Learn about the spuds you like
With winter’s end in sight it’s time to start planning for perfect potatoes, sensational seeds and fabulous fruit
Chelsea Flower Show Gold Medal winners Pennard Plants are bringing potatoes and decades of potato growing wisdom, expertise and practical tips to this year’s Roots and Shoots Pop Up Potato Shop, in Kennington, together with hundreds of heritage and heirloom seeds and some new varieties of soft fruits.
Among the 97 varieties of potatoes, the oldest of which dates back to 1851, is Vitelotte Noire, a rare and scrumptious French potato with purple flesh and a flavour of chestnuts.
The 700 varieties of mainly heritage and heirloom seeds include some exciting and exclusive introductions for 2018 from Burpee, the world famous US vegetable, fruit and flower company.
Pennard’s Chris Smith said: “We trialled the new blight resistant Oh Happy Days tomato in 2017 and can vouch for it.
“Merlin’ a tasty cucumber we introduced at Chelsea 2017 is incredible. Not only does it produce a crop of six-inch fruits after two month in the greenhouse, it keeps on cropping.”
Fruit growers will find some interesting soft fruit bushes and fruit trees including new patio varieties of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries as well as a white blackberry which are new for this season.
It’s on Sunday, February 11 from 11am to 2pm. Admission is free.
Roots and Shoots, Walnut Tree Walk, Kennington SE11 6DN.
Go to www.rootsandshoots.org.uk for more details.