Posts Tagged ‘press release’

Louis King appointed to rule London and Kent

January 18th, 2017 | News | Comments Off on Louis King appointed to rule London and Kent

Louis KingEssex-based Louis King has been appointed territory manager for Kent and most of London by Mr Fothergill’s. He comes to us from a similar rôle with Unilever. Prior to this, Louis lived in Sweden for eight years, where he was a semi-professional footballer.

Announcing the appointment, our joint-managing director David Carey said “This is an additional territory manager appointment, bringing us up to 16 in our field teams. We believe we have the largest UK seed-dedicated field-team in the market and our team expansion is in keeping with our belief in being ‘traditional’ seedsmen, and the importance of customer service and seed stand management. This belief has been reflected in several sales successes in recent years”.

Louis King will be introduced to Mr Fothergill’s stockists in the near future. In his leisure time he continues his keen interest in football and gym work.

For more information on our range of seeds you can visit the website here, or to request a catalogue please fill out the form here.

Brian’s patience is rewarded as bird of paradise flowers

December 20th, 2016 | News | Comments Off on Brian’s patience is rewarded as bird of paradise flowers

Bird of paradise - Mr Fothergills BlogDespite having been a grower for more than 50 years, our trials manager Brian Talman still enjoys a horticultural challenge. During those years he has learned the value of patience, and nowhere more so than with his experience of Strelitzia reginae, also known as bird of paradise.

Brian sowed the seed of the flamboyant South African native back in 2008, and waited for it to germinate in his greenhouse; the process took two years, but finally green shoots emerged. He has been nurturing the plants ever since, and in December 2016 he was rewarded when the first flower appeared on a 2m tall plant – six years after it first emerged.

“It has been growing in general purpose compost all that time”, explains Brian, “and it even managed to survive being frosted once, despite its tenderness. It’s great to see it flowering after all that time!”

In the wild, Strelitzia reginae is thought to be pollinated by the sunbird (Nectarinia afra), which lands on the corolla tongue or spathe, probing for nectar. The tongue opens, pollen is released on to the bird’s feet and feathers, from where it is transferred to the swollen stigma of another flower.

Gardeners who fancy a similar challenge to Brian’s can buy a packet of 10 seeds of Strelitzia reginae for £2.55 from Mr Fothergill’s.

For more information on our range of seeds you can visit the website here, or to request a catalogue please fill out the form here.

New Radish Viola is people’s choice for Mr Fothergill’s catalogue cover

December 16th, 2016 | News | Comments Off on New Radish Viola is people’s choice for Mr Fothergill’s catalogue cover

Radish Viola Seed CatalogueThe variety featured on the front cover of the newly published 2017 seed catalogue from Mr Fothergill’s was chosen following an online poll. Radish Viola bolted to a clear victory with an overall majority against pepper Biquino Yellow and Zinnia Solmar Mixed F1. The radish’s large, crisp roots are violet-skinned and have crisp, tasty flesh. Their strong tops make pulling them easy; Viola is also resistant to bolting and splitting, and is ready for lifting 36-40 days after sowing. A packet of 250 seeds costs £2.19.

Second-placed Zinnia Solmar Mixed F1 is an early flowering mix which produces a beautiful display in pots, containers or borders. The attractive, large flower heads last well and have good heat and drought tolerance, plus excellent disease resistance. A packet of 20 seeds is offered at £3.99.

Also new and reinforcing the company’s support for 2017 as ‘Year of the Zinnia’ is Purple Prince (£2.19 for 75 seeds), with its intense rosy-purple blooms which are real ‘show-stoppers’ in containers or garden borders. This exciting annual needs little care to put on a summer-long display.

Third-placed chilli pepper Biquino Yellow is a small-fruited, teardrop-shaped strain from Brazil. Relatively mild and with a rather smoky flavour, the fruits are good in salads and stir-fries, eye-catchingly unusual as a garnish, while the plants are ornamental. A packet of 10 seeds of Biquino Yellow costs £2.35.

2017 is also the ‘Year of the Bean’, and we have several new varieties to support the campaign. Luz de Otono (£2.99 for 65 seeds) is the first autumn-cropping broad bean, while high-yielding climbing bean Python (£3.25 for 50 seeds) and runner beans Guinness Record (£3.25 for 45 seeds) self-pollinating Snowdrift (£3.25 for 40 seeds) and peach-flowered Aurora (£3.35 for 45 seeds) are all exclusive to Mr Fothergill’s.

For more information on Mr Fothergill’s range take a look on our website or to request a catalogue click here.

Runner Bean Guinness Record leads the way in Mr Fothergill’s Year of the Bean 2017

November 23rd, 2016 | News, The vegetable garden | Comments Off on Runner Bean Guinness Record leads the way in Mr Fothergill’s Year of the Bean 2017

Guinness Record An exclusive new runner bean called Guinness Record has so fired the imagination of staff at Mr Fothergill’s base, they organised a competition to see who can grow the longest specimen before it is launched in autumn 2016 for the 2017 season. Guinness Record is the company’s flagship variety in its support of the pan-European Year of the Bean initiative.

This exhibition-quality runner bean produces large crops of very long, smooth, tasty, slender pods up to 45cm (18in) from July to October. The vigorous, red-flowered plants are resistant to all bean viruses. A packet of 45 seeds of runner bean Guinness Record costs £3.25, and is available from Mr Fothergill’s retailers, from its mail order catalogue and from its website www.mr-fothergills.co.uk.

This is the third year in succession we have lent our weight to the campaign which highlights a different vegetable annually. This commitment is also reflected on our trial ground this summer (2016). Trials manager Brian Talman reports he grew 35 varieties of runner beans, 30 varieties of climbing beans, 79 different dwarf beans and 36 broad beans.

Our mail order catalogue offers the largest range of bean seeds in the UK, with more than 90 varieties in its extensive range, including many unusual varieties and some organic seeds. For more information on Mr Fothergill’s range, or to request a catalogue please visit the website.

Mr Fothergill’s offers Chelsea calendar and Scarlet Tunic in special offer

November 18th, 2016 | News | Comments Off on Mr Fothergill’s offers Chelsea calendar and Scarlet Tunic in special offer

Chelsea CalendarWe are continuing our fundraising links with the Royal Hospital Chelsea (RHC) through a special offer in the mail order catalogue on a light-hearted 2017 calendar featuring the Hospital’s famous Pensioners, and seed of a new sweet pea named Scarlet Tunic in their honour. The RHC calendar and a packet of seed of Scarlet Tunic costs just £12, with £6.00 being donated to the Hospital.
Entitled ”Laughing at Ourselves Yet Again”, the calendar is the work of writer, designer and illustrator Robin Ollington, who has a long association with the RHC. The inspiration for these very popular calendars originated in 2012, when he was involved in the collection of Pensioners’ memoirs.
While interviewing, Robin’s creative eye spotted various events and occasions that lent themselves to cartoon treatment and so the annual appearance of “Laughing at Ourselves” was born. Since then it has developed a loyal following. For example, the adventures of Ted, the fictitious ex-POW, who cannot get over his escape complex, are greatly anticipated, and some situations for cartoons are often suggested by the Pensioners themselves.
We hope that Britain’s gardeners will help it to raise more funds for the RHC. Customers have already helped raise more than £50,000 for the RHC through sales in 2015 and 2016 of its poppy Victoria Cross. Sweet pea Scarlet Tunic continues that backing for the veterans of the British Army. We were recently honoured by being granted Corporate Patron status by the Hospital.

Here you can find more information on Mr Fothergill’s range, or to request a catalogue here.