Stewart Robert Hinsley wrote:
Whether that's successful depends on the variety and the weather. Last
winter I was successful with Aquadulce Claudia and Bunyards
Exhibitition, and failed with The Sutton.

Ah, that may have been the issue. I think one of mine was The Sutton,
too. iirc, they worked ok (nto spectacular, but 'ok') from a spring
sowing. I think I have aquadulce and "something I picked up from a
field I was walking through that had left some stuff lying around after
harvesting" for this year. :-)

Garlic, onions.

*nod* Problem with alliums is that I have limited space I can plant
them in due to the diseased crops we had last year. I've filled the 1st
allotment's empty potato patch with garlic (elephant, lautrec and solent
white, iirc), and if the onions ever turn up I'll replace the pumpkin
patch with onions, but there is currently nowhere else I can safely
plant them without risk of infection.