Gardeners are incurable optimists. We’ve been through the worst winter in 30 years, the snow has only just departed, and all it’s taken is one little glimpse of sunshine and a degree or two rise in temperature to make me come over all anticipatory about seeds.

I won’t be sowing my first until a week or two’s time: I’ve learned from bitter experience that if you’re too keen all you end up with is leggy seedlings that never quite get going and almost always get overtaken by seeds sown in the warmer, kinder conditions later in spring. Mid-February is the soonest for me, and even then it’s with half an eye on the weather: it may be even later this year as we’ve had such a prolonged cold spell. But you never know: with temperatures now nudging their way above five degrees a few days in a row and eight degrees today….

You see? Incurable.

This year, probably because of diving into a slough of despond and lethargy during those interminably snowy weeks, I’m a bit late with my seed order, which is usually in by December. But that’s not to say I haven’t been turning it over in my head all the while: you see, I’ve been spending all those long, dank, dreary winter evenings drawing up a list of new varieties to try.

It’s easy to get into a rut when you’re growing veg every year: you get to know that ‘Duke of York’ is a good-looking and reliable new potato with fabulous flavour, for example, so you never bother trying the much-praised ‘Kestrel’. I’ve stuck with ‘Gardeners’ Delight’ cherry tomatoes for years – though I know ‘Falcorosso’ is out there too and getting rave reviews.

So my New Year’s Resolution this year (well, one of them) is to get myself out of that rut and Try Something New. It may not work: but I’ll learn something then, too (possibly not to grow that d**n disease-ridden bean ever again, but I’m prepared to take that risk). And I might – just – find some new firm favourites I never would have discovered otherwise.

So here are the highlights from my first seed order of the year – all new varieties I’ve never grown before.

Potatoes: ‘Sharpe’s Express’ (early) and ‘Kestrel’ (mid-season)
Beetroot: ‘Chioggia’
Turnip: ‘Top Cima di Rapa Novantina’
Swiss chard: ‘Costa Verde da Taglio’
Aubergine ‘Violetta’
Borlotti bean ‘Borlotto Lamon’
Shallot ‘Jermor’
Pepper ‘Dulce Italiano’
Red onion ‘Rossa Savonese’
Runner bean ‘White Emergo’
Tomato ‘Falcorosso’, ‘Costoluto Fiorentino’ and ‘Roma’

Lots of lovely tasty Italian flavour there, and I hope you appreciate quite what a departure it is for me to grow potatoes other than ‘Duke of York’ (early) and ‘British Queen’ (second early): my family isn’t going to know what’s hit them.

Plus I’m ordering up some sweet potato slips and some tomatillo seeds to try as my brand new, never grown ‘em before veg for this year. Well that’s not quite true: I have tried, and miserably failed, to grow sweet potatoes before but that doesn’t count. I have a few new tricks up my sleeve this year so I’m having another go. Can’t wait!