Oh my word, how long is this January? The positive part of me reassuringly realises that we are already ‘well over’ halfway through, but the larger part of me keeps wondering if we are ever going to get to February – and let’s face it, that month is hardly ‘first prize’ is it.

It’s lovely to see the snowdrops out and even some very early daffodils blooming in places – they are almost-certainly the exceptionally early variety, Rijnveld’s Early Sensation, but I can’t eloquently express just how much I am looking forward to some warm spring sunshine.

I’m sure that once the weather improves, I will be unstoppable again – until it gets too hot, of course, when I will probably become stoppable again.

Every year I always try out a few new unusual veggies or plants and despite not having a great track record growing brassicas, this year I have chosen the sprouting cauliflower called 'Fioretto'. This unusual cauli has long, tender stems and small, open florets, offering a sweeter, milder, nutty flavour than regular cauliflower. It’s ideal for eating raw, sautéing, or roasting.

They are grown similarly to traditional cauliflower but harvested as shoots emerge from leaf bases for longer yields. I’ve also chosen ‘Cauliflower Sprouting Murasaki Fioretto’, which has been bred in Japan and is similar to the Fioretto but the florets are a striking purple colour. They retain the vibrant colour when cooked and are also sweet and nutty in flavour. Both varieties look pretty good in the veg patch or in mixed borders (controversial, I know), and therefore are often referred to as ‘edible bouquets’.

I’m often attracted to new varieties by their colour and another ‘new cauliflower on the block’ is the bright orange Cauliflower ‘Amoresco (Amo 125) F1’. It’s a Romanesco cauliflower and the bright orange florets (or curds) stay as vibrant when cooked. It is predicted to be a big hit in fine dining restaurants very soon.

Out of pure fascination I have also ordered Courgette Zephyr, which is a bottle shaped courgette with the top half being yellow and the bottom half a contrasting pale green. It looks so posh and apparently the flavour is ‘superlative’. It can be picked as early as 50 days after planting when the young fruits reach about 4 inches long.

To encourage little green fingers – or just grow as a snack-and- talking point - why not try the Half Pint Pea. This very-small-veg reaches just 12-15 inches tall and is perfect for growing on a windowsill. When the pods appear you can move it to the table as a novel – and snacking - table decoration.

Similarly ‘Dill Teddy’ can be grown and ‘shown off’ in the same way. It’s a lovely little dwarf variety of dill, but with thicker and compact vibrant green leaves and fast growing and slow to bolt, it’s perfect for windowsills – or balconies – and table centrepieces.

All the above fancy-pants seeds can be bought at www.plantsofdistinction.co.uk and it’s well worth browsing through the whole website for lots of other options too.

Whilst to me, all these new varieties are like shiny things to a magpie - and always worth trying out - don’t forget the Heirloom veggies for the best ‘old fashioned flavour’. The best place to go for those varieties is to Alex Alexander, also known as the Seed Detective at www.theseeddetective.co.uk You’ll find lots of useful advice and interesting information there too. Make yourself a cuppa before popping into the website, as you’ll be there for a while. Enjoy browsing – and buying - after all, despite my grizzling, January is the perfect month for a bit of ‘armchair gardening’.