Eight New and Exclusive varieties

Available exclusively from Mr Fothergill’s A-Z Flower and Vegetable Seed Catalogue 2012 and featured on its front cover, Sweet Pea Pandemonium was bred in New Zealand by one of the world’s foremost hybridisers of this species.  It is a large flowered, frilled red ‘flake’, which produces up to five strongly scented, eye-catching ‘dappled’ blooms on each stem.  Pandemonium is perfect both for garden display and for cutting and a packet of 20 seeds costs £1.95.

Also only from Mr Fothergill’s is Rudbeckia Aries.  The large, flamboyant flower heads are comprised of golden petals, the centres of which are chocolate brown, creating a head-turning bicoloured display.  It blooms from mid summer well into autumn and is ideal in beds and borders.  Rudbeckia Aries grows to 30in/75cm and a packet of 500 seeds costs £1.95.

Vegetable growers will appreciate the exclusive Carrot Cascade F1, a Chantenay type with high quality, deliciously sweet roots which are ideal for lifting young.  It is well suited to growing in even shallow containers, where it will be ready for lifting just a few weeks from sowing.  A packet of 350 seeds of Carrot Cascade F1 costs £2.49.

Mr Fothergill’s is also featuring another two flower exclusives and three vegetable exclusives in its 2012 offer.  African Marigold Kees’ Orange is ideal for creating a hot-spot or acting as a complement to exotic foliage plants with its vivid, bright orange, double blooms.  It reaches 24in/60cm in height and a packet of  seeds sufficient for 75 plants is priced at £1.95.  Antirrhinum ReminiScent F1, which grows to 12in/30cm, boasts not only beautiful ‘snapdragon’ blooms in a wide range of colours, but also a delightful lemon scent.  A packet of 50 seeds costs £2.99.

Exclusive ‘edibles’ Beetroot Red Hawk F1 (£1.95/150 seeds), Sweet Corn Mirai M160Y F1 (£2.25/35 seeds) and Strawberry Delician F1 (£2.25/10 seeds) complete the line-up.  Red Hawk F1 is a fast growing, uniformly coloured beet with a high sugar content, Mirai M160Y F1 produces top quality cobs packed with juicy sweetness, while Delician F1 gives heavy crops of finely flavoured fruits.

Flowers with ‘fruity’ names feature strongly among the many brand new introductions.  Leading the way is Calendula Lemon Daisy, which has masses of bright yellow flowers on plants which grow to just 8in (20cm).  The compact, bushy plants are suitable for edging borders or paths and for patio containers.  A packet of seed sufficient for 60 plants costs £1.45. 

Taller at 48in (120cm) is Cosmos Double Click Cranberries, which has beautiful wine-red double and semi-double heads.  It is ideal for providing plenty of rich colour in beds and borders from mid summer onwards and is also suitable for cutting.  A packet of 50 seeds of Cosmos Double Click Cranberries is priced at £2.10.

Brand new perennials include Gaillardia Arizona Apricot and Echinacea PowWow Wild Berry. The gaillardia has unusual apricot flowers borne on compact, mounded plants.  At just 12in (30cm) tall, Arizona Apricot looks good both in borders and containers.  A packet of 25 seeds costs £2.25.  The intense rose pink flowers of Echinacea PowWow Wild Berry, each with a darker centre, do not fade with age and so provide good border colour for longer.  Wild Berry is complemented by PowWow White, which has pure white flowers set against a central golden ‘cone’.  Both are offered in packets of 10 seeds for £2.89.

Chilli peppers and melons are usually grown in a greenhouse in the UK, but Mr Fothergill’s is offering a brand new variety of each, both of which have been specially bred to perform well in unpredictable British summers.  Pepper Gusto Purple F1 yields a fine crop of pointed, medium-hot fruits which mature from purple to rich red.  A packet of 10 seeds costs £2.35.  Watermelon Fascino F1 can produce fruits weighing up to 5kg each if planted through a sheet of plastic to make the most of the sun’s warmth.  It can also be grown in a polytunnel for even more impressive results.  The green striped skin fruits have bright red flesh which is really sweet and juicy.  A packet of 10 seeds of Fascino F1 costs £2.45.

Other brand new introductions from Mr Fothergill’s for 2012 include Geranium Divas Orange Ice F1 (£1.95 for 6 seeds), Morning Glory Split Second (£2.25 for 20 seeds) and Zinnia Soleado (£1.75 for 50 seeds).  Divas Orange Ice F1 has soft orange lower petals complemented by white upper petals with a picotee edge to create a most striking impression in beds or pots.  Morning Glory Split Second has double, peony-like blooms of soft rose pink – perfect for growing up a trellis – while Zinnia Soleado produces masses of single flowered, golden blooms on robust, weather-resistant plants which bloom right through summer to the first frosts.

The catalogue also features new sowing guides to help plan what to sow, when to sow it, when flowers will bloom and when crops can be harvested.  Anyone who orders five or more packets of seed will also receive two free packets of seed of the company’s choice, plus a copy of the newly updated ‘Success with Seeds’ booklet, which offers plenty of useful advice and tips. In addition, a series of new Video Growing Guides can be viewed online at www.mr-fothergills.co.uk

Mr Fothergill’s also offers FREE delivery for seed only orders and same day despatch on seed only orders placed on the website before 12.00 noon. And gardeners can take advantage of the special express delivery, usually one or two days, by adding £1.00 to a seed order, subject to stock availability.

As a ‘thank you’ to customers, anyone who places an order of £25+ may claim five plants of Petunia Famous Compact Violet Dark Eye for just £3.95 while stocks last, while those spending £35 or more are offered five plants of Geranium Ludwigsburger Flair for only £4.95 while stocks last.