled paper bags - they were getting a bit clumbersome to carry. I was given an empty potato sack to put them in which made it easier to carry around. I picked up 3 or 5 seed potatoes per variety.
In total, 1st earlies: Accent; Premiere(organic); Orla(organic); Winston; Witchills; Arran Comet; Mimi; Ulster Sceptre. 2nd earlies: Catriona; Shetland Black; Salad Blue; Dunbar Rover; Carlingford; Yukon Gold; Edzell Blue(organic); British Queen; Milva(organic); Osprey. Early maincrop: Pentland Dell; Picasso; Record; Early Puritan; Harmony; Robinta; Pentland Ivory; Sante (organic, 6 tubers); Highland Burgundy Red; King Edward (10 tubers). Late maincrop: Kerr’s Pink; Verity(organic); Golden Wonder(organic); Pink Fir Apple. Where are they all going to go? Well, at least we’ll have the second allotment to play with.
I sent OH back to the car with the potatoes (he picked up the Sante and King Edwards on route). The car next to ours was up to the axles in the mud. The frost had thawed. There was a four-wheel drive going nowhere, plus there was a car stuck in the entrance. Anyway, once that car had shifted (probably by tractor), OH was able to drive the car along the edge of the field and got out. By that time, spaces were available in the Ryton car park.
While he was having fun and games in the field, I had small person to deal with - he wanted some of Alan Romans’ flower seeds, picking up 4 at random (aster Duchess Mixed, Dianthus Baby Doll, Thunbergia Black Eye Susie and Calendula Kablouna Mixed)! I had also got organised and took seeds along to the seed swap - I came away with some multiplier onions, tomato Orange Banana (did I really need any more tomato varieties?), pea bean Mr. Bound, and pea Holland Capucijners. I will have to pinch some of my mother’s garden too! In the shop, we bought more seeds - Skirret, Japanese Burdock, Cumin and Evening Primrose. We also stocked up on Tyrrell’s crisps and the spiced broad bean things.
Coming back home, we stopped off at Dobbies Garden Centre. I was surprised that they already have the kindergarten plants, including tomatoes, for sale. I haven’t even started tomatoes yet!
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