Why My Visit to the Mr Fothergill's Trial Grounds Left Me Feeling So Hopeful About the Future of Gardening

Some days remind you exactly why you do what you do.

This week I was lucky enough to be invited to spend the day at the Mr Fothergill's Trial Grounds, and what a fascinating day it turned out to be. Like many gardeners, I've bought countless packets of Mr Fothergill's seeds over the years, but I'd never really stopped to think about what happens before those little packets make it onto the shelves.

The trial grounds are where every variety earns its place. Acres upon acres of vegetables, flowers and herbs are grown, monitored and assessed so that only the very best varieties make it into our gardens. It was a privilege to wander through the plots, seeing row upon row of healthy crops growing despite what has been one of the hottest and driest summers many of us can remember.

I honestly don't think I've ever seen onions quite like them. They stood in perfectly straight lines, each one looking almost identical to the next, with enormous golden bulbs sitting proudly above the soil. It was incredibly satisfying to see such precision, but also a reminder of just how much work, knowledge and patience goes into producing quality seed.

Everywhere you looked there was something to admire. Beautiful flowers buzzing with pollinators, climbing beans, pumpkins, tomatoes, sweetcorn stretching skywards and vegetables that most of us can only dream of producing at home. It was impossible not to come away inspired.

A company whose values genuinely resonated with me

One of the highlights of the day was hearing from CEO Michael Yates, who spoke openly about the future of Mr Fothergill's and the company's purpose.

Rather than talking purely about products or sales, he spoke about people.

One statistic really stayed with me.

Research has shown there are three main reasons people don't start gardening.

They don't have enough time.

They don't have enough space.

They don't have enough knowledge.

As I sat listening, I couldn't help smiling because those are exactly the barriers that The Grow Up exists to break down.

Every workshop I run, every community gardening session, every newsletter I write and every piece of content I create is designed to show people that gardening doesn't have to be complicated. You don't need acres of land. You don't need to know every Latin plant name. You don't even need to have been successful before.

You simply need to start.

I was incredibly impressed by how closely Mr Fothergill's values align with my own.

Their purpose is simple. To help everyone grow.

Their recently launched Simply Sow range is a brilliant example of that philosophy in action. Growing from seed can sometimes feel daunting for beginners, but this range strips away the complexity and makes sowing much more accessible. If we want more people to discover gardening, we have to make those first steps feel achievable rather than intimidating.

Their wider mission is to democratise gardening, making it something that's accessible to everyone regardless of age, experience or where they live.

You don't need a country estate.

You don't need a huge vegetable garden.

You don't even need a garden.

A windowsill, a balcony, a patio or a few pots outside your front door can all become places where something beautiful can grow.

That message couldn't resonate with me more.

As many of you know, so much of the work I do through The Grow Up and our community gardens is centred around exactly this idea. Gardening has the power to improve wellbeing, reduce loneliness, build confidence and bring communities together. It is one of the most accessible forms of green social prescribing we have, and seeing a major seed company championing those same values gave me enormous hope for the future.

New varieties to look out for

One of the most exciting parts of the day was getting a sneak preview of some of the new varieties that will soon be arriving in the Mr Fothergill's range.

The very first one I'll be sowing is Kate Garlic. Imagine the delicious flavour of mild kale with a subtle hit of garlic. It's a leafy crop that can actually be sown directly into the soil at this time of year, so there's no need to wait until spring to give it a go. I can already imagine it finding its way into soups, stir fries and autumn salads.

Another that caught my eye was Rosella, a beautiful black tomato variety that will certainly be finding a place in my vegetable garden next year. I also loved Carrot RubyPak F1, a striking ruby red carrot that not only looks beautiful but has the added bonus of excellent disease resistance.

As always, there were plenty more exciting varieties to discover and I have a long list of seeds I'd love to try once seed sowing season comes around again.

That said, if I had to choose just one favourite from the entire day, it would have to be the sweetcorn.

Sweetcorn, but not as you've ever tasted it

Towards the end of the tour we were generously told to help ourselves to anything growing in the trial fields, and I was encouraged to try the new Sweetcorn Celebration straight from the plant.

Oh my goodness.

My taste buds literally exploded.

It was unbelievably sweet, wonderfully juicy and had the most incredible crunch.

It honestly made me wonder...

Why do we boil sweetcorn?

Fresh from the plant it was absolutely perfect exactly as nature intended.

After tasting it, Sweetcorn Celebration will definitely be finding its way into my vegetable patch next year.

It was such a simple moment, but one I'll remember for a long time.

In a world where so much of our food arrives wrapped in plastic, processed beyond recognition and transported across continents, biting into something that had been growing just moments before was incredibly grounding.

Sometimes the simplest food really is the best.

And then... it rained!

We also experienced the strangest thing during the afternoon.

For about five whole minutes, tiny droplets of water started falling from the sky.

Apparently it's called rain!

It had been so long since any of us had seen it that we'd almost forgotten what it looked like.

Not to worry though. We all escaped into the polytunnel with the tomatoes and, quite naturally, carried on eating our way around the trial gardens while we waited for the shower to pass.

Leaving inspired

The day was rounded off with a delicious lunch in the beautiful new Garden Room, chatting with fellow gardening enthusiasts who all share the same passion for helping more people discover the joy of growing.

I left feeling inspired, hopeful and excited.

Not just because I'd seen some wonderful new seed varieties that you'll soon be able to grow yourself, but because I'd spent the day with a company whose values genuinely reflect what I believe gardening should be.

Gardening isn't about perfection.

It isn't about having the biggest garden or the straightest rows of vegetables.

It's about giving people the confidence to sow that very first seed.

Because once that first seed grows, something rather wonderful usually grows alongside it.

Confidence.

Curiosity.

Wellbeing.

Community.

And that's something worth nurturing.