I've gone mad this year and planted seeds for vegetable I've never heard of.
Has anyone else done the same? When browsing the packets of seeds in the
garden centre it is so tempting to get carried away and buy seeds for the
weirdest looking vegetables.

Besides the usual stuff I've planted:

Scorzonera - The seed packet picture shows what look like pen sized black
roots?

Salsify - Picture looks like parsnips but thinner.

Florence Fennel - Picture looks like celery with a bulbous base.

I've no idea what the above three taste like!

I've also planted some Romanesque cauliflower - the green ones with the
amazing geometrical fractal like heads. Bought one of those from the
supermarket last year as it looked so weird. Tasted good too!

Long black radish - tried one of these too last year from the supermarket,
sliced and boiled with a cooked dinner, tasted similar to small radish but
milder and a bit turnip like.

Also planted a variety of garden cress (looks like water cress in the seed
packet picture).

Last year someone on URG spoke of getting accidental melons on their
allotment in Yorkshire (was it Rupert - I can't remember?), so took the view
that if they'll grow there, then it's worth a try here, so planted some
melon seeds saved from a cantaloupe melon last year - they are up and will
be ready to plant out shortly.

Also planted some chilli pepper seeds, but don't hold out much hope of them
ripening outdoors as I haven't built a greenhouse here yet for such
sunlovers.

Planted all the usual stuff too - potatoes, onions, shallots, runner beans,
courgettes. Still eating the remains of last years leeks which are starting
to run to seed and have enough spring greens to feed a small town.

Anyone else planted weird and wonderful veggies with no idea what to expect?

--
David
.... Email address on website http://www.avisoft.co.uk

"David (Normandy)" wrote ((snip))

Also planted some chilli pepper seeds, but don't hold out much hope of
them ripening outdoors as I haven't built a greenhouse here yet for such
sunlovers.

We grow chillies every year out on the allotment and have done for some
years. Always get a good crop (especially the hot Thai Dragon). Normally
crop them just before the first frost, collecting red and green ones then,
and freezing what we will need for the coming year.
You do need to get them up and growing asap so I use Seaweed Extract which
seems to give them a good start and an occasional Tomato feed when the
little white flowers are showing.

We gave some to our local Chemist, an Asian family, they complained that
last years were too hot! :-)

--
Regards
Bob H
17mls W. of London.UK

Hi

We have just got a small greenhouse too late for this year but i think
perhaps next year we may look
at growing some unusual things, we just need a bigger garden to
experiment lol.

we tried chillis last year without a grennhouse and got a few very
small but very hot ones and we have grown pumpkins in teh garden about
8 yrs ago and got some really good size ones.

Debbie
Buckinghamshire

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
We grow chillies every year out on the allotment and have done for some
years. Always get a good crop (especially the hot Thai Dragon).

I'll look out for seeds for that variety next year. When I've tried in the
past in Nottingham in a greenhouse the crop was dismal. I think part of the
problem was the greenhouse wasn't in full sun all day.

Do they freeze well or lose any of their spicy heat? How does freezing
compare to drying?

David.

On 11 May, 17:17, "David \(Normandy\)"
wrote:
I've gone mad this year and planted seeds for vegetable I've never heard of.
Has anyone else done the same?
(snip)
Anyone else planted weird and wonderful veggies with no idea what to expect?

I've done salsify and melon too, mine are Charentais and I'm doing
radis noir as well. I eat them row though, not boiled! Just eat them
'a la croque' with a bit of salt like ordinary radishes or you can
make a sauce for it, with some fromage blanc. Take on raddish, peal
and put to the mixer, add 2 spoon full or oil and the creme fraiche.
Eat with cold meats and salad. (I'm starving!!)

But I've also tried red Brussels Sprouts. Yep, red ones. I sown them
at the same time as ordinary ones. I got them from Challock in Kent
and so far so good. I can't wait to see these grow.

In message , "David (Normandy)"
writes

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
We grow chillies every year out on the allotment and have done for some
years. Always get a good crop (especially the hot Thai Dragon).

I'll look out for seeds for that variety next year. When I've tried in the
past in Nottingham in a greenhouse the crop was dismal. I think part of the
problem was the greenhouse wasn't in full sun all day.

Do they freeze well or lose any of their spicy heat? How does freezing
compare to drying?

David.


I grew Apache on the patio last year - huge crop of hotish chillies,
froze most of them. They freeze well and the heat seems unchanged, if
anything they've got hotter. I'm trying Scotch Bonnets and Halapenos
this year.

Will
--
lancre dot net - The personal domain of Will and Cath Wilkinson.
Send e-mail to news dot will at lancre dot net
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"David (Normandy)" wrote after...

"Bob Hobden" wrote
We grow chillies every year out on the allotment and have done for some
years. Always get a good crop (especially the hot Thai Dragon).

I'll look out for seeds for that variety next year. When I've tried in the
past in Nottingham in a greenhouse the crop was dismal. I think part of
the problem was the greenhouse wasn't in full sun all day.

Do they freeze well or lose any of their spicy heat? How does freezing
compare to drying?


I believe "Thai Dragon" are only sold by T & M.
Our little lean-to greenhouse is on the NNE. side of our garage so sun isn't
necessary to grow them from seed although they like it when growing on, of
course outside on the allotment they get full sun all day. They do need heat
to germinate so I use a covered/heated propagator which I put on the
greenhouse staging, can't overstate it's usefulness for germinating chillies
and sweetcorn etc. We always plant then out between out 18 inch high carrot
bin and our sweetcorn (always on the northerly side) so they have some
protection from any strong cold winds and are in a bit of a sun/warmth trap.
They freeze well, can't say I've noticed a reduction in heat, best to open
freeze them on a tray and then bag then after they are frozen, that way you
can take what you need out of the bag and leave the others frozen. With
drying you do lose some flavour.

--
Regards
Bob H
17mls W. of London.UK

In message , Bob Hobden
writes

"David (Normandy)" wrote after...

"Bob Hobden" wrote
We grow chillies every year out on the allotment and have done for some
years. Always get a good crop (especially the hot Thai Dragon).

I'll look out for seeds for that variety next year. When I've tried in the
past in Nottingham in a greenhouse the crop was dismal. I think part of
the problem was the greenhouse wasn't in full sun all day.

Do they freeze well or lose any of their spicy heat? How does freezing
compare to drying?


I believe "Thai Dragon" are only sold by T & M.
Our little lean-to greenhouse is on the NNE. side of our garage so sun isn't
necessary to grow them from seed although they like it when growing on, of
course outside on the allotment they get full sun all day. They do need heat
to germinate so I use a covered/heated propagator which I put on the
greenhouse staging, can't overstate it's usefulness for germinating chillies
and sweetcorn etc. We always plant then out between out 18 inch high carrot
bin and our sweetcorn (always on the northerly side) so they have some
protection from any strong cold winds and are in a bit of a sun/warmth trap.
They freeze well, can't say I've noticed a reduction in heat, best to open
freeze them on a tray and then bag then after they are frozen, that way you
can take what you need out of the bag and leave the others frozen. With
drying you do lose some flavour.

Got just one small pot without a label, I think from Homebase, left it
out in the garden in the sun in the pot all summer, picked them from
time to time, in the autumn it still had 85 small hot chillies, mostly
red, left on it!

--
Klara, Gatwick basin

"David (Normandy)" writes
I've gone mad this year and planted seeds for vegetable I've never heard of.
Has anyone else done the same? When browsing the packets of seeds in the
garden centre it is so tempting to get carried away and buy seeds for the
weirdest looking vegetables.

Besides the usual stuff I've planted:

Scorzonera - The seed packet picture shows what look like pen sized black
roots?

Yes they taste much like salsify but are black

Salsify - Picture looks like parsnips but thinner.

Aka 'vegetable oyster'. Nice mild taste, but preparing them is tedious.
They'd be great if they had the same skin to flesh ratio as parsnips.

Florence Fennel - Picture looks like celery with a bulbous base.

Aniseedy taste, lovely on its own or as an accompaniment for fish.

Hamburg parsley I've grown I remember it as being not much different
from parsnip. Celeriac - roots are celery like in taste. Little white
aubergines which really do put the egg in 'egg plant' ;-)
Asparagus peas - tiny pea plant with brilliant red flowers with a black
blotch. Pods are 4-winged and are picked at 1 inch long. Bit of a faff
for a standard crop but fun to try as a change.

Long black radish - tried one of these too last year from the supermarket,
sliced and boiled with a cooked dinner, tasted similar to small radish but
milder and a bit turnip like.

You can get long white ones too.


Also planted some chilli pepper seeds, but don't hold out much hope of them
ripening outdoors as I haven't built a greenhouse here yet for such
sunlovers.

Put one of the plants on the windowsill.
Okra is another you can try on the windowsill, but it's important to
pick before the fruits get too large - they get very fibrous.


--
Kay

In message , "David (Normandy)"
writes
I've gone mad this year and planted seeds for vegetable I've never heard of.
Has anyone else done the same? When browsing the packets of seeds in the
garden centre it is so tempting to get carried away and buy seeds for the
weirdest looking vegetables.

Besides the usual stuff I've planted:

deletia

Salsify - Picture looks like parsnips but thinner.

deletia

Anyone else planted weird and wonderful veggies with no idea what to expect?

I haven't planted any of them (even though I had heard of them).
However, I've identified salsify three times on uk.rec.gardening, in
response to requests for identification, but I've just seen it for the
first time on one of the other plots down at the allotment site.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

In article ,
(David \(Normandy\)) wrote:

When browsing the packets of seeds in the

Yes, I've grown a few. See http://www.netservs.com/garden/veg.htm

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com
A useful bit of gardening software at http://www.netservs.com/garden/

On May 14, 1:38 am, (Steve Harris) wrote:
Yes, I've grown a few. Seehttp://www.netservs.com/garden/veg.htm
Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com
A useful bit of gardening software athttp://www.netservs.com/garden/

Great site. I see you've tried red brussells. Just about to plant them
out next w/e. Why do you think you had only 20 or so tiny sprouts? I
have perhaps 10 plants. Good news about the aphids/moth no bothering
with them!