NEW flower and vegetable varieties have been examined by Derek Jarman, of Rous Lench, Evesham, in his capacity of a member of the Garden Writer's Guild.

Mr Jarman visited Thompson & Morgan, which since 1855 has been breeding new varieties of garden plants with the aim of achieving bigger, better and earlier flowers and fragrance. He found the company is introducing no less than 68 new varieties of flowers and 52 varieties of vegetables to its 2007 catalogue.

One, Digitalis purpurea Candy Mountain, was the first upward facing foxglove from seed, enabling a look inside the dainty bells to see the freckled flowers. It grows to a height of 40ins and flowers January onwards the year after sowing.

"I particularly liked Aster chenensis Starlight Mixed, a new stunning dwarf Aster with early and free flowering brush-like blooms in a range of colours, red, purple, pink and lilac," Mr Jarman said.

"Growing to a height of eight inches, this half-hardy annual provides colour all summer long. At only 69p for 150 seeds, this has to be one to try next year."

Every year flower breeders from around the world enter their new varieties into the Fleuroselect competitions, judged by experts. T&M were awarded three gold medals for their breeding in 2006, a record number for a UK-based packet seed company.

The winners were Zinnia Aztec Sunset, a free flowering double mixture with exceptional weather and mildew resistance, Laurentia Avant-garde Blue and Laurentia Avant-garde Pink. Traditional growers had to sow Laurentia (Isotoma) pre-Christmas to get the patio and hanging basket plant in flower from the end of May onwards.

Mr Jarman said Colin Randel, the T&M vegetable product manager, told him potato Mayan Gold was now available to the amateur gardener. The yellow skin, deep golden flesh and unique nutty flavour, extremely popular with celebrity chefs, was one to grow in the garden.