Ah! Flattery will get you everywhere! Suttons sent out four salad seed mixes for gardening bloggers and journalists to trial in early Feb, accompanied by one’s own personalised wooden growing tray. Now, I have to admit to being the kind of person who buys trainers because the ‘N’ logo matches my own initial, so I couldn’t help but be charmed. Not that this would sway me in any way in regards to the results of the seed trials………….(Hm…).
Confessions over, onto the mixes. None of my indoor windowsills could accommodate my personalised wooden tray, as it measures 53 x 36 x 9cm high, but luckily for me, I have a lovely new greenhouse (hurrah!), so out I popped and got sowing at the beginning of March. I’m a bit of a traditionalist, and like sowing my leaves individually, not all mixed in together, so I must admit to being a little curious as to how I’d get on with these packets.
Growing above is the ‘Spicy Oriental Mix’ (5 weeks after sowing) and I found it to be very tasty. This peppery/mustard mix contains: Pak Choi ‘Cantong White’, Mizuna, ‘Kyoto’, mustard leaves ‘Red Giant’ and ‘Golden Streaks’ and Salad Rocket. All quick growers and perfect for growing in the cooler weather in early spring. However I do like a nice bit of crunch in my salads these days, and these young tender leaves are quite soft, so for me the mix worked best combined with bought Cos type lettuces (my own are still a few weeks away from being ready to pick) for the ideal taste and texture.
We held another ‘Cake Sunday’ community get-together this weekend and Suttons kindly donated 50 packs of their salad leaf mixes to give away (huge thanks!). After neighbours nibbled leaves from my seed tray mix, packets flew off the table!
The three other mixes that came with the crate are: ‘French Mix’ containing Salad rocket, Dandelion, Chervil and Cress, ‘Italian Mix’ containing Basil, Dandelion, Cress, Mustard Ruby Steaks and Wild Rocket and ‘Californian Mix’ containing Mustard leaves, Pak Choi, Greek Cress and Wild Rocket. I’ll be growing these outdoors (in my crate once the spicy mix has had its second flourish) over the next few months now the weather is warming up and I hope they’ll be equally tasty.
The wooden crate itself is part of Suttons’ ‘Stacks of Flavour’ range. Crates start at £20 for one slat high (with personalised message of up to 20 characters) which also includes 4 packets of salad mixes and crates come in 1, 2 or 3 slats high and either 18cm or 36cm deep.
You can buy the empty crates or crates with themed seed collections or plants such as the 2 slats high Herbtastic collection containing plugs of Chives, Mint, Parsley, Thyme and Oregano or the 3 slats high Pizza collection with super plugs of Crimson Crush tomato plants, Basil and Oregano.
Great ideas that make it simple for those who want to grow their own in small spaces (in a beautifully coordinated fashion!).
Out of my shed 
Aha! I wondered who else had got one. I don’t usually go for things with my name on, but as you say there is something rather charming about having a personalised crate. I started with Italian and French mixes. I haven’t been bowled over but the spicy mix sounds very promising.
Hi Helen, will let you know how I get on with the other mixes, but the spicy one seemed the best to grow in the cooler weather.
Yes, I think the personalised crates are a great idea for presents for charming friends and family!
That’s impressive especially that it grew so well 5 weeks from sowing and could be achieved in the smallest space. The spicy leaf mix is a favourite but it will have to be sown late summer here. I have an enormous plant pot of salad leaves outside the kitchen door plus an allotment full of dandelion leaves waiting to be picked.
Hi Sue, 5 weeks, but in a greenhouse! Mind ou, these are all quick growers so a useful mix while other leaves are still growing and should be fine to grow outdoors now the weather is warming up. And Dandelion leaves-perfect for foraging. I’m rather partial to Hairy Bitter Cress too. Lovely mild peppery flavour and weeds are all over the garden!
What a great idea and what a great shame they don’t deliver outside of the UK
Hi Hazel, where are you??
Interesting, I am trying the spicy blend for the first time, but my plants are at the first true leaf stage now. I agree about salad needing a bit of crunch though.
Hi Allison, Yes, a good bite is all part of the perfect salad experience. Have a dozen lettuces on the go at the moment and can’t wait to see what they look and taste like. Hopefully they’ll be ready to sample in a few weeks time-post to follow.
The box is really lovely with all that fresh growth. I would certainly buy one if I lived in the UK. Now I’m trying to figure out how to get the same effect for myself. Maybe one of our workers could make me up one.
An update on my Jeanne D’arc crocuses. At home they were all eaten by the nasty squirrels, and at the cottage they came up so large that they flopped over, I may not have been there on the perfect day for viewing. Perhaps next year?
Hi Lisa, sorry to hear about Jeanne D’Arc disappointment. There’s always next year…Having a very disappointing Tulip year myself. Lack of spring rain has lead to some stumpy blooms and the colour combo just isn’t working either. GRrr…
These boxes are great, but if you have a handy person who could whip one up for you….lucky you!!
The personalised crate looks fabulous, particularly with all that vigorous growth blooming out of it – wonderful!
Hi AOF, Yes, it’s lovely to see all that young spring growth-which also tastes good!
Your cake Sunday looks like a great event, I like a bit of crunch too in a salad but I love the wooden crate.
Hi Julie, this latest Cake Sunday was really good. Perfect weather and we seemed to have just the right amount of seeds (and Cake) for the day. We’re delivering growbags this weekend to neighbours’ front gardens and then we’re all set up for growing for the year ahead.
Favourite lettuce so far for flavour and crunch combined is Maravilla de Verano Canasta, but testing a few more this year……
I am surprised to see you endorsing Suttons, whose parent company Vilmorin is involved in intensive GM research! A more wholesome outfit, selling very much more interesting seed varieties, is The Real Seed company. Another is Higgledy Garden.
Hi Miles, Just to let you know that Suttons underwent a management buy-out at the end of last year and is now a British owned independent company. I wrote about the crate and seed mix as I tested the product and I liked it.
I do indeed buy seeds from The Real Seed Company and am growing some very interesting sounding lettuces from them as I type-Really Red Deer Tongue, Flashy Butter Oak, Reine des Glaces and Grandpa Admire’s-post to follow on this when they’ve grown a bit, but they’re looking gorgeous already. I do also use Higgeldy Garden, but he doesn’t sell veg seeds-always a very entertaining read though. Others I buy from include the fabulous Sea Spring Seeds, Chiltern Seeds, the ever-friendly Nicky’s Nursery and Seedaholic (with wonderful growing instructions). Thanks for your interesting comment. V.best Naomi
That is a mouthwatering looking mix, I am woefully behind on the salad sowing side of things, surviving on the small smattering of salads that haven’t yet bolted in the greenhouse. Love the crate! My sorrel is doing well though, can’t believe it has taken me this long to try it, I do love the stronger tastes in my salads.
Hi Janet, yes, herbs are now back in the garden-hurrah! Both my Buckler Leaf and French Sorrel are just about to go to seed, but a good old Chelsea Chop and they’ll be supplying lots of fresh succulent leaves soon enough.
Have you tried Sweet Cicely? Currently my favourite herb for salads (with a gentle aniseed flavour) and lovage for cooking. Quite agree, the more tastes in a salad the better!
Herbs has really added a great look in container garden. Your’s one is looking fabulous. Hope I will be able to get the same result from my herbs and add more taste in my salad!