What Not to Grow

 I like to try different varieties each year, you never know what is going to work and I try to step out of my comfort zone.  In 2014 I saw an advert for this Indigo Rose black tomato and thought it looked amazing.  Well it does LOOK amazing and that's all in my opinion.  Even in South facing, direct sunlight all season long, the underside did not ripen.  Some of the smaller tomatoes did eventually ripen but they tasted of nothing!... actually they tasted of cotton wool. So I won't be growing these again.

 I had seen Yard Long Beans in some of my Asian grocers in London. The idea of a yard long bean sounded great! I managed to germinate these seeds in a heated propagator, and plant some small plants outside in late Summer, but they came to nothing.  I think these need a really hot climate, and even in a hot Summer we don't have the light or the heat to grow these well.  Has anyone grown these? I won't grow these again.

I had always wanted to grow Asparagus Pea - so a few years ago I did.  A pea pod that tastes of asparagus sounded like a really great thing to grow.  Well, these little pods are only about an inch long, they are not prolific, they are stringy.. and you need a whole big patch of them just to get a handful to cook. And guess what? - they don't taste of asparagus.  Nice colourful flowers!