Tuesday 15 January 2013

A New Variety

I had a wander around Wilkinson's at the weekend. They've cleared their shelves of Christmas paraphernalia and have now stocked them with gardening items, ready for the new season. They've already got their seed potatoes in, and although I've got my Arran Pilots on order from the allotment association, I couldn't resist trying a new to me variety. I've gone for Anya, a potato mentioned on many blogs before, but which I've never grown myself. Anya is a cross between Desiree and Pink Fir Apple and is supposed to have a nutty taste. I'm hoping that it will produce a good salad potato. I'll be growing all my potatoes in containers again this year, I find they grow much better and cleaner this way, and frees up the allotment for other things.

I've decided that I'm going to grow peppers again this year, after giving them a miss last year. I've never had a huge harvest of peppers, but I'm hoping that by increasing the number of plants I grow, I may get a worthwhile yield. I haven't checked my seed stash yet, but I'm sure I've got a few varieties still in there. I'd like to get some sown quite early as they do tend to need a long growing season. The problem is judging it right, too early and the plants will grow leggy, too late and there won't be enough time for the peppers to ripen.

We woke to a little more than a sprinkling of snow yesterday, and throughout the morning it continued to snow. I really didn't think we'd had much, but I noticed a snowman in one of the gardens nearby when I took Archie for his walk this morning. Most of the snow has gone now, but it's trying it's hardest to snow again at the moment. We keep getting a flurry, but it doesn't seem to be settling, thank goodness.

26 comments:

  1. I want ty try Anya, they had none in over the weekend so I will be out hunting again next week.

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    1. It seems to be a popular variety so I'm sure you'll manage to source some. I've read good things about them so I hope they live up to expectations.

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  2. I grew Anya last year and they did pretty well - Wilkinsons still didn't have their potatoes in last time I went - I will only be growing Charlotte this year as they are good for just about everything.

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    1. It's good to find a variety you're happy with. I like Arran Pilot so I've got those on order, but I still like to try at least one new to me variety.

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  3. That is where our indoor growing light comes in really handy.

    I'm glad the snow didn't linger

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    1. I'd love an indoor growing light, but I don't know where I'd put it, we're short on space even though we've extended. The snow's all but gone now.

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  4. We've tried Anya in the past and it's cropped reasonable well but because it's a bit knobbly not easy to clean. Should be much better to clean grown in a bag.

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    1. I must admit that potatoes with knobbly bits have put me off in the past, I hope they're worth it.

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  5. I grew Anya once and from I what remember it was good, like Pink Fir Apple but slightly smaller and earlier. We don't have Wilkinsons round here, but my mum buys lots of gardening bits from hers.

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    1. Wilkinson's is a no frills shop, but it does have some good bargains, I'd certainly miss it if it wasn't here. I'm planning on getting my Anyas in early, and getting an early harvest.

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  6. Anya is a very good variety. It has many of the positive characteristics of PFA, without the knobbliness, which can make it difficult to prepare.

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    1. I can't wait to try it. I've never tried Pink Fir Apple either though, so I don't really know what to expect.

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  7. It's always good to try a new variety, and this is a good choice. It'll be interesting to see what you think of them.
    It snowed here yesterday but,thankfully,it didn't settle. Flighty xx

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    1. It's good to grow something you know is good, but I always like to try something new too. I'll be sure to let you know what I think of them. The snow's just about gone now, thank goodness.

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  8. It's been exciting to watch the shelves in Wilkos fill up with gardening goodies again. I grew Anya last year Jo - the weather didn't help but enjoyed the crop we had. Most tasty and as Mark says none of the knobliness that you get with Pink Fir Apple, which I've grown in previous seasons. Not much in the way of snow here - just a Sunday night sprinkle which had disappeared by Monday morning.

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    1. I shall be popping in to Wilkos again now that the gardening gear is back in stock, there's usually something there to catch my eye. Glad you enjoyed Anya last year. I always keep a mental note of varieties I've heard about on blogs, and this was one of them. The snow's just about gone here now, I hope it doesn't return.

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  9. Sounds a good variety to try, I've grown pink fir apple and they were very healthy and tasted good, plus you get some very bizarre shaped spuds! But like Mark said can be hard to prepare, well clean really no point in trying to peel them! Look forward to seeing what they are like. I'm going to try Desiree this year as one of my new varieties.
    Bit of snow in Huddersfield but think we had less than you in Leeds.

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    1. I've never tried any of the knobbly varieties before, I've tended to stay clear of them as I've thought they'd be hard to prepare, I know, I'm a lazy so and so. I'm glad the snow didn't hang around for long, I hope we've seen the back of it now, though I doubt it somehow.

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  10. I had no idea that Anya were a cross between Pink Fir Apple and Desiree...makes sense though!

    I'm a huge fan of the Pink Firs and will be growing them again this year. They're just so tasty if a bit fiddly to clean.

    Actually I have a tip for you sine you'll be growing Anya's this year. You know those inexpensive exfoliation gloves you can buy at Boots? Wearing them to clean your knobbly potatoes makes the chore a breeze.

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    1. That's a great tip, one I'll definitely use. I've always been put off growing knobbly potatoes because of the hassle of cleaning them.

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  11. No snow yet where I'm at but possibly over the next few days. The Anya potatoes sound good, I hope they do well. I think Feb is a good time to start pepper seed? I'm toying with the idea of growing peppers and/or chillies this year, can't decide.

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    1. We've got freezing fog here today, it doesn't look as though it's going to lift at all. I don't use chillies in cooking, but have grown them in the past just because they look so pretty.

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  12. Anya are lovely potatoes and great for salads. I haven't grown them before though. I was tempted to give them a try this year but I think I'm having a spud free plot this year. I'm sure I'll be really envious of yours when you're digging them up. :)

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    1. I'm growing them mainly for salads, so I'll be pleased if they do well. I often do without a particular veg each year only to be envious when I read about everyone else's harvest. Perhaps you could plant up a container or two, just so you're not left out.

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  13. Anya is a fab potato. All the taste of Pink Fir Apple without all the fiddly bits :)

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    1. Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment. I'm really looking forward to trying Anya, so many people are praising it so it must be good. Fiddly bits have put me off Pink Fir Apple in the past, but this doesn't look quite so bad.

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