The NPD trial of Echinacea was in full flower this week and some of the varieties look quite encouraging. However further work on yield and vase life is required before this crop can be commercialised.
Despite budding up very early, the Lepidium “Green Dragon” is now growing away vigorously and look like it will produce a good stem length (see left hand photo). However as a word of warning don’t forget that Lepidium is a member of the brassica family and as such is very attractive to flea beetles which did in fact catch us out a bit this week (see right hand photo) even though the stocks have not been attacked this week.
And finally for this week, the week 23 planting of Japanese stocks is now in full flower (with the week 25 planting not far behind) and the Scabious and Astrantia continue to flush prolifically (see harvested flowers in right hand photo).
