HUW'S HEROES!

This month Huw Richards explains a method of organising your choice of crop varieties - with reliable stalwarts on the one side and those offering something more demanding on the other

- Hum Richards

Of the hundreds of thousands of allotments and vegetable gardens in the UK, every one of them may share a majority of common crops, but those crops will be grown as a unique selection of varieties that is exclusive to that one garden. Crops are the colours, varieties are the shades, and there are limitless combinations for the gardener to choose.

For new gardeners it can be both exciting and overwhelming to see so many different options, so to make decision making a little easier there are two routes that you can focus on when it comes to deciding what varieties of each crop to sow.

The first is homing in on your chosen hero varieties. These are known for their reliability, deliciousness and generous yields. In essence, a staple choice for the garden.

For anyone starting their gardening journey, focusing on these hero varieties offers a solid foundation upon which to build your garden. I've created my own list of hero vegetables which you can use as a starting point, and these perform well on the yield, taste and resilience fronts.

Beetroot: 'Boltardy'

Cabbage: 'Greyhound'

Carrot: 'Resistafly'

Cauliflower: All The Year Round'

Cucumber: 'Passandra'

Fennel: 'Rondo'

Leek: 'Bandit'

Onion: 'Sturon'

Pea: 'Oregon Sugar Pod'

Potato: 'Sarpo Mira'

Spinach: 'Matador'

Tomato: 'Tigerella'

Among my chosen heroes I also consider ease of growth; can they perform well in poorer soils, or do they have a specific resistance against a pest or disease? The 'Sarpo Mira' potato stands out for its remarkable resistance to blight, and the 'Resistafly' carrot for its ability to, you guessed it, resist carrot root fly.