ATTEND THE AGM TO ENSURE YOU GET THE BEST PLANT PERFORMERS

INSPIRING: Local gardens and parks

Saturday November 15,2008

WHEN buying trees or shrubs for the garden, you naturally want the best.

And if you have only a small, “cosy” area to play with, it’s doubly important that every single plant counts. It’s the same principle whether choosing fruit trees and bushes or vegetable and flower seeds: you cannot afford to waste time, money and space on varieties that don’t earn their keep.

But how do you know which ones are best? Well, there’s a very easy way. Look for the AGM insignia. It’s a circle surrounding a challenge cup (the sort presented to winners of garden produce classes at village shows).

Or you might see the letters AGM against the name in the catalogue, on the label or on the seed packet. They stand for Award of Garden Merit, an accolade presented by the Royal Horticultural Society for varieties that have proved themselves to be of outstanding excellence – and not just when they are given “expert” care.

AGM varieties have to perform extra well even when they are grown in normal garden conditions without any special treatment. I’ve heard of owners of small gardens who choose only AGM plants to to get the best possible results.

Any time you are trying to choose between two similar sounding plants with lots of good qualities, the AGM makes
a sound deciding factor.

It’s a big help when you’re thumbing through the seed catalogues or poring over seed racks at a garden centre, deciding which varieties to choose, such as the cheapest or the one with the prettiest picture.

No, when in doubt go for AGM varieties. Trials have proved that they are less susceptible to pests or disease and have a strong constitution. And from experience, they are good eaters as well.

AGM veg include some real favourites such as “Sungold” tomato, “Sonesta” dwarf French beans (with tasty waxy golden pods) and “Fly-Away” carrot (that’s resistant to carrot fly).

So if you want gardening success, look for the AGM “challenge cup” – it’s the sure-fire short cut to picking winning varieties.