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The Province
01-06-2025
- Climate
- The Province
Brian Minter: Want to grow tomatoes, peppers or cucumbers? Try these varieties
There has been an explosion of plant breeding for each of these amazing edibles Slicing tomatoes are still the most popular tomatoes, and yes, old heritage varieties, like Black Prince and Cherokee Purple, continue to hold the edge on flavour. However, many take 80 to 90 days to mature, and folks want to enjoy tomatoes in July, not wait until mid-August. Minter COuntry Garden photo Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Finally, as temperatures continue to warm up, it's time to plant the three most popular fruits that can be enjoyed well into late summer. Whether grown in garden beds or in containers, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers are the favourites for summer menus. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors There has been an explosion of plant breeding for each of these amazing edibles. It's challenging to keep on top of all the new varieties because there is always the risk of missing out on some tasty new opportunity. In both the gardening and culinary worlds, when we select a favourite variety, it tends to become entrenched, and it's hard to develop a relationship with a new introduction. In both disciplines, however, continually experimenting helps us discover even more delights. Tomatoes are, perhaps, the most challenging. As a grower, it's becoming more of an issue each year trying to decide which varieties to produce from the hundreds available. As with all edibles, it's about the flavour, the ease of growing, weather adaptability and a variety's tolerance of pests and diseases that determines the best ones to grow. Public demand, however, is the No. 1 reason to grow a particular variety. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. I find it easier to break tomatoes into categories. Slicing tomatoes are still the most popular tomatoes, and yes, old heritage varieties, like Black Prince and Cherokee Purple, continue to hold the edge on flavour. However, many take 80 to 90 days to mature, and folks want to enjoy tomatoes in July, not wait until mid-August. Slicing tomatoes, that mature in 60 to 70 days from an established plant, can provide fruit as early as mid-July. Early Girl and Early Girl Plus are among the earliest to mature, but varieties like Celebrity, Bush, Champion and Super Fantastic are all great. Coming in a few days later are the larger 8-ounce size Better Boy, the 8- to 10-ounce Big Beef and the 12- to 16-ounce Beefmaster, and all have good flavour. If you want the big, tasty giants, like the 32-ounce Supersteak, the 2- to 4-pound SteakHouse or the up to 4-pound Porterhouse, you will have to wait until mid-August. Stay on top of the latest real estate news and home design trends. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. As mentioned, in terms of timing, the heirloom varieties will take 80 to 90 days to harvest. The 8-12 ounce Black Krim is ready in 80 days; the 16- to 24-ounce Mortgage Lifter matures in 80 to 90 days; and the 32-ounce Pineapple will make you wait 90 days. Small fruit tomatoes rank in popularity right after the slicers simply because they produce so many bite-sized fruits so quickly. The super sweet Sugar Rush is among the earliest, producing in 50 to 55 days. Some of my favourites, like Sweet Gold and Sun Sugar, produce in 62 days; while Sungold is ready in 65 days. The traditional red Sweet 100 takes 65 days, and Sweet Million produces in 60-62 days. Burpee Boost Series 'Sweet Heat' pepper. Burpee Home Gardens photo Photo by Rob Cardillo Photography The very best hanging basket or container varieties are Tumbler at 45 days, followed by Tumbling Tom Red and Tumbling Tom Yellow, both at 65 days. Because they are so prolific and produce continuously, these varieties are usually the earliest tomatoes you will enjoy each year and among the last of the season. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. There are so many tomato novelties, like grape tomatoes, paste tomatoes, varieties with unique colours, such as Chocolate Sprinkles, tomatoes shaped like pears and dipping varieties. We almost have too many varieties, but it keeps gardening fun, and discovering new flavours is always exciting. Peppers have become very much a part of our summer gardens and year-round cuisine. Their flavouring, and spicy heat make them incredibly versatile. In order to connect them in groupings for culinary uses, the Ball Horticultural Corporation, one of the world's largest, has classified peppers in simpler terms such as sweet bell, sweet non-bell, Anaheim, ancho/poblano, chili, cubanelle, ethnic hot, habanero, jalapeño, serrano and specialty hot pepper. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The nice feature of sweet bell peppers is their wonderful, fresh garden flavour, as well as their stunning range of colours. From orange, green, red and lime to chocolate, purple, yellow and now candy stripe, they truly create a potpourri of colour. Sweet, non-bells excel in colour, flavour and unique shapes. In terms of spicy heat, the runaway favourites are the jalapeño varieties. Anaheims, ancho/poblanos and serranos have a comfortable heat with which to work. They rank in the range of 1 and 2 in Scoville heat units. Today's young gardeners and foodies love hot peppers and know their limits with the super hots. When experimenting with peppers, proceed gradually up the Scoville scale. Some very hot varieties, like Carolina Reaper, Trinidad Scorpion and Bhut Jolokia (Ghost), can cause serious burns, so be cautious. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Cucumbers are some of the easiest vegetables to grow, and they are among the most productive, especially planted in containers. Burpee Home Gardens photo Photo by PHLOX FOTOGRAFIE, / NOVA PHOTO GRAPHIK Cucumbers are some of the easiest vegetables to grow, and they are among the most productive, especially planted in containers. Seedless or burpless varieties are becoming today's favourites because they are sweet, easy to digest and bitter free. If you love the long, straight 12- to 14-inch varieties, then Burpless Supreme and Tasty Green are two of the varieties you may wish to try. If you insist on the super long varieties, then English Telegraph, stretching up to 18 inches long, is the variety to look for. The trend, however, is to go shorter. One of the popular varieties today is a short burpless, called Perseus, which grows only 5-6 inches long, making it easy to finish up at one sitting. The new superstars are the miniature burpless cucumbers. Mini-Me and Quick Snack are great container varieties and, when trellised, are very productive, producing an amazing number of 2-3.5-inch deliciously sweet, bite-size fruits all summer. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Pickling cucumbers are hugely popular for summer preserves, and new varieties, like Gherking, are bitter free and ideal for fresh eating or pickles. The beauty of growing cucumbers is their short growing time, anywhere from 45 to 60 days, and they love the heat of summer. Even though summer is still a little way off, having tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers growing in your garden or on your patio will mean the promise of some great summer flavours to look forward to. 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Vancouver Sun
31-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Vancouver Sun
Brian Minter: Want to grow tomatoes, peppers or cucumbers? Try these varieties
Finally, as temperatures continue to warm up, it's time to plant the three most popular fruits that can be enjoyed well into late summer. Whether grown in garden beds or in containers, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers are the favourites for summer menus. There has been an explosion of plant breeding for each of these amazing edibles. It's challenging to keep on top of all the new varieties because there is always the risk of missing out on some tasty new opportunity. In both the gardening and culinary worlds, when we select a favourite variety, it tends to become entrenched, and it's hard to develop a relationship with a new introduction. In both disciplines, however, continually experimenting helps us discover even more delights. Tomatoes are, perhaps, the most challenging. As a grower, it's becoming more of an issue each year trying to decide which varieties to produce from the hundreds available. As with all edibles, it's about the flavour, the ease of growing, weather adaptability and a variety's tolerance of pests and diseases that determines the best ones to grow. Public demand, however, is the No. 1 reason to grow a particular variety. Stay on top of the latest real estate news and home design trends. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Westcoast Homes will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. I find it easier to break tomatoes into categories. Slicing tomatoes are still the most popular tomatoes, and yes, old heritage varieties, like Black Prince and Cherokee Purple, continue to hold the edge on flavour. However, many take 80 to 90 days to mature, and folks want to enjoy tomatoes in July, not wait until mid-August. Slicing tomatoes, that mature in 60 to 70 days from an established plant, can provide fruit as early as mid-July. Early Girl and Early Girl Plus are among the earliest to mature, but varieties like Celebrity, Bush, Champion and Super Fantastic are all great. Coming in a few days later are the larger 8-ounce size Better Boy, the 8- to 10-ounce Big Beef and the 12- to 16-ounce Beefmaster, and all have good flavour. If you want the big, tasty giants, like the 32-ounce Supersteak, the 2- to 4-pound SteakHouse or the up to 4-pound Porterhouse, you will have to wait until mid-August. As mentioned, in terms of timing, the heirloom varieties will take 80 to 90 days to harvest. The 8-12 ounce Black Krim is ready in 80 days; the 16- to 24-ounce Mortgage Lifter matures in 80 to 90 days; and the 32-ounce Pineapple will make you wait 90 days. Small fruit tomatoes rank in popularity right after the slicers simply because they produce so many bite-sized fruits so quickly. The super sweet Sugar Rush is among the earliest, producing in 50 to 55 days. Some of my favourites, like Sweet Gold and Sun Sugar, produce in 62 days; while Sungold is ready in 65 days. The traditional red Sweet 100 takes 65 days, and Sweet Million produces in 60-62 days. The very best hanging basket or container varieties are Tumbler at 45 days, followed by Tumbling Tom Red and Tumbling Tom Yellow, both at 65 days. Because they are so prolific and produce continuously, these varieties are usually the earliest tomatoes you will enjoy each year and among the last of the season. There are so many tomato novelties, like grape tomatoes, paste tomatoes, varieties with unique colours, such as Chocolate Sprinkles, tomatoes shaped like pears and dipping varieties. We almost have too many varieties, but it keeps gardening fun, and discovering new flavours is always exciting. Peppers have become very much a part of our summer gardens and year-round cuisine. Their flavouring, and spicy heat make them incredibly versatile. In order to connect them in groupings for culinary uses, the Ball Horticultural Corporation, one of the world's largest, has classified peppers in simpler terms such as sweet bell, sweet non-bell, Anaheim, ancho/poblano, chili, cubanelle, ethnic hot, habanero, jalapeño, serrano and specialty hot pepper. The nice feature of sweet bell peppers is their wonderful, fresh garden flavour, as well as their stunning range of colours. From orange, green, red and lime to chocolate, purple, yellow and now candy stripe, they truly create a potpourri of colour. Sweet, non-bells excel in colour, flavour and unique shapes. In terms of spicy heat, the runaway favourites are the jalapeño varieties. Anaheims, ancho/poblanos and serranos have a comfortable heat with which to work. They rank in the range of 1 and 2 in Scoville heat units. Today's young gardeners and foodies love hot peppers and know their limits with the super hots. When experimenting with peppers, proceed gradually up the Scoville scale. Some very hot varieties, like Carolina Reaper, Trinidad Scorpion and Bhut Jolokia (Ghost), can cause serious burns, so be cautious. Cucumbers are some of the easiest vegetables to grow, and they are among the most productive, especially planted in containers. Seedless or burpless varieties are becoming today's favourites because they are sweet, easy to digest and bitter free. If you love the long, straight 12- to 14-inch varieties, then Burpless Supreme and Tasty Green are two of the varieties you may wish to try. If you insist on the super long varieties, then English Telegraph, stretching up to 18 inches long, is the variety to look for. The trend, however, is to go shorter. One of the popular varieties today is a short burpless, called Perseus, which grows only 5-6 inches long, making it easy to finish up at one sitting. The new superstars are the miniature burpless cucumbers. Mini-Me and Quick Snack are great container varieties and, when trellised, are very productive, producing an amazing number of 2-3.5-inch deliciously sweet, bite-size fruits all summer. Pickling cucumbers are hugely popular for summer preserves, and new varieties, like Gherking, are bitter free and ideal for fresh eating or pickles. The beauty of growing cucumbers is their short growing time, anywhere from 45 to 60 days, and they love the heat of summer. Even though summer is still a little way off, having tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers growing in your garden or on your patio will mean the promise of some great summer flavours to look forward to.
North Wales Live
24-05-2025
- Business
- North Wales Live
We ate out at garden centre restaurant in North Wales that everyone raves about
The Bellis Brothers was first established in 1860 and began by growing fresh fruit and vegetables for markets in the Midlands and North West. Since then, they have diversified into a farm shop, garden centre, restaurant and seasonal pick your own. The independently-run family business is located in the semi-rural Dee Valley on the outskirts of Holt Village near Wrexham and the Welsh Border. Their story began when Mr Charles Bellis planted a strawberry in his garden called Black Prince, a dark and very sweet berry. In the following year the runners from these plants were planted in surrounding fields. From these small beginnings grew one of the largest strawberry-growing firms in the country. The strawberries used to be picked by teams of 'Strawberry Dodgers'. The term 'dodger' was used as the people used to dodge around the country seeking work in the fields at planting times and harvesting. The strawberry season was anticipated with dread by the local villagers as pitched battles between locals and the pickers were commonplace in season. This occurred mostly on Sundays when people from Wrexham, intent on overcoming the then Welsh drinking laws would cause trouble on the way along Holt Road to get to a pub over the border in Farndon. Luckily, you won't find much trouble at the garden centre these days, but the venue is still a very busy place. The car park was already jammed packed full when we arrived just before noon on a Friday afternoon. The award-winning farm shop was absolutely rammed with customers. We even saw a full-size tractor with a scarecrow farmer at the wheel in the middle of one of the aisles. The shop was brimming with local produce from the daily essentials such as bread, milk and eggs (all from within a 17-mile radius) through to luxury ice cream, preserves, chutneys, cakes and a fantastic craft beer selection. There was even a farm butchers and deli with a variety of cheeses, pies, pastries, sliced meats and ready prepared salads. The Strawberry Fields restaurant is located in a separate rear building within the garden centre. If you get lost, just follow the smell of freshly-brewed coffee, which starts to overwhelm the scent of the many potted plants. The inside interior of the restaurant looks a bit like a huge school canteen. You grab a tray and shuffle around a huge long counter, packed with various hot and cold food options. However, this seemed a really slick operation, which served the many customers, all ordering lunch at the same time, really quickly. The menu had all the usual garden centre options such as cakes, soups, sandwiches and baked potatoes along with all day breakfasts and crowd pleasers such as braised beef pie and chips, gammon or scampi. Afternoon tea with cream scones and sandwiches were set at a very reasonable £11.50 a person. There was an extensive children's menu on offer with a large play ground outside. We ordered our food and made our way to a pleasant outdoor terrace, which overlooked the Welsh fields. The outside area had parasols, which had me totally flummoxed on how to put them up? Until an old couple on the next table, showed me how easy it was! We needed a bit of shade as the outside eating area was a real sun trap. My good wife ordered the veggie burger, which was served with sweet homemade chilli jam, chips and a side salad. The veggie burger was packed full of tasty fresh vegetable ingredients rather than being one of those meat substitute versions. The chilli jam added a bit of tang to proceedings and I pretended I needed to try her chips 'for the review' but was just actually stealing them. They were fresh, crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. I went for the tuna mayonnaise salad, after seeing how nice the ingredients looked in the salad bar. The salad consisted of beetroot, nut celery raisins, pasta, lettuce, cucumber, tomato, apple and red onion. It was served with a massive dollop of tuna, which wasn't too saturated in mayonnaise, which is a personal pet hate of mine. It all tasted very fresh and wholesome, as you would expect from a local farm shop. It was too hot for coffee or tea, so we settled for a bottle of Welsh still water and a refreshing elderflower drink served in a tin. We later noticed a free water dispenser inside the café, which was a nice touch. I don't know what it is, but there's just something appealing about wandering aimlessly through the various aisles of vases, potted plants, artisan jams and quirky gifts. You can certainly see why the Bellis Brothers has been named best food hall and farm shop for two consecutive years by the Garden Centre Association. Of course, you must always reward yourself with a visit to the obligatory café, which is always the busiest place in any garden centre. This one certainly didn't disappoint with great looking food on neighboring tables as well as our own outside table. Strawberry Fields Forever. The Facts Veggie Burger £10.95 Tuna mayonnaise salad £9.45 Welsh still water £1.65 Heartsease elderflower £2.55 Total £24.60 Opening Times: Monday to Saturday 9am to 6pm; Sunday 11am to 5pm Restaurant opening times Monday to Saturday – 9am to 5pm (Hot food is served daily until 4pm and light bites and drinks are available until 4.30pm); Sunday – 11am to 5pm (NB. Hot food is served until 4pm and light bites and drinks are available until 4.15pm.) Atmosphere - Strawberry Fields Forever Car Parking - Huge car park with overflow section Service - Self Service at the counter and any hot food is brought to your table. Overall - The award-winning Garden Centre with the restaurant being the busiest place.
Leader Live
11-05-2025
- Business
- Leader Live
Bellis Brothers: The story behind the farm shop success
The nation loves a good garden centre; whether its for a mooch around the homeware, selecting seasonal plants for the garden or stopping for a delicious lunch sourced from local produce. And Bellis Brothers is no exception when it comes to quality service and unique shopping. In fact, the family-business has been operating for over 160-years. Strawberries were transported by the tonne across the country (Image: Bellis Brothers Ltd) It all started in 1860 when Charles Bellis planted a strawberry in his back garden called a Black Prince; a dark and sweet berry. In the years that followed, he quickly became one of the largest producers in the country. Eighteen-years-later, the family bought the site which still operates in Holt today where they worked hard to transport tonnes of fruit to nearby towns. As transport links improved, the business grew. The shop was opened in 1973 (Image: Bellis Brothers Ltd) In 1973, it was Roger Bellis (fourth generation) who opened a small farm shop to sell the produce from the fields. Over the years, it has grown into the garden centre, restaurant, shop and pick your own experience people know and love today. At the Leader, we spoke to the current director, Elizabeth Bellis-Marks who gave us an insight into why people keep coming back. "We have worked hard over the years to keep diversifying", she explains. "There's always something going on, and we love seeing families return throughout the year. It keeps things busy, and that's just how we like it!" Strawberry field (Image: Bellis Brothers Ltd) The garden centre springs to life from March onwards, welcoming visitors with plants, gifts, and gardening essentials. Then, in June, the Pick Your Own season kicks off with strawberries and a variety of summer fruits and vegetables, a perfect family day out in the beautiful Welsh countryside. October brings the excitement of Pick Your Own Pumpkins, always a firm favourite and one of their busiest times of year. As the seasons change, they move into the Christmas period, selling trees, gifts and hosting a much-loved grotto and Breakfast with Santa which raise funds for Nightingale House Hospice in Wrexham. Garden centre, Bellis Brothers (Image: Bellis Brothers Ltd) As for the success behind the business, Elizabeth says it all lies with the dedicated team who run it. "Our fantastic team is another reason customers keep coming back. "Many of our staff have been with us for years, and regular visitors really value the warm, familiar faces and the personal service they receive. Our team consistently goes above and beyond to make every visit special. "We're proud to still be a family-run business, now five generations strong. Our roots run deep, and that sense of tradition and care is at the heart of everything we do. "We were also one of the first farm shops in the country to evolve into a garden centre, something quite rare at the time. Nowadays, it often happens the other way around, with garden centres adding farm shops later on." However, no business is without its challenges. Bellis Brothers admits one of their ongoing struggles to overcome is the rise of the digital world and needing to adapt to such changing habits. "We believe in the value of a genuine, in-person customer experience something that simply can't be replicated on a screen." It's one of the reasons why the family are so proud of their 'Best Farm Shop in 2024' title which they received from the Garden Centre Association earlier this year. This is the second year running the site has been selected for the award, making it even more meaningful to staff and customers. MOST READ Customers are also eagerly awaiting an exact date for this year's berry picking. While it is yet to be confirmed, the team is aiming for mid-June. In more recent years, the business has moved over to table top strawberries from field grown to allow for greater control over the fruit and to reduce reliance upon the weather, which is becoming increasingly unpredictable in the UK. "The fruit is much easier to pick as you don't have to bend down", Elizabeth says. "It is child friendly and easier for people with mobility issues. It also extends our Pick Your Own season into the summer holidays!" So, whether you fancy a home-cooked brunch or you're keen to start your journey with gardening, why not visit and see for yourself.
