New Flowers and Vegetables for 2002 

What's in store for 2002? Are you looking forward to choosing more colourful plants for your garden? Here are some of the latest flower and vegetable introductions.

Recently I was lucky enough to be invited to Wimpole Hall in Cambridgeshire, one of the National Trust's splendid properties. The reason for my visit, on this occasion, was to view Unwins new and recent introductions. Plants grown from seed were on display in the formal parterre and in the walled kitchen garden. In the afternoon, I drove over to Unwins Trial Grounds at Histon.

Wimpole Hall

Here are some of the outstanding flowers that caught my attention. In the North Garden, the Victorian Parterre was restored in 1996, and now consists of box edged triangular beds, planted with seasonal bedding:

Among plants in the parterre, deep red, purple and cerise colours of Phlox drummondii 'Lord Chancellor' really do stand out as dramatically different. Silk velvet comes to mind. Plants raised from seed sown very early in the year can be treated like half-hardy annuals and will flower from June to September. They can be planted en masse to provide bold colour throughout summer - in beds, borders and containers. These colours look set to be the "in" shades - and whether we like it or not, there are fashions in gardening.

Around the perimeter of the two-acre Walled Garden is a National Collection of walnut trees, although, unfortunately, there wasn't time to fully appreciate them on this occasion.

Vegetables, flowers and fruits in the walled garden

I liked the wavy petals and centres of highly decorative Coreopsis 'Golden Sea Shells', growing near blue Salvia 'Victoria', in front of the impressive new glasshouses. It is intended that each year 15,000 bedding plants for the parterre will be grown on in the glasshouses, which are constructed on the wall of the garden.

Numerous tomato varieties were growing inside the glasshouse and outside, along the walls. I spotted: 'Sweet Million' - sweet cherry fruits; 'Shirley' - the popular greenhouse tomato; 'Sungold' - cherry tomato, liked for its flavour; 'Gardener's Delight', a favourite for indoors or out; 'Alicante' - standard traditional variety bred by Unwins. Tiny tagetes, grown as companion plants, bloomed in between rows of tomatoes sited outside - along the wall.

A sign of changing times? The large garden, that once would have supplied the main house, now supplies the Old Rectory Restaurant in Wimpole Hall. And fresh flowers, cut from the gardens for floral displays in the Hall, help to attract people who enjoy visiting National Trust properties.

One of the best sights in the walled vegetable garden was a patch of pale lemon sunflowers, with dark centres, in one of the corners - grown for cutting. Greengages and apple 'Egremont Russet', trained espalier fashion on the wall behind the flowers, were among other varieties of apple trees. Sweet pea 'Gwendoline' - one of Unwins' most fragrant varieties - climbed on tripods above the vegetables.

Flower seeds on display

A packet of seed that I shall be sowing next year is Delphinium 'Amour'. I can't wait to grow this one! New for 2002 - the mixture includes rose pink; but the blue, larkspur type of flower is absolutely enchanting - and the colour excellent for flower arranging. Also new for 2002, the chunky marmalade-coloured petals of Calendula 'Needles and Pins' have an unusual 'quilled' effect.

Wallflower 'Vivaldi' (Erysimum cheiri), described by Unwins as 'a real breakthrough', is a hardy biennial, billed to bloom all year. The plants grow to 12ins and the mixture contains cream, bronze, gold and purple flowering varieties. I shall be trying this one. I liked also the contrast of blue purple Viola corsica in grey tubs. And especially suitable for containers, the colour mix of Petunia 'Tropical Storms' conjures up a feeling of summer.

New herb seeds

Two unusual herbs to grow among flowers - in beds, large terra cotta pots, or tubs - are alpine strawberry 'Golden Alexandria' and Basil 'Cinnamon'. New for 2002, the latter has lilac coloured flowers opening from dark mauve buds.

Kitchen Crops

Recently launched windowsill growing kits contain sprouting seeds, tray, mat and seeds. On display were special Kitchen Crop packets of Alfalfa - good on a crusty roll for lunch; Red Cabbage - recommended to go with cottage cheese and brown bread; Spring Onions - spicy on toasted cheese. Carrots, sold as sprouting seeds for eating when the shoots are only an inch or so high, are harvested from ten days after sowing and used as an alternative to cress.

Other vegetable seeds

My gaze wandered over Carrot 'Flyaway'; Gherkin 'Conda' - a traditional variety; Kale 'Redbor' - a deep red colour and extremely winter hardy; Runner bean 'White Lady'; and Runner bean 'Sunset Improved' - pink-apricot flowers. 'Small Garden Packs' of potatoes are being introduced, each containing 12 tubers. Choose from early 'Rocket', tasty 'Foremost', 'Sante' for organic growing, 'Charlotte' for salads, 'Carlingford' for tubs.

Unwins Trial Field

Here are just two of the many reasons why seed firms grow seed in trial grounds:

*To check each seed lot to ensure it is true to type

*To check that mixes contain a good balance of colours

After lunch, I walked slowly round hundreds of plants in the field, juggling with a notebook and an umbrella. I lingering by the following: Chaenorrhinum 'Blue Dream' blue-mauve herb, carpeting plant similar to aubretia in height. Craspedia (experimental) yellow pompons, swinging two and fro like upturned pendulums on long wiry stems above short clumps of leaves; Knautia macedonica - small dark maroon flowers (mail order only for 2002); Lavandula viridis 'White' (2001); Verbena 'Calypso Water-colour' (experimental); Penstemon 'Violet Dash' (experimental) - a mauve-violet, compact. Note: experimental plants are not available for sale to the public - although they might be one day!

Unwins' new sweet peas

'Lovely Lady' - long stemmed, powder blue blooms, named to celebrate the Queen Mother's 100th birthday.

'Dusty Springfield' - strong-stemmed, orange cerise flower named in memory of Dusty. 25P of every sale goes to aid research into better forms of treatment for breast cancer, to be conducted at the Royal Marsden Hospital.

'Auntie Molly' - rose and cream buds open to carmine flush on white. An aunt of Chairman David Unwin is honoured with a sweet pea.

'Oklahoma' - crimson 'flake' on a white background - won an RHS Award of Garden Merit.

'Juliet' - definitely scented, cream flowers on long stems.

'Lavender Bridesmaid' - a dwarf, scented variety.

Sweet peas may be sown in the autumn for early results next spring.

Sweet violets are also available in September. Unwins are offering a collection of scented Parma violets in maxi plugs: Queen Charlotte, Compte de Brazza, Rosea and Parme de Toulouse.