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JUNE 2014
kitchengarden.co.uk

Down-to-earth aDvice for growing fruit & veg incorporating

KG GUIDE TO

Strawberries

4.99
iN jUST

No. 201 June 2014

60 DAYS
WIN
cELEB cHAT
SHARE A
CUPPA WITH
AlAn

PRIZES
WORTH
1900 EAT YOUR
WEEDS!
COOK UP A FEAST
ExpERT ADvicE WITH WILD PLANTS
WHAT TO SOW, PLANT
& HArvEST NOW DWARF BEANS

TOmATOES COLOUrFUL
& TASTy
DO GrAFTED PLANTS AN EASy CrOP FOr
GIvE BETTEr CrOPS? PLOT Or POT

TOP 10 HErBS FOr FLAvOUr HELP SAvE OUr BEES

 EDITORS LETTER

WELCOME
As always this issue is packed with great advice
to help you get the best from your veg patch.
We have expert tips on growing dwarf or French
beans, cauliflowers, herbs and strawberries (the
latter including a great offer on young plants) as
well as three simple ways to make your own
planters and save some money into the bargain.
Following an interview we published back in
February with Charlie Dimmock, we are very
excited to be able to bring you exclusive
interviews with the other members of the
Groundforce gang who proved so popular
with audiences for eight years until 2005 TVs
Mr Gardening, Alan Titchmarsh (p36), and
landscaper extraordinaire Tommy Walsh (p47).
Biodynamics gardening in tune with the
phases of the moon is a mystery to many.
However, to some, like KG contributor Julie
Moore, it is a no-brainer. She explains the
principles behind it starting on page 74. And if
you see weeds as an eternal problem, think
again. Lucy Halliday urges us to see at least
some of them as every bit as tasty as our more
familiar harvests.
Happy plotting,

Steve Ott, editor

Contact me at: sott@mortons.co.uk | 01507 529396

Follow us at facebook. Find us at www.kitchengarden.co.uk
com/KitchenGardenMag Contact subscriptions: 01507 529529

Your experts in this issue include:

JULIE MOORE TOBY BUCKLAND JOYCE RUSSELL JOE MAIDEN CHARLES DOWDING ANNE SWITHINBANK
Julie is a keen Former Gardeners A gardening author and Joe has been BBC Radio Charles has been growing Anne trained at Kew and
biodynamic gardener World presenter Toby KG regular, Joyce is Leeds gardening expert organic veg for over 30 worked in horticulture
and this month seeks to has just returned from a based in Ireland. This for many years. This years using a no-dig for 12 years before
take some of the trip to India where he month she brings you month he seeks out the approach. His fertile beds becoming a broadcaster
mystery out of this was fascinated by the three plans for simple, tastiest varieties of produce year-round salad (she has been a panellist
technique. She also crops and growing low cost planters that summer and autumn leaves and a wide range on Gardeners Question
contributes to KG with techniques he found can be made in a few cauliowers for you to of veg. This month he Time for 20 years) and
gardening projects there. Read his report hours and with limited try and offers his top tips looks at controlling weeds writer. In this issue she
based on green ideas. starting on page 54. tools and equipment. for sure-re success. with various mulches. reveals her top 10 herbs.

SAVE s: FOR MONEY-SAVING OFFERS & GIVEAWAYS SEE PAGES 29, 92 & 94

www.kitchengarden.co.uk JUNE 2014 | 3

 CONTENTS
EXPERT ADVICE TO HELP YOU GROW GREAT FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

42 49 38
YOU & YOUR PLOT GET GROWING
oN THE CoVER JOBS THIS MONTH: 20 A BLANKET BAN ON WEEDS
6 ON THE VEG PATCH Charles Dowding prepares some new beds
Harvest new potatoes, put in plant supports, and simply smothers the weeds.
Follow us AT facebook.
sow beetroot, peas, lettuce and more.
com/KitchenGardenMag
24 BEGINNERS GUIDE TO
10 IN THE GREENHOUSE DWARF FRENCH BEANS
sow French beans, thin grapes, tend to Andrew Tokely has all the information you
FOR OUR CONTACT
cucumbers and pollinate squashes. need to produce great crops of dwarf French
DETAILS TURN TO Pg 17
beans for plots and pots.
12 CONTAINER CROPS
28 STRAWBERRY TIME
SUBSCRIBERS
Plant tomatoes in baskets, feed fruit in pots,
grow beans on the patio. Everyone can grow strawberries even if

CORNER 14 HOT TOPICS

space is at a premium as steve ott explains.

This month new subscribers can receive three
issues for just 3, plus 10 packets of seeds!
See page
30 for
details
hAvINg TROUbLE FINDINg
A COPy OF ThIS mAgAzINE?
Just Ask your local newsagent to
reserve you a copy each month
The latest news and comment from the
world of kitchen gardening.
16 YOUR LETTERS AND TIPS
learn what other KG readers have been up
to and pick up some great rst-hand advice.
18 QUESTION TIME
Bob Flowerdew and Anne swithinbank answer
your fruit and veg growing conundrums.
91 LETS TALK VEG
Tips from the KG online community.
102 NEXT MONTH
whats in store for your July issue.
106 LAST WORD
This month with KG reader, Janice sharkey.
32 TRIED AND TASTED
This month Joe Maiden trials summer and
autumn cauliowers.
36 IN CONVERSATION WITH
ALAN TITCHMARSH
In an exclusive interview we chat to Alan
about his take on veg growing and why the
nations gardeners are embracing it.
38 HOW TO MAKE THREE
SIMPLE PLANT TROUGHS
Joyce Russell explains how to make some
wooden, rustic containers.
42 LONDONS EDIBLE SECRETS
sue stickland takes a sneak preview at some
choice veg plots open to the public this
month in the capital.

4 | JUNE 2014 www.kitchengarden.co.uk

 JUNE 2014

RECIPES
KG cooks Gaby Bartai
and Anna Pettigrew
bring you original
recipes for lettuce,
rocket and strawberries.
98
Pg 98

28 52 12
47 ON THE PLOT WITH TOMMY
TV gardening celebrity, Tommy Walsh talks
WHAT TO BUY
about gardening and life after Groundforce.
80 ARE YOU OUR MOST
49 JOINED UP THINKING PASSIONATE PLOTTER?
Graham Strong recommends grafted Enter our competition and win some great
tomatoes for the heaviest harvests. prizes worth over 1300 including a
Haygrove polytunnel, fruit cage from Harrod
52 ANNES TOP 10 Horticultural and a heated propagator.
This month broadcaster Anne Swithinbank
reveals her top 10 herbs for avour. 83 GARDEN STORE
News of the best new products and services
54 A TASTE OF INDIA plus 10 Potta System pot makers to win.
Toby Buckland on the horticultural highlights
of his recent trip to India. 85 PRODUCT ROUNDUP TRUGS
Joyce Russell looks at a range of trugs and
58 PIGGING OUT...ON vEG baskets and recommends her best buys.
We visit a restaurant garden in the New
Forest where both owers and vegetables 90 GROWING GUIDES
are on the menu. Helen Gazeley reviews the very best

62 CREATE A BUZZ
Bumblebees are vitally important to our
6 gardening blogs and websites.

92 GIvEAWAYS WORTH 1729

crops as Ben Vanheems explains.
66 THE LOWDOWN ON BASIL
Lucy Halliday has some great tips on growing
this popular herb.
70 HAvE YOU TRIED... EATING
YOUR GARDEN WEEDS?
Lucy Halliday encourages us to look
differently at our veg plot interlopers.
74 MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU
Biodynamic gardener Julie Moore explains
the principles behind this growing method
that uses the position of the planets to plan
when to sow and harvest.
96 DIARY DATES
Plus full details of seed and young plant
suppliers and giveaways entry form.
This month we have four Vegtrugs, Weber
barbecue, Solufeed organic fertiliser, tickets
to the Homebuilding show and Duck Tape.
94 READER SAvERS
A free* dwarf orange tree worth 12.95 (just
pay p&p), plus great offers on second
cropping potatoes, Asian pears, patio lemon
trees, grapevines, kiwi plants and giant
raspberry Glen Coe.

www.kitchengarden.co.uk JUNE 2014 | 5

YOU & YOUR PLOT
GET GROWING

JOBS THIS MONTH...

JOBS TO CARRY OUT ON YOUR PATCH AND UNDER COVER IN JUNE

10 MINUTE JOBS
FOR JUNE

KEEP UP
WITH HOEING
Hoe your plot regularly. It takes
seconds to knock off a few weed
seedlings but hours to weed a whole
plot of mature weeds. Hoeing also
loosens the soil surface allowing rain
to penetrate deep to the roots. Take
care not to damage the stems
of your new crops and hand
weed close to the rows.

CHECK
WATERING
Keep well watered crops that
are flowering now such as
overwintered peas and broad
beans and also potatoes. It will
result in better harvests later.
When watering give a good
soaking rather than applying little
and often. This encourages
deep roots and
drought resistance.

INSTALL
PLANT SUPPORTS
Start to put plant supports in
place. Twiggy sticks or netting is
ideal for young peas. Good strong
stakes about 1.2m (4ft) high are
best for outdoor tomatoes.
Strong, thick 1.8m (6ft) bamboo
canes are fine for climbing beans.
Broad beans may need
support too. Tie a string
around the rows.

HARVEST
NEW POTATOES
Early varieties planted in March
may be ready to lift by the end of
the month. Look for signs of flower
buds and scrape a little soil away
to see what size the tubers are. Dig
a little way back from the stems
to avoid damaging the tubers
below. You always spear
the biggest one!

6 | JUNE 2014
 PLOT TASKS

soW noW
planT squashes Turnips, sweetcorn,
swedes, radish, winter cabbage
Its time to plant out tender vegetables that (early June), beetroot, peas, kohl
have been gradually hardened off (got used to rabi, kale, lettuce, endive, chicory,
cooler temperatures) during May. These include carrots, beans
squashes such as butternut and courgette,
pumpkins and other cucurbits such as outdoor
cucumbers. When planting, if you have some
rotted garden compost or manure, dig this into
the soil. You dont have to spread it over a wide planT noW
area. Concentrate by tipping a small bucketful Sweet potatoes,
where you are going to place one plant, dig it in tomatoes, squashes, cucumbers,
and create a mound of mixed soil and compost. celeriac, celery, leeks, peppers,
This means you dont need as much manure or cauliowers, summer cabbages,
compost. Level the top of the mound before kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli
planting to allow water to collect rather than
just spilling down the sides. Sometimes, squash
plants are quite oppy when planted. It is a
good idea to either cover with a plastic bottle
or tie them to short bamboo canes to prevent harVesT noW
the wind whipping the plants and damaging Spinach, rhubarb, radish,
them. Use a slug control such as animal-safe leafy salads, early potatoes,
pellets until they establish. gooseberries, strawberries, rst
new potatoes, broad beans

...ON THE KG top tip

VEG PATCH
When planting
squashes bury a
plastic milk bottle
CoVer Crops next to the plant (cut
If you prefer to be organic, crop covers are the base off the bottle).
best way to control a whole host of pests.
Choose carefully which cover type you Insert a cane through
use. Fleece is really to protect from cold
temperatures. The best crop it. It pinpoints where
protection material is a ne mesh.
These are traded under names such
to direct the water.
as Enviromesh or Veggiemesh and
will let enough light and rain
through yet will control pests
including carrot y, pea moth,
cabbage root y and caterpillars.

salaD leaVes Chinese Cabbage Turnips Kohl rabi

Keep sowing salad crops such as These oriental veg A fast growing vegetable that is This is a
Time to sow

lettuce, rocket, lambs lettuce,
mizuna and mixed salad leaves
every two or three weeks.
Instead of sowing a whole seed
packet, sow just enough to ll a
short row. This will ensure you
dont have a glut but you have a
succession of fresh salad leaves
throughout the summer.
are fast growing harvested from about golf ball member of the
and perfect for size if you wish to eat them raw brassica family,
sowing now. The or tennis ball size if you plan to but it is the
green heads can cook them. Sow in rows 23cm swollen edible stem
be used like (9in) apart and when through the bases that you eat.
cabbage or stir seedlings can be thinned (you They are easy and
fried or used raw can eat the thinnings) and fast to grow; start
in salad. Often spaced about 15cm (6in) apart. with a level, well
sold as Chinese raked seedbed that has been
leaves. Sow in a fertile soil rmed well. Make seed drills
and thin seedlings to about 15cm about 13mm (12in) deep and
(7in) apart if growing to cut just a water the row then sow seeds
few leaves off at a time. If you an inch or so apart down the
want mature, full hearted plants, row. When they emerge thin to
space about 30cm (12in) apart. leave about 15cm (6in) apart.

JUNE 2014 | 7
PLOT TASKS
JoBs FoR tHe
FRUIt GaRDeneR
tamInG YoUR FRUIt
All fruit puts on a great deal of leafy growth
during the growing season. Many will benet
from training and trimming during the summer
to allow energy to be directed to the
developing fruit rather than the leaves. It also
allows more light and air to get to the fruit.
Gooseberries and white and red currants can
be given a light trim with the new seasons
growth trimmed back to ve leaves. Obviously
be careful not to remove fruit.
Blackberries and hybrid berries can be tied in
to their supporting wires now to keep them tidy.
Grapes can be lightly trimmed, the
new whippy growth of laterals
to ve leaves. Any side
shoots growing from
these laterals
trimmed to
one leaf.
tHIn oUt
aPPles
Sometimes fruit trees will
produce so much fruit that
this never reaches a good size.
If we can remove some of the
fruits, what is left will grow to
a good size. There is an
optimum time to do this and
now is a good time to thin
plums, peaches, nectarines
and apricots. Apples can wait
till late June or into early July
after the natural June drop
when the tree will abort
some naturally.
More quick jobs
Citrus trees can be moved outside now
for the summer. If the tree has a lot of fruit
thin a few to allow the rest to grow bigger.
It is common for plums and other
fruit trees grafted on rootstocks to
sometimes produce suckers from
the base. These are stems growing
from the rootstock and are not
the variety that is grafted on top.
These need to be removed.
Simply cut almost ush with the
main trunk.
Water blueberries and
cranberries with rainwater if the
weather is very dry. They benet
from a good moist soil especially at
owering time. If you dont have
enough rainwater, use tap water.
Early strawberries should be cropping
well now. Apply a layer of straw or
strawberry mats under the fruit to deter Watering is as important with fruit as it
slugs and maintain bird protection. Pick is with veg, especially now as the crops
over the plants carefully to check for any on cane and tree fruit start to swell.
hidden fruit and harvest when fully ripe. Maintain even watering where possible
The fruit of early cherry varieties will but if water is in short supply, mulching
also be ripening by the middle to end of the base of the plants with a generous
the month and should be protected from layer of well-rotted compost or manure
birds before they show any colour. Small will slow evaporation from the soil.
trees can simply be covered with a layer Look out for pests such as aphids
of netting, but on large trees try to (greeny) this month, especially on
protect low growing clusters with some currants and other soft fruit, and control
eece or old net curtains. them as necessary.
Plant melons
Outdoor melons can be planted out from mid June and if you havent grown any,
try your local garden centre for young plants. Melons will always grow better
outdoors in a good summer so it is always a gamble on the weather. If you can
cover with cloches or a large cold frame this is by far the best way to increase the
warmth and chances of success. Choose the right variety too. In the April issue of
KG Charles Dowding recommended the cantaloupe melon Sweetheart.
YOU & YOUR PLOT
GET GROWING

Top jobs
for June
Keep grape vines under control
Tie in tomatoes and remove
sideshoots
Feed tomatoes every seven to 10
days from when fruit starts to swell
Ventilate well, control weeds,
and keep soil damp around
growing plants
Plant out any summer-cropping
plants in their nal-home pots
Pollinate female owers if
necessary, eg squashes.

S
ummer settles in with
June and the days can be
hot. Its all about growth
this month and plants
will grow fast. Keep them fed,
watered and make sure enough
light and air can reach where it is
needed. You may be able to pick
the first cherry tomatoes, along
with cucumbers, strawberries, The tunnel starts
courgettes, French beans, carrots, to ll up in June
basil and plenty of salad.

...IN THE WITH

JOYCE
RUSSELL

GREENHOUSE Pictures by
Ben Russell.

TIME TO SOW
Dwarf French beans do very well under cover and its worth sowing a row in June to
crop in the autumn. Sow direct, over a trench of compost, if you have the space.
Place seeds 15cm (6in) apart in a double row spaced at 20cm (8in); or, you can
sow in deep tubs, or pots, to plant out when space clears. French beans
transplant well, but they establish faster if the roots arent disturbed too much.
You can also sow climbing varieties in June for a late harvest. Sow these
20cm (8in) apart in a single row and push a stick into the ground at each
sowing point. Strings can be tied from the sticks up to the frame: growing
stems will twine around the string and haul themselves upwards.
Be aware that climbing beans can form a dense curtain
of leaves that will overshadow other crops.

OThEr SOWIngS Time to

Sow beetroot in situ if you have the space. plant out
Some roots will be ready to use pre-Christmas and
Peppers, aubergines, cucumbers,
others will swell in the early months of next year. sweetcorn, pumpkins etc should
Rocket will grow fast from a June sowing. Try a be out of small pots and into
variety, such as Esmee www.moreveg.co.uk, that is their nal growing positions
French beans can
be started in deep slow to bolt in hot conditions. as soon as possible. This might
tubs now. Swiss chard, spinach, Florence fennel, parsley and kohl rabi be into large pots, growing
can all be sown this month for autumn and winter harvests. bags or directly into
the ground.

10 | JUNE 2014 www.kitchengarden.co.uk


thin individual
grapes from bunches
as they grow.
thin & prune Grapes
Its important to keep pruning vines if you want
a good grape crop. Cut any new sideshoots
back to one leaf past a grape cluster and, if
there is no cluster, then cut the whole shoot out.
Remove weaker bunches if the vine is
laden, and thin small, individual grapes from
clusters if you want to produce uniform bunches
of large fruit.
A healthy crop of carrots from a large pot.
Carrots
I would like to plead the case for
growing a few carrots in pots: a 25cm
(10in) diameter pot can grow a
spectacular amount of young carrots; a
pot takes up very little space; and its
easy to protect the young plants from
slug damage (think moat at this point).
From a February sowing, you will get
plenty of tasty roots in late May or early
June. From a June sowing you should get
Sept/October roots.
www.kitchengarden.co.uk
CuCumbers
Galore!
If you planted cucumbers out last month,
then these should be growing strongly and
have produced lots of leaves. Its a good idea
to train cucumbers up strings, or canes,
rather than leaving them to ramble over the
ground. The rambling option takes up
valuable space and fruits are more likely to
be discoloured, or damaged, where they lie
on the ground. If the main stem hits the roof
you can always direct it along the frame or
back down towards the ground again.
Plants should bear some delicious fruit in
June and you might wonder why you have
grown so many plants. Enjoy the glut, and
aim for plants at different stages of
cropping. Smaller fruits can be inhibited from
forming higher up the stem if lower fruits are
close to ripening; but new fruit will set when
the ripe cucumbers are picked.
Spray the foliage with water on hot days;
earth-up round the base of the plants with
fresh compost; and you should be harvesting
cucumbers for several months.
Good pollination
It may seem simplest to rely on bees and other
insects, but we can sometimes improve fruit-set if
we give a hand with pollination. A paintbrush is
useful for transferring pollen between large owers,
or we can use the equipment provided by the plant.
Pumpkins, squash, courgettes, and melons are all
members of the same family. They bear female
owers that can be identied by the small fruit-
shaped swelling on the stem immediately behind
the ower. Male owers are borne on straight stems
that have no such swelling.
To increase fruit set: pick a male ower that has
plenty of dry pollen and use this to introduce pollen
to the female owers. This technique works well to
ensure a good set of pumpkins, for example, when
there are plenty of owers but few insects around.
Note: all-female cucumbers, or self-fertile
courgettes, dont need any help with pollination and
some cucumbers taste bitter if they are pollinated.
A male ower (right) can be used to pollinate a
female, complete with embryo fruit (left).
Problems to
watch out for
this month
Butteries and
moths may be
pretty to look at,
but some like
nothing better
than laying their
eggs on the
underside of your
vegetable leaves. If these arent
dealt with, the caterpillars will
hatch and they can strip foliage.
Squash eggs, or remove and burn
leaves. Some plants such as
cucumbers and melons can be
sensitive to insecticide (even
organic) so use with care.
In a dull muggy month, early
blight can be a problem. Remove
any leaves that have large, dark,
soft blotches from tomato plants.
Keep removing sideshoots from
tomato plants. If you dont, they
will produce lots of leaves at the
expense of fruit.
Watch out for root and stem rot
in cucumbers. If a plant ops it can
be hard to save it, but in the
earlier stages you might save a
plant by earthing up round the
stem, keeping compost less
damp, and removing some of the
larger leaves to reduce water loss.
outer edGes
If your polytunnel or greenhouse
is surrounded by grass then its a
good idea to keep this mown. You
may also need to go along with a
pair of blunt-tipped shears
trimming the longer grass that
grows right next to the polythene
or glass. Take care not to damage
the structure and cut grass as low
as you can so wooden frames etc
can dry out. Keeping the outer
edges trimmed in this way allows
light in around the lower edges of
the structure and it also prevents
weed roots from creeping inside.
JUNE 2014 | 11
YOU & YOUR PLOT
GET GROWING

time to Go out
June is the month when pots of
tender veg can be safely placed
outside in most parts of the
country. Young tomatoes, peppers,
aubergines and courgettes which
are intended to be grown in
containers outside can be planted
up and placed in a warm sheltered
part of the garden. Use a multi-
purpose compost and water the
plants in well. Fresh compost will
give about four weeks worth of
nutrients but after this, weekly
feeds of a proprietary tomato feed
will help. The other alternative is TOP TIP
to insert some controlled release
When planting up containers,
fertiliser pellets into the
add some controlled release
compost. (see top tip). fertiliser and some water
retaining gel granules. The
fertiliser pellets will release feed
slowly and the water retaining
buy in and gel will act as a reservoir
plant up reducing the need to
water so often
If you havent nurtured veg from

...CONTAINER
seed, you can buy young plants
from a garden centre now to plant
up in containers. They usually sell a
large range of young veg plants

CROPS
ready for planting and many can
be put straight into containers.

tomatoes
in baskets
Why not plant up some bush
tomatoes in a hanging basket to
Other jobs
give you a high-rise harvest. This
can be done now and garden Fruit in pots
centres may have varieties such as Fruit trees will benet from a fortnightly liquid
Tumbling Tom Red or the yellow feed at this time of year. If you have some
version. Others to look out for tomato fertiliser this is ideal as it is high in
include Garden Pearl or potash and will encourage good healthy fruit.
Hundreds and Thousands. A Other fruits that will benet are strawberries and
30cm (12in) basket will take a cane fruits. However, blueberries, cranberries
couple of tomatoes or a 16in and lingonberries and any that prefer an acidic
basket could take three. soil should only be fed with a proprietary
ericaceous fertiliser.

Grow dwarF beans

French beans can be grown in a pot and you
can sow some seeds now or buy in trays of
young plants from a garden centre. The
dwarf bushy ones are best although you could
grow the climbing ones if you had a large
enough container.
They could be direct sown at this time of year
into a large pot of multi-purpose compost. You
would aim for roughly four plants to a 30cm
(12in) diameter pot. If sowing direct, put in
about 8 to 10 beans equally spaced in the pot.
It is quite possible some will not germinate and
if sowing this many you should hopefully be
guaranteed to get four good plants. When the
seedlings are through, remove excess ones to
Here nasturtium seeds are being leave four plants to grow on. The ones you
sown between newly planted remove could be planted into another container.
tomatoes to give some colour.

12 | JUNE 2014
www.kitchengarden.co.uk JUNE 2014 | 13
YOU & YOUR PLOT
GET GROWING

HOT TOPICS
NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF GROWING YOUR OWN FRUIT AND VEG

THE EDIBLE GARDEN SHOW HOSTS ROYAL VISIT

The Edible Garden Show, which was held
in London at the Alexandra Palace from
March 28-30, attracted some royal guests
this year. The Prince of Wales and Duchess of
Cornwall spent several hours at the show
visiting trade stands and talking to the
public and celebrity guests, including our
own Pippa Greenwood and Bob
Flowerdew, there to give talks and take part
in a recoding of Radio 4s Gardeners
Question Time.
The KG team was there in force and editor
Steve Ott said: This being the rst major
event of the 2014 season, it is always nice
to have the chance to throw off the winter
blues and get out to meet other gardeners
and KG readers. We had a great time at
Alexandra Palace and it was good to see so
many people there. As part of the press
contingent to follow the royal couple on The royal couple learn how to make a traditional bee skep. KGs Pippa Greenwood, in the centre of
their visit, I got to see rst hand how the picture, had the honour of escorting the duchess around the show.
delighted the public were to see them and
the genuine interest they both had in growing Warwickshire (the shows former home), but
your own. our exhibitors were delighted with the new
Geraldine Reeve, who recently joined the audience we attracted to the show.
Edible Garden Show team as event director, The Edible Garden Show will return to
told KG: Ive launched several shows in Alexandra Palace next year and were already
London so to pull in an audience of over working on our plans to expand the show
12,000 for the Edible Garden Shows rst content and bring in a much larger audience.
outing in the capital was very satisfying. At the time of writing, dates for the 2015
We retained a good proportion of our event were yet to be released, but we will bring
previous audience from Stoneleigh Park in them to you as soon as they are available. KG was there to meet the readers.

NEW GARDEN FESTIVAL FOR DUBLIN

Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, will play host to its rst ever
ower and garden festival this month (Friday to Sunday, June 13-
15, 2014). During the event, the cathedral will be transformed into
a stunning oral arcadia with contemporary and classic
arrangements designed by some of Irelands most talented and
award-winning oral artists.
This, say the organisers, will be a oral festival like no other with
a spectacular array of displays lling the medieval building with
colour. In the grounds will be horticultural displays, Irish food
produce, urban gardens, birds of prey, unusual animals, craft
demonstrations, live entertainment and an outdoor artisan food
tent full of gourmet food.
Gardening With The Experts talks will take place each day in the
cathedrals historic South transept featuring a host of expert
gardeners including Diarmuid Gavin.
For more information or to purchase tickets visit:
http://dublingardenfestival.ie/

Do you havE SomE hoT STorIES For our nEWS paGES? SEnD ThEm To SoTT@morTonS.Co.uk

14 | JUNE 2014 www.kitchengarden.co.uk

 VEG AT HEART OF
NEW GARDEN
A new community garden has opened in Renfrew,
a former ship-building town outside Glasgow,
transforming an underused piece of land into a
food-growing space for the whole community.
Two years of planning, during which local
residents formed the Renfrew Association of
Growers and Gardeners (RAGG) and worked in
partnership with community groups to develop
the project, culminated in a successful funding
application to the Big Lotterys Our Place
programme. Pupils at local primary schools were
asked to come up with a logo and a name for the
garden. The winning design and the name
Garden of Dreams were submitted by Jack
Barnes of St James Primary.
The garden has plots for individuals and
community groups, as well as a communal food-
growing area. There is to be a biodiversity area
for wildlife and a composting space, and the site
will be enclosed by a variety of fruit trees and
shrubs. The aim is to develop residents food-
growing and gardening skills and to build
community spirit and social capital.
Volunteers line up for the turf-cutting ceremony at
the site of the new community garden in Renfrew.
Committee member John McGowan, who has
been involved in the project since 2011, says: Its
been a rollercoaster and I was overjoyed when
the Big Lottery Fund gave us a grant. This
project will reach out to every member of the
community, young and old. The gardens will be a
great place to learn, grow, develop new skills,
participate in a healthy activity and make new
friends. The community will reap the benets for
years to come.
Anyone in the area who would like to get
involved can contact RAGG at
info@gardenofdreams.com or look for Garden of
Dreams on Facebook.

PAPER CHASE AT CHELSEA

How does a cup of tea end up as compost? Sparsholt Colleges 2014 RHS
Chelsea Flower Show garden will show visitors how; the college has
teamed up with global packaging company Huhtamaki and waste
management specialists The Woodhorn Group to create a
garden entitled The Paper Chase. This will demonstrate the
full circle of the recycling process from sapling to tree
to cup to compost to garden to sapling.
Since last year students and staff at
Sparsholt Colleges Winchester campus have
been enjoying their drinks from Huhtamakis A plan of
environmentally friendly range of disposable cups. These Sparsholts proposed
cups have all been collected for The Woodhorn Group to Chelsea garden.
recycle them into peat-free compost which is now being used to
grow the plants which will feature in RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Through the design of the garden and the
choice of plants, the various elements of the recycling process are all incorporated, from the nursery area with
saplings to the cup manufacture in the processing area. A vending scene will depict the cups in use which
leads to the recycling and composting section. And the nal area of the garden completes the cycle with the
compost being used to grow herbs and vegetables.
For further information visit www.sparsholt.ac.uk

NEW TOOLS FROM OLD

Residents in East Lothian are invited to donate broken or unwanted
garden tools to a new recycling point at Dunbar Garden Centre, Spott
Road, Dunbar EH42 1BF. Women in custody in HMP Edinburgh will
refurbish the tools as part of The Conservation Foundations Tools Shed
Project, which will distribute the repaired items free-of-charge to local
schools and community gardeners.
Groups wishing to receive tools are asked to email
tools@conservationfoundation.co.uk with their details.
For further information visit www.conservationfoundation.co.uk

Jim Shields of HMP Edinburgh and Nick Donaghey of Dunbar Garden

Centre present local school children with their refurbished tools.

www.kitchengarden.co.uk
YOU & YOUR PLOT

RAISE EM UP STAR
FOR BETTER LETTER
WINS 25
DRAINAGE VOUCHER
I thought you might be interested in our
setting of your free seeds. The pictures
show our kitchen garden. As it is clay soil
it has been dug and left over winter for
the frosts to work. I then use my
rotavator with a plough to construct
ridges in which to set carrots, lettuce,
cabbage etc. The last photograph shows
the job done after covering the seed
with sieved soil. Watering continued
until the seeds germinated. This has
always given good results with our clay
soil in Lincolnshire.
Richard Grint, via email

Have your say

CONTACT US WITH YOUR LETTERS AND TIPS: ERAWLINGS@MORTONS.CO.UK

A GREAT EDIBLE DAY OUT

Having entered the KG competition to win tickets for The Edible Garden
Show I was delighted to receive my prize of a pair of tickets for which I
should like to thank KG and the show organisers.
My wife and I spent a very enjoyable day at the show. There was plenty
to see and do, not to mention money to be saved with promotions
offered by many trade stands. KG goody bags spring to mind.
It also helped to make our day to nd many of the traders and
associations made time to deal with enquiries, hence my joining the
National Vegetable Society and adding D.T. Brown to my seed suppliers.
In fact, it was such a good day we have already decided to go again
next year.
Ash Hofert, via email.

I was given one of your magazines at The Edible Garden Show. I must
admit I am an allotment veg grower and gardener but have never seen
your magazine before. What a wonderful edition. I cant put it down!
Love the articles/things to make and bake and the way the mag is laid
out. I will certainly be getting myself a subscription.
With regards from one very satised new customer from Essex.
Lesley Pinkett, via email Children from the Thomas Fairchild Community School in Hackney, East
London, are presented with their prize for winning the My Dream Edible
EDITOR SAYS: Yes we had a great time at the show too. See page 13 Garden design competition by former Blue Peter gardener, Chris Collins,
for our report from The Edible Garden Show at Alexandra Palace. at The Edible Garden Show in March.

SEND US YOUR LETTERS EVERYONES A WINNER!

Send us your tips and photographs, and if
your letter is published you will get a 10
Dobies voucher. If you are lucky enough to
have yours chosen as our Star Letter you
will get a 25 voucher. Your voucher will be
sent out with a Dobies catalogue and you
can choose to spend your winnings on a
fabulous range of seeds, young plants and Email your letters to
gardening sundries. You can get hold of a erawlings@mortons.co.uk
copy of the catalogue now by phoning 0844 or post to Letters, Kitchen
701 7625 or go online to www.dobies.co.uk Garden, Mortons Media
Dont forget to include your full address Group, Media Centre,
on your emails and letters. We will not Morton Way, Horncastle,
publish full addresses. Lincs LN9 6JR

16 | JUNE 2014 www.kitchengarden.co.uk


WEATHER WORRIES
In the autumn well need advice about
how to deal with the gales that
they seem to think will be the
norm. You should see my
friends greenhouse after a
90mph gale had nished
with it; thats in mid-Wales.
As for my
Cambridgeshire garden,
Im looking for extra-
strong eece and
polythene. Ive found very
strong clips in DIY stores
clothes-peg type and spare
paviors to use as weights.
The magazine is wonderful. It
has taken me all these years to
HOE GETS
TO THE POInT
A few years ago I tried to nd a tool to
make drills in my allotment for seeds. I could
not nd one so I made my own. I dont know if I
invented it or not, but I got an old Dutch hoe with a
square blade and cut off the corners at 45 degrees to
make a point and it is just great; one of my best
tools. It really works and saves bending. Do you
know if I was the rst to make one?
Bryan Munday, Hartsholme, Lincoln.
RECYCLE
THOSE
LABELS
I would like to pass on a tip to
other readers to help them
recycle old plant labels and
save some pennies. I use a
permanent black Staedtler pen
to write on my plant labels and
have found through trial and
error that a little surgical spirit
on a cotton bud will do a good
job of cleaning it off. I havent
tried it for other pens, but it
works a treat for Staedtler.
Marguerite
Waddell,
Ramsay, IOM.
SUBSCRIBE TO KITCHEN GARDEN TODAY SEE PAGE 30
www.kitchengarden.co.uk
realise that Im not so interested in
growing owers, apart from
companion planting of course,
so the other magazines always
seemed somehow alien.
Finding KG has been like a
homecoming.
Tricia Hobbs, via email
EDITOR SAYS: So glad
you like KG so much Tricia
and thank you for the
feature idea. Well be sure to
bring you some advice on
coping with tough weather
conditions on the plot in time for
the autumn.
EDITOR SAYS: It has been done before, most
recently by companies such as DeWit, Bulldog and
Sneeboer, Bryan, but that certainly doesnt make it
any less of a good money-saving idea. Glad it
works so well for you.
LETTUCE FOR LITTLE COST
A tip I would like to pass on to fellow gardeners involves establishing
early mixed lettuce outdoors without the risk of seed failure and
slug/snail damage. I buy a living lettuce tray from the supermarket
(most do them from 70p to 1). I then split them, usually getting
from one to three plants per clump, and plant 30cm (12in) apart.
They establish quickly and I can harvest as cut-and-come-again over
several weeks, allowing the last few to form a heart. By the time I
have nished harvesting, my later sown seed is ready to harvest. The
trays also work well in the greenhouse. I am currently harvesting
from my unheated greenhouse.
Richard Belding, via email
YOUR VIEWS
Kitchen
EDITORIAL
Tel 01507 529396, Fax 01507 529495
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PUBLISHED
Monthly by Mortons Media Group Ltd, Media
Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR.
Tel 01507 523456, Fax 01507 529301
thE talkIng KG
Kitchen Garden is available on cassette tape at
very reasonable rates to anyone unable to read
normal type. Details from the Talking Newspaper
Association of the UK on 01435 866102.
ISSN 1369-1821
Copyright Mortons Media Group Ltd.
Reproduction in any manner, in whole or part,
without prior approval in writing is prohibited.
The publisher cannot accept responsibility for
errors in articles or advertisements, or for
unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or
illustrations. www.kitchengarden.co.uk
adVERt dEadlInE:
May 12, 2014
nExt ISSUE:
June 5, 2014
KG is media partner KG and the National
with NAGTrust helping Vegetable Society
to make Britains together helping the
allotments better nation to grow better veg
NSALG recommends Kitchen Garden Magazine, the
number one magazine for growers of fruit and veg
JUNE 2014 | 17
YOU & YOUR PLOT

QUESTION TIME
Got a fruit or veG problem? ask kG for help

FRUIT FOR SMALL PLOTS STAR

LETTER
I have only got a small garden with clay soil and I WINS 25
am looking to grow apple and pears in VOUCHER
containers. I am unsure what are suitable
types/varieties to grow. Can you help?
Mr Chris Ismail, via email

ANNE SAyS: Growing top fruit like

apples and pears in containers is always
going to be harder work than planted
out in the ground. Theyll need
watering and feeding and, ideally,
root pruning and repotting. Unless
your clay is a solid subsoil, I would
plant out every time. Ive been
pleased with varieties bought as
cordons (I have apples Red Windsor,
Fiesta and James Grieve, and pears
are available) which are planted 90cm
(3ft) apart and supported by stakes.
Pruned in summer, they remain a
columnar shape. You can buy them from
Pomona Fruits 01255 440410
www.pomonafruits.co.uk or as Minarettes from
with Ken Muir (01255 830181 www.kenmuir.co.uk). If
you want only one tree then a self-fertile variety is
BOB FLOWERDEW & needed. Cordons can be planted into large containers
ANNE SWITHINBANK in a soil-based John Innes no 3 potting compost. Size is
WRITERS & CONTRIBUTORS determined by rootstocks so buy apples on M9 and pears on
TO RADIO 4S GARDENERS Quince C (dwarng rootstocks) or anything sold as dwarf or patio.
QUESTION TIME

ASPARAGUS MENACE and compost these in midwinter. I

As I garden organically, I would like your
advice on a problem I have with asparagus
beetles. I nd it very time-consuming picking
off well over 400 beetles in a bad year. Is there
any way in which I could prevent this?
Mrs A Morse, Hook, Hants
BOB SAyS: The old books caution against
leaving stumps when you tidy the dying-back
fern in autumn as the beetles will overwinter
in them. Thus I leave long stumps and remove
also stack the cut fern nearby then
take that at the same time.
Secondly, each year one (or
more) crown is designated
sacricial; this is left to grow its
spears into fern on to which all
the beetles will be obliged to lay
till the end of the cutting season
when more fern appears. At that
point you cut and burn that
plants fern with its crop of eggs
and maggots. This works even
better with a second and third
sacricial plant left to fern up
sequentially before the rest of the
crowns have any. Obviously you
need a bigger bed to do this,
but then cut all shoots off all crowns
bar one and each fortnight leave
one more crown uncut
(normally we cut for six weeks) so
by the time cutting ceases there
should be three or four crowns with
strands of fern attracting all the eggs to
be cut and burnt.

WRITE IN aNd WIN EvERy lETTER WINs a pRIzE!

The winner of our Star Letter will receive
vouchers to the value of 25; the writers of all
other letters printed will receive a 10 voucher.
Vouchers can be redeemed against any products
in the latest Mr Fothergills catalogues. This will
be sent out with the vouchers, so you can choose
from the massive range of quality products on
offer including perennials, popular bedding, Email your
potatoes, onions, garlic, fruit and vegetables or questions to
garden equipment! erawlings@mortons.co.uk or
Alternatively to receive a free copy simply call post to Question time, Kitchen
08453 710518 or visit: www.mr-fothergills.co.uk Garden, Mortons Media Group,
Dont forget to include your full address on letters Media Centre, Morton Way,
and emails. We do not publish full addresses. Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR

18 | JUNE 2014 www.kitchengarden.co.uk

 HIGHRISE SALADS
I have a low roofed shed with quite a minimal pitch/drop and was
wondering if it would be possible to use it as a growing bed for salad
and herb crops (the roof itself is 5x3ft). My thinking was to put some
boards around the outside so I can put a waterproof layer down and
probably about 6in of compost. Is this a good idea?
Nigel Swales, via email

AnnE SAyS: I worry that the shed and its roof will not be strong
enough to support the weight of the soil on top and a 15cm (6in)
depth is quite ambitious. Ideally, youd change or freshen the soil for
salad crops quite regularly and they need a lot of water, so that could
be another hitch. Most green roof plants grow on a thin layer of well-
drained soil and tend to be drought tolerant, low maintenance

BAMBOOZLED! sedums and thymes. Theyd still be good for the plot, as theyll
encourage pollinating insects.
I have recently purchased a plot However, I dont want to dampen your enthusiasm. You could
with a rampant bamboo; it strengthen the interior rst by adding additional vertical struts and
measures 20ft x 5ft, the sticks are perhaps just do one side or a section rst to see how it goes. I think
one inch thick and its spreading youd need to x some butyl liner to the roof rst, for additional
like mad. I dont know the name protection against damp. I would stick to a 5cm (2in) depth of
of it, but I would like to kill it. Can compost for drought tolerant plants. Dont forget to mix light perlite
you help? into the compost for better drainage rather than heavier grit.
Genner Quercia via email. Personally, Id channel my energy into nding and erecting a small
greenhouse, because then you can grow year-round salads and cut
BOB SAyS: There is only one sure and come again leaves in trays, guttering etc.
way and that is to dig it out and to
burn or dump the lot, including
every root. I would dig a trench
around, then undercut and remove
chunks, cutting them off with a
mattock or axe. Hiring a mini-
digger and driver is probably
sensible. A good bonre can burn it
all to ash and burnt soil, both of
which can go back in the hole
which will need extra soil to help ll
it. You need to follow and eradicate
each root and destroy any shoots
that appear later as soon as they
emerge hard work but effective.
Ignore any suggested herbicide
treatment as bamboo is hard to
spray and to kill and youd still have
to dig out the roots anyway.

SAVE My SEEDLInGS
I have sent a photo of my Grow it! sowing chart. The paper
has been eaten by an insect during the course of last year. It
was stuck up in my greenhouse as it was a very useful guide.
Are my seedlings likely to be eaten and what do you think
ate it? I am asking you as you now incorporate Grow it!
Phyl Howard via email

BOB SAyS: You should be worried for your seedlings as I

am pretty sure you have a huge snail or several living
somewhere nearby. These come out at night and eat algae
off glass and painted surfaces, and paper! (I nd they can
process a lot of paper and cardboard if imprisoned in a
suitable container, and snail droppings are animal manure
after all). I suggest night-time visits with a torch. Just
occasionally I have found woodlice nibbling at damp paper;
a battery vacuum cleaner will collect these up most nimbly.

www.kitchengarden.co.uk JUNE 2014 | 19

GET GROWING

A blanket ban
on weeds
Making some new beds?
No-dig expert Charles Dowding
topsoil
Topsoil varies greatly according to its site of
origin, how deeply it was scraped off and how
Manure
We are talking here of animal manure mixed with
bedding, such as stable manure. For filling beds
reveals his simple methods for long it has been stacked before use. The best manure needs to be a year old or more, so that the
topsoil is freshly removed from the top 15cm bedding has mostly decomposed, is dark in
smothering weeds, while (6in) of the surface and it has not sat in a pile for colour, and no animal excretions are recognisable.
maximising yields more than a month. Otherwise its biological Some manures rot more quickly than others and
qualities (earthworms, fungi etc) deteriorate and straw is the easiest bedding for gardening because
need time to liven up again. it decomposes more quickly than wood shavings,
Therefore if you are buying topsoil, which is which need another six months or more,

B
elieve it or not you can clear
new ground of perennial weeds,
without digging, simply by
smothering them using soil and
organic matter. In this way making new beds
also provides a fertile medium for growing
vegetables, at the same time as weeds are
expiring underneath. To do this we can use
various things including topsoil, compost
and manure.
often fairly devoid of life, use it in thin layers
with good compost and manure next to it, from
which the fauna and micro-organisms can
recolonise. However, you might be lucky
enough to have soil that has been freshly
scraped off the surface, preferably on the same
day; I have enjoyed excellent results using topsoil
from my own garden, moved on the same day
and with worms visible, in layers up to 15cm
(6in) deep.
especially when used in thick layers.
CoMpost
This includes homemade compost, green waste,
mushroom compost, very well rotted animal
manures and multi-purpose composts sold for
potting. Growth and ease of
use depends on the compost
ingredients and age.

TOP TIP
All animals make
manure that is suitable
for use in beds, but
chicken manure needs
diluting with other
ingredients

Home-made compost at least six months old,
even if lumpy, often grows excellent plants.
Composts with many unrotted wood
fragments are best mixed 50:50 with other
things because their wood will rob nutrients as it
finishes decomposing. I find that woody green
waste compost works well with animal manure.
Fine potting compost is best used as a surface
layer for sowing and planting into.
HOW DEEP
SHOULD I MULCH?
The depth of mulch required depends on the
existing weeds. An initial 7-10cm (3-4in)
covering is sufficient to smother annual weeds
and prevent any regrowth, but for perennials you
need 15cm (6in), and then also need to remove
any regrowth with a trowel, until the parent
roots are exhausted. How long this takes
depends on the type of weed and their vigour.
DONT FORGET THE PATHS
To prevent weeds invading your clean beds,
smother them on your paths. I cleared perennial
weeds last year using three applications of
cardboard, in February, May and July. On some
paths I laid cardboard twice in February and July,
with some wood shavings and sawdust on top
which makes it better for walking on without
creating holes.
Experiments in weed control
To test which combinations of bed llings best killed underlying weeds and produced the
best crops when creating new no-dig beds, I created three beds and experimented with
various llings.
a template was used to
make three distinct
sections, each lled with
either composts or soil.
Bed 1
Filling: Different composts and soil on grass.
Weeds: Dandelion and buttercup
ingRedients
This bed was made in late February and
consists of three 2.4m (8ft) sections. In each
section different llings were added all to a
depth of 15cm (6in). These were:
Well-rotted cow manure
A mixture of my own topsoil and well
rotted cow manure
Green waste compost
A wooden template of 1.2x2.4m (4x8ft) was
used to hold ingredients in place while lling
and rming the beds, then two of us lifted it
and put it on the pasture for the next
section, with some cardboard underneath
the wood to discourage weeds from
regrowing up the edges.
Onion growth was strongest on the manured
sections of bed 1.
NO-DIG GARDENING
Plantings
In early April onion sets were planted
along the whole bed, in four rows, so that
each row had a third of its onions in the
different ingredients. Next in July a row of
Boltardy beetroot, raised in modules, was
planted in one row between the maturing
onions, along one side of the whole bed.
Finally in August, after harvesting the onions,
some lettuce and endive followed along the
whole bed.
Results
Weeds pulled easily and there was hardly any
regrowth of any perennial types, after
removing a few re-growing buttercups and
dandelions through April and May. New
growth of annual weeds was least in the
green waste bed, in fact there were almost
none. The manure and soil beds needed
careful hand weeding of grass and clover in
spring and then were mostly clean through
summer and autumn.
Onion growth was stronger in the rst two
sections and best with manure and soil, while
plants in the green waste compost grew to
about half the size, and a quarter of them
failed to grow at all. The harvest was double
from both pure manure and manure with soil,
compared with green waste.
However the beetroot, which were all of a
good size, grew slightly larger on the green
waste bed, suggesting that its common
ingredient of shredded wood in the compost
had mostly nished decomposing, allowing a
ush of nutrients to become available. But
another twist was that salads were slightly
stronger in the beds with manure, with all of
them growing well.
JUNE 2014 | 21
 GET GROWING

Bed 2
Filling: Soil or compost on grass.
Weeds: Dandelion, buttercup
and some couch grass.
ingredients
Two beds of 1.2x2.4m (4x8ft)
were lled in December, using
frames laid directly on the grass,
and without cardboard.
One bed was lled with two- or
three-year-old compost, nished
with 5cm (2in) of year-old
compost on top. The other was
lled from an area being cleared
of topsoil which had accumulated
on top of a concreted area during
the past four decades.
One of the sections of bed 2 is
lled with well-rotted compost.
The bed in late summer lled with
broad beans for seeds, Boltardy
beetroot, shallots and kale.
Plantings
Both beds were planted in rows
across, starting in December with
two plants of perennial
Daubenton kale in each, garlic
and Aquadulce broad beans.
Then in March the remaining
space was lled with Swift
potatoes, shallots and onions
from module-raised plants.
From late June second
plantings were all of module-
raised plants: Boltardy beetroot
between shallots, kale and
Drumhead cabbage after
potatoes and then endive in early
September after the broad beans.
results
Yields from the soil and
compost beds were very similar
at 18.47kg and 18.36kg
respectively. However, these
totals hide many differences.
Namely that spring growth was
stronger on the soil bed, which
lost some vigour after July, with
the exception of the brassicas.
The major difference was in the
growth of annual weeds which
was huge on the soil bed,
requiring several hand weedings
until May, while the compost
bed grew hardly any weeds
because my compost was clean.
Thereafter there were only small
amounts of weeds on each bed.
All existing weeds died
underneath the beds and
regrowth of couch grass was
slight. Regular removal with a
trowel weakened the roots which
disappeared by September.
Bed 3
Filling: Year-old manure or
compost on grass.
Weeds: Dandelion, buttercup
and some couch grass.
ingredients
Two beds were made on top
of undisturbed pasture, one bed
of 18-month-old cow manure
and one of 10-month-old
compost. Each measured
1.5x5m (5x16ft) and were 15cm
(6in) deep. Bonre ash and
charcoal was spread on the
pasture before lling.
Cardboard was laid on the
paths and tucked under the
bed sides.
By November there was only 3-
5cm (1-2in) of compost on top of
the soil thanks to worm activity.
Veg grew well on both beds.
Plantings
Sowing started with broad
beans, carrot and parsnip in
March. In April peas and onions
were planted, then squash,
cherry tomato, tomatillo and a
resowing of parsnip in June,
with second plantings of ruby
chard and autumn salads from
July. In August purple sprouting
broccoli and Chinese cabbage
were planted on the manure
bed only.
results
Weed growth was similar
between the two beds with a
fair amount of couch grass
growing all spring and summer.
It was trowelled out regularly
and now the soil is clean except
for some eld bindweed. In both
May and July more cardboard
was laid on the paths.
Vegetables grew well on both
beds; while harvesting them
some interesting differences
were noted. Broad bean pods
were a little eshier and larger
on the compost bed, carrots
also germinated better and
made roots up to 15cm (6in)
length by July, their bottom part
in the soil. Parsnips were long
on both beds, especially from
the June sowing.
The squash and tomatoes
were abundant, peas grew 2m
(6ft) high and offered great
pickings. Twice as many onions
ran to seed on compost
compared with manure.

ConClusions
Most of the bed fillings worked well, and these
are the main points to consider:
A 15cm (6in) depth of compost and/or
composted manure is effective at suppressing
most perennial weeds. Use a trowel to remove
continual regrowth of couch grass and
bindweed through the mulch.
Be prepared for new germinations of annual
weeds, mostly in spring and especially on
topsoil, also on compost if the ingredients
contained weed seeds. I find that compost is
soft and easy to hoe and pull weeds out of,
best done when they are barely visible.
When using green waste compost, spread a
layer of home-made compost too or old
manure, to balance nutrients and add
important fungi and bacteria.

next month:
Coping with cabbage caterpillars
All the bed llings were pretty successful.

22 | JUNE 2014 www.kitchengarden.co.uk

www.kitchengarden.co.uk JUNE 2014 | 23
GET GROWING

KG Beginners Guide

Dwarf
beans
Dwarf or French beans
are expensive to buy Sow outside from late April in drills.
from supermarkets and
often imported too but TOP TIP

K
they are really easy to grow Coloured varieties (e.g. nown as dwarf, or French beans,
as Andrew Tokely explains purple or yellow-podded these productive little plants
types) look very attractive produce masses of beans and are
and grow well in hanging very easy to grow. As a bonus they
baskets where the pods are one of the few bean crops that are self-fertile,
hang over the side for so will grow just as well under glass or in a
easy picking
polytunnel early in the year when there are few
pollinating insects about as they do outside.
Although individual plants crop over a
relatively short period, regular sowings
throughout the year will ensure a bumper
harvest of tasty succulent beans all season.

When to soW
Early sowings can be made in a frost-free
greenhouse or polytunnel from mid-February to
early March. I like to sow a few in 25cm (10in)
pots, sowing four to five beans in each pot and
growing them on the glasshouse staging early in
the year to ensure they get maximum light. This
gives me a delicious early harvest of beans.
As this crop is frost tender it cannot safely be
sown outside until late April/early May once the
risk of frost has past. For a succession of harvests
sow a first batch of beans outside in the last week
of April, followed by another batch the middle of

Newly emerging seedlings on Andrews plot.

www.kitchengarden.co.uk
 DWARF BEANS

DWARF BEANS
AT A GlANCE
Sow Harvest
Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

June

Jul

Aug

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec
Keep rows well watered and weed free. Keep plants well watered during the summer.

May, a third batch in mid-June, a forth in early Sowing into potS

July and a final row in early August. The later
sowings will ensure you are picking beans well
into October, weather permitting.
Later sowings may need covering with a cloche if
the weather turns very cold before you have had a
chance to harvest the crop. Sowings can only be
made as late as July and August if you live in the
southern part of the country, those in the north
would have to make these later sowings under glass.
Sowing outdoorS
Sow the seeds into drills drawn out with a swan-
neck hoe or similar approximately 5-7cm (2-3in)
deep spacing each bean along the drill 5cm (2in)
apart and spacing the rows 37cm (15in) apart.
Once sown the soil is raked back over the drill
and gently firmed with the back of a rake.
When space is limited outdoors, sowings can be
easily made in pots or multi-cell trays. This
method is ideal for early and later sowings
(April and August) as they can be planted out
when it is frost free early in the year or used to
fill gaps as space becomes available on the plot
later in the year.
These sowings require a free-draining
compost. I like to mix a soil-less multi-purpose
compost 50:50 with perlite. Sow two seeds per
pot or cell, pushing them into the compost so
they are just under the surface. Once sown the
compost is lightly watered so it is just moist;
then the pots or trays should be placed in a
warm greenhouse or on a warm windowsill at a
minimum temperature of 10-18C (50-55F)
where they will soon start to germinate.
Before transplanting these to the plot, make
sure the plants have been hardened off in a cold
PLANTING IN
CONTAINERS
Dwarf beans grow very well in
containers on a sunny patio. Simply sow
or plant four or ve seeds or cell-raised
plants into 25cm (10in) diameter
containers, or six or seven plants in a
45cm (18in) diameter container.
Containers should be lled with a mix of
John Innes No 3 compost mixed 50:50
with a multi-purpose compost. This mix
gives the containers a little extra
stability as the plants grow, but wont
be too heavy if they need moving
around the patio. All containers will
require regular watering and feeding to
prolong the bean harvest; start feeding
with a high-potash tomato food once a

GENERAL CARE frame for a few weeks. week after the rst beans have set.

In the autumn when winter digging

incorporate a good quantity of organic
matter, this helps to retain moisture in
the soil, which is very important for
healthy beans. In the spring rake down
the surface to a ne tilth, and add some
Growmore fertiliser at the rate of
60g sq m (2oz per sq yard).
During summer it is important to keep
beans well watered, especially as the
owers are developing and the bean
pods are swelling. Without water the
beans will not develop properly and will
quickly become tough. I always water
along the rows in the evening, as this
gives them time to absorb the water
overnight. Keep the plants free from
weeds as they grow, by hoeing regularly Beans grow quickly and can be ready to plant out Dwarf beans are ideal for containers.
and hand weeding around the stems. in as little as three to four weeks from sowing.

JUNE 2014 | 25
 GET GROWING

AnDrewS PiCk
of The CroP
AmeThyST compact plants produce
tasty purple beans 15cm (6in) long over a
long picking season. Decorative in baskets
and containers. (Mr Fothergills, T&M,
Plants of Distinction, Marshalls)

ConCADor compact plants ideal for

containers with attractive golden-yellow
pencil pods that sit high on the plants for
easy harvesting and clean pods. (T&M)
Amethyst. details Concador.
Delinel a very heavy cropping
French llet type with 15cm (6in) mid of seed
green, stringless pencil-thin pods that are suppliers
easy to prepare for the kitchen and have a on page 97
distinctive avour. (Marshalls, DT Brown,
T&M, Mr Fothergills)

The PrinCe long, slim, oval 16cm

(6in) pods of magnicent avour. Widely
grown for exhibition. (Kings, MoreVeg,
Suttons, DT Brown, Marshalls, Mr Fothergills)

SAnSouCy the long green beans are

held well above the foliage to keep them Delinel. Sansoucy. The Prince.
clean and for easy picking. (Mr Fothergills)

Pest and diseases

The main pest to worry about is aphids, usually harvest the pods
blackfly which like to infest the soft growing while they are young
tips. These can be controlled by spraying at the and tender.
first sign of the pest using a suitable insecticide
or, if you have a just a few plants, rubbing or
washing them off with a jet of water.
During very hot weather red spider mites can
turn the leaves silvery and produce fine webbing
which appears between the leaves. This again can
be cured by spraying with an insecticide.
Alternatively spraying water over the foliage in
the evenings during hot weather seems to
discourage them, as the tiny mites do not like to
be wet or humid and find it difficult to move
around on the leaves.
Slugs and snails may nibble young
seedlings; control them by using whichever slug
deterrent you prefer and works in your garden.
These days it is quite rare for plants to be
affected by common bean mosaic virus since
most new varieties available show some
resistance to the disease. Any plants affected by
yellowing or distortion should be removed.

Harvesting
Masses of beans are produced over a very short
period from June to October thats why several
sowings are important, as is harvesting regularly.
Always pick them when they are young and
tender for the best flavour, as old pods will
quickly become tough and useless to eat.
Surpluses can easily be frozen for meals later in nexT monTh: Carrots
the year.

26 | JUNE 2014
STRAWBERRY
TIME!
Mail-order plants need to be planted quickly.
Planting through ground-cover fabric
suppresses weeds and retains moisture.
28 | JUNE 2014
Everyone can grow their own delicious strawberries
they are easy and need little space or attention. Now is
a great time to plant them; here are our tips for success
T
here is no better way to celebrate In pots any good compost is fine for
summer than with a bowlful of fresh- strawberries, but avoid anything with lots of
picked strawberries, yet those bought nutrients i.e. John Innes No 3, or a potting
from the shops are often disappointing. compost as your plants may produce lots of
Home-grown fruit, on the other hand, has the wonderful leafy growth... at the expense of
edge as it can be picked at the optimum time flowers and fruit. Instead choose growing bag or
and eaten while still warm straight from the multi-purpose compost which is lower in nutrients.
plant for the very best flavour. Growing your Before planting in soil remove any weeds,
own crop also gives you the opportunity to particularly perennials, and dig in plenty of
select your varieties, many of which organic matter such as well-rotted
are not available in the stores, and compost, preferably the winter
to spread the season by
choosing from early,
TOP TIP before planting. However, plants
will grow perfectly well if
midseason, late and planted in any neutral to
perpetual-fruiting types. Space 30cm (12in) apart in slightly acidic soil to which
the ground or plant 10
plants to a standard
some well rotted garden
PlAnTInG growing bag. Firm plants in compost or general fertiliser,
Strawberries are sold by gently after planting, such as Growmore, has been
reputable fruit specialists as keeping the base of the added before planting.
crown level with
virus-free young plants (runners). the soil
These will have been held in cold GEnERAl cARE
storage until required and once planted Maintain watering on newly planted
will burst into growth very quickly. strawberries until well established and during
They can be planted direct into well-prepared dry spells. Soil coverings such as fabrics and the
soil in a sunny spot (choose a site that hasnt more traditional straw help to retain moisture
grown strawberries for at least three years) or and keep the fruit clean.
into growing bags and planters, pots, troughs or Young plants planted early in the season will
raised beds. They will also grow well in hanging flower and produce a small crop in their first
baskets providing they are watered regularly. year, heavier crops in the second and third
www.kitchengarden.co.uk
 STRAWBERRIES

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rst summer followed by bumper crops for as it is easy to grow and very disease
May the next two to three years. Provided they resistant. Very late ripening, cropping well
June are planted outside by the end of July, they into August when most other summer-
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the crown.

seasons and after that usually tail off, but may

fruit well for up to six years depending on the
variety and care and attention they receive. As
soon as the fruit starts to develop, and while it
is still green, cover the plants with netting to
deter birds and consider using your favourite
method of slug control to reduce damage to the
fruit as it ripens.
Harvest when the fruit is fully red and eat as
soon as possible for the best flavour. Pick over
plants every day to find hidden fruit.
Once the plants have finished cropping
remove any netting. All the old top growth can Late-fruiting
now be removed along with any unwanted Malwina.
runners, but taking care not to remove or
damage any new growth. Remove any straw
mulches at the same time to prevent a build up
of pests over winter.
Runners from healthy plants can be used to
propagate new plants either by pinning or
weighting them down, still attached to the
parent plant, to the surface of the compost or
fluffed soil in the strawberry bed. Once well
rooted they can be snipped from the parent and
grown on until large enough for planting.
Clean over the plants again in February or
March and feed with sulphate of potash
sprinkle over the bed at the rate of 15g/sq m
(oz per sq yd) watering in afterwards.

www.kitchengarden.co.uk JUNE 2014 | 29

 GET GROWING
Tried & tasted
summer & autumn
cauliflowers
This month veg growing
expert Joe Maiden turns his
attention to summer and
autumn harvesting cauliowers
and has top tips to help you
get the best from this
challenging yet delicious veg
Cauliower Concept F1. Tarifa F1 proved to be a good cropper.
32 | JUNE 2014
M
any gardeners have great
difficulty with growing
cauliflowers. The first obstacle
can be choosing between the
very many different varieties available in seed
catalogues. For example, the variety All the Year
Round would give you the impression it was a
good one to grow at any time of the year, yet this
is not true, it is a summer and early autumn
variety. So with the choice being so wide I
decided to narrow it down by looking at some
more recent types.
Clapton is one I have grown since its
introduction as a club root resistant variety.
This was my first choice of the varieties since
it has done so well in the past for me and I
wanted to see if the any of the others I chose
Igloo can be planted closely for mini heads.
were better. A lot of the varieties are F1 hybrids
and give you more uniformity with better
protection of the curd by the surrounding leafy
growth. For this trial I decided to look at size
and taste and time from sowing to harvesting
to see if certain varieties were all really together
and if any were more resistant to butterfly
attacks. The varieties I chose were all F1
hybrids with the exception of Igloo which is
open pollinated:
Clapton F1 (widely available)
Avalanche F1 (T&M)
Tarifa F1 (Suttons)
Igloo (Kings, Unwins, Chiltern, Suttons,
Nickys Nursery)
Gypsy F1 (T&M)
Concept F1 (Suttons)
www.kitchengarden.co.uk
 Joe sows all his cauliowers into
small pots for transplanting later.
All the varieties on trial produced a number of good heads despite difcult conditions in 2013.

My aim was to sow the cauliflowers in late
March so I could have them ready for planting
out in May. Every year is different, and during
March, April and May the weather was against
me and quite difficult with cold Easterly winds
combined with dull, wet weather creating poor
light growing conditions. Back to the variety
Clapton F1 however and if you sow it every
16 days, say 10 seeds per sowing, you could have
fresh caulis from an April sowing from mid July
onwards. Continue this until July 1 and you
could have cauliflowers until November.
alkaline rather than acid land so I advise a simple
pH test is carried out before planting. Kits are
available at all good garden centres and the
results will quickly tell you if your soil requires
lime and how much to add. My pH was 7.5
ideal. The land for this trial had been well
prepared in the autumn by applying well rotted
farmyard manure in November, digging in and
leaving the land rough for the winter elements to
break it down.
Planting Out
Prior to planting the soil was rotavated
and this broke down the clumps and destroyed
germinating weed seedlings. Then 56g (2oz) of
Growmore fertiliser was applied per square
yard. This was followed by a rake over after
gently treading the soil (cauliflowers like firm
soil to grow in). Rows were spaced 60cm (2ft)
apart with 45cm (18in) between the plants. This
turned out to be adequate.

Seed SOwing
For this trial a multi-purpose
compost was used and with the
seed now being very TOP TIP
expensive (most varieties
being F1 Hybrids) 15 seeds In my experience over
of each variety were many years cauliowers are
counted out and sown in very difcult to time, some
pots. Twelve days after in the row maturing much
sowing the seedlings were quicker than others. I
transplanted; some were therefore recommend
grown on in module (cell) sowing little
and often
trays and some in small pots, all
were grown on in a cold greenhouse
It is important not to over water at this
stage. The plants want growing on in cool, light
conditions to keep them short and stocky. From
sowing to planting out last year took 40 days.

grOund PreParatiOn
Cauliflowers require good, well manured land.
They do well on heavier land although in my
last garden which was light soil I produced show
winners at top national shows. Cauliflowers like To protect the crop from rabbits Joe was forced to cover the young plants at night with crates until
a high soil pH which means they do better on established. Inset picture: Typical rabbit damage.

www.kitchengarden.co.uk JUNE 2014 | 33

 GET GROWING
My normal planting method for all my
brassicas has not altered for many years. First take
out a shallow depression approximately 10cm
(4in) deep and 23cm (9in) across if the soil is
dry water the depression. The established young
plants are then planted into the depression and
firmed in. This method works well and my crops
have never suffered from cabbage root fly. After
planting the depression is watered again to settle
the plants. Then the depression is dressed with a
general fertiliser and slug deterrent.
growing on
Many problems befell my cauliflower patch in
the summer of 2013. I had an invasion of
rabbits which even Fizz, my cat, could not
control. I erected a chicken wire fence all around
the patch but ran out of the very small mesh
over the last 10 yards. Thinking they would not
get through a double layer of 5cm (2in) mesh I
was not concerned. However, the baby rabbits
squeezed through and did a lot of nibbling. The
growing points were largely left intact however,
so they recovered, especially when I covered my
plants with the black plastic trays (see picture).
When the plants got too large the trays were
removed and the fence was strengthened. The
pigeons found the juicy hearts so I put my
strings across. This kept them at bay without too
much damage. Then, in early July, the butterflies
invaded. I squashed the first lot of caterpillars
and then resorted to the garlic spray. After all
Joe grows his show caulis in plastic bins.
Trial results
germiNaTioN Well rooTed/
varieTy
(ouT of 15) plaNTiNg Time
Clapton F1 14 Exceptional
Tarifa F1 12 V Good
Igloo 12 Good
Gypsy F1 15 V Good
Concept F1 10 Good
Avalanche F1 15 Exceptional
34 | JUNE 2014
these little hiccups my crop grew on well.
As the curds (embryo flowers) started to
develop at the end of June they were helped
along with a dressing of nitro chalk roughly 15
pellets to each plant. Hoeing was carried out
regularly in the early stages to eradicate the
weeds before the cauliflower leaves become too
large. If you can control the weeds early the large
leaves of the cauliflower plants then black out
the light so weeds then find it difficult to grow!
Covering the Curd
Just before the curd shows white and as the
guard leaves are folding in and the curd starts to
show through the small folding leaves at the base
of the plant, it is important to tie in the large
outer leaves to keep out the light. This stops the
cauliflower curd from becoming discoloured.
Many books will tell you to bend over a leaf, this
works up to a point sometimes the leaves wilt
and the light gets in causing discolouration.
When your cauliflowers are coming to
maturity if you have too many at the same time Joe ties the outer leaves around the curd as it
it is possible to slow them down by placing the colours to protect it from the sun.
garden fork under the roots and breaking a few.
Alternatively lift the plants leaving the roots ConClusion
intact and put them in a bucket of water in a To date, Clapton F1 is the best variety I have
cool dark place. In this way I have kept the curds ever grown. It has produced great results for me
in good condition for up to 12 days. It is as well for the past six years and has come out top in my
to check daily in case you have left a slug or trial. This was the first time I had grown Gypsy
caterpillar on the plant. Slugs and caterpillars F1 and I will grow it again this year. Avalanche
can spoil your hard work. F1 produced excellent show winners (my best
three cauliflower heads won me best in show last
year) and made good eating. Igloo is
recommended for producing mini curds at closer
spacings. None of the varieties suffered much
caterpillar damage remarkable in 2013 or any
club root. However, if your soil is infected with
this disease then I recommend Clapton F1
which is resistant to the disease.
Gypsy F1 provided good yield and avour.
Clapton F1 remains Joes favourite.
Time from Number of
leaf Cover flavour/
plaNTiNg To QualiTy Top QualiTy
over Curd TasTe
CuTTiNg (days) Heads/15
102 Exceptional V Good Excellent 13 Best performer
113 V Good V Good V Good 8
121 OK Poor Good 6
154 Good V Good V Good 12
138 Good Poor OK 7
134 V Good V Good V Good 12 Best showing
www.kitchengarden.co.uk
 Ch illin gto n
Tra d itio n a l G a rd en To o ls
Th e Ch illin gton Ran ge of
H oesan d G ard en Tools
can n ow b e pu rch ased
on lin e at:

www.Ch illin gton toolson lin e.co.u k

O rrin g fora b roch u re on 01902 826826

www.kitchengarden.co.uk JUNE 2014 | 35

 get growing
In conversation
Alan
with
Titchmarsh
If theres anyone more greenngered than Alan Titchmarsh
weve yet to meet them. Yet after three decades on our screens
and an entire career dedicated to the ora and fauna of our
gardens, the 65-year-old remains as passionate as ever, as
Kitchen Garden discovered.
why Do you think fruit
anD veg growing has
become so popular?
I think people are much more aware of where
things have come from they like to know
where things are being grown and how they
are being grown so they are safe to eat. If
you grow your own, you have got the
satisfaction of doing it, but also youre safe in
the knowledge you know exactly what has
gone on them all and what hasnt gone on
them. So, having an organic garden is of
good use. Knowing what I grow, knowing it is
well grown with no chemicals on, suits me
and I think more and more people are
coming round to that.
what aDvice woulD you
offer to anyone starting
to grow their own veg?
Grow what you like eating that is the
biggest thing. There is no point in me
saying to them grow lettuce because it is
easy or grow onions because they are
easy to grow from those little bulbs if
people dont like eating them. Find the
thing you most like eating then learn how to
grow it.
Do you stick to the same
varieties each year or try
new ones?
I do like to chop and change and try new
things, but I do have my old favourites as
well, like asparagus, no doubt about it.
If you could grow only
one veg or fruIt what
would It be?
Oh, Ive got an asparagus bed and
I do French beans and onions, a
few potatoes, leeks, all kinds.
But I would say asparagus was
my favourite. You have to wait
three years before you crop an
asparagus bed because it
needs to mature and Ive been
cropping this one for about
ve years now. Its wonderful.
Every April marvellous!
Does garDening help you
switch off or is it a great
time to problem solve?
It is a bit of both, actually. If I am writing
a novel, say, and I want to take a break from
it I will go out and mow the garden and
have a walk up and down to think about it,
but my mind wanders. I would not say it
was concentrated thought. And I think
that is the great joy of gardening you can
think of other things while you are doing it
and get a double whammy of enjoyment
out of it.
how can we attract more
people into garDening,
especially veg growing?
By making it more interesting and
exciting and by saying to people you can
do this! We need to banish the mystique
and stop people from assuming they
cant do it, or stop them from being too
frightened to do it. We need to show
people that they denitely can and that,
actually, 90% of it is just simple
common sense.
www.kitchengarden.co.uk
WHAT eSSenTiAl Tool kiT
Would you AdviSe A Beginner
To inveST in?
You dont need elaborate equipment. Everybody
can do it with a spade, a fork, a rake and a hoe.
But with spades and forks, dont necessarily buy
the full-sized one. You would probably be able
to work a lot longer with a border fork and a
border spade which are smaller, even if you are a
man, because you are not digging up huge
lumps of ground. The smaller tools are very easy
to work; the bigger ones will just tire you out
and give you a bad back.

Do you have a favourite

garDening tool?
I would say that would be my grandfathers
spade; and that is treasured. I use it every
now and again for some light work. I dont
want to do anything too heavy with it in
case it breaks, its so old. I also have a small,
well-worn border fork and I love using that.
That is my tool, my favourite one that I use Bring Me Home by Alan Titchmarsh
most often. is published now in hardcover by
Hodder & Stoughton priced 18.99.

www.kitchengarden.co.uk JUNE 2014 | 37

How to... saving

Make a
money

ide as

planter These attractive planters are

easy to make and not
expensive. Joyce Russell
shows you how

T
here are lots of beautiful ceramic pots
and large containers in the shops and
these look lovely when planted with
flowers, fruit or vegetables. The front
of a house can be transformed, and a small back
yard can be made into a perfect tiny garden,
without the need to turn a sod.
Buying containers can be expensive of course,
but it isnt hard to make a few of your own. You
dont have to have many tools, or be a skilled
craftsperson: the following three designs are easy
to make, they look lovely, and they cost so little
that you may decide to make lots more to
brighten up the garden.

www.kitchengarden.co.uk

1. RectangulaR
hazel stick
planteR
If you have your own hazel trees then this
project is easy. For sellers of hazel poles try:
www.hedgeandhazel.co.uk
www.wassledine.co.uk
www.woodnet.org.uk
or search online for sources close to you.
MateRials
Choose hazel sticks that are as straight as
possible and cut them to these lengths:
Two each of 380mm, 420mm, 460mm,
500mm, for the long sides of the planter.
Two each of 260mm, 280mm, 300mm, for
the shorter sides of the planter.
11 lengths of 200mm, for the rungs.
Two lengths of 340mm, for the
bottom rails.
Two hazel whips (exible shoots)
920mm long, for the handles.
tools
Hammer, small saw, 30mm and 40mm
galvanised panel pins.
www.kitchengarden.co.uk
step 1: the top fRaMe
Lay out two 500mm and two 300mm sticks
to form a rectangle, with the shorter pieces
resting on top of the longer pieces. Leave an
overlap of approx 20mm at each end. Nail at
each corner using 40mm panel pins. This
rectangle forms the top of the planter, so its
worth choosing clean looking sticks. The
main body is now constructed, upside down,
on top of this rectangle.
step 2: Building the sides
The sides of the planter are assembled in
rectangles of decreasing size, towards the
base. Use 40mm panel pins to join pieces
together.
Nail two 460mm pieces of hazel, above
the 500mm pieces: inset them slightly to
give a slope to the side of the planter and
dont forget the overlap at the ends. Nail
two 280mm pieces above, and slightly inset
from the 300mm pieces, again with an
overlap. Build one more layer in the same
way using 420mm pieces and 260mm pieces
to form the rectangle.
step 3: fitting the Base
Nail the two 380mm pieces in place above,
and inset from, the 420mm pieces. Then,
using the 30mm panel pins, nail the 11
200mm pieces at even intervals along these
two to form a base, much like close-set rungs
on a ladder. Leave enough space between
the rungs at each end of the ladder, to allow
the handles to be tted later (step 5).
handle in place at several points, using the
step 4: fitting BottoM Rails
Nail two 340mm pieces to form two rails on
which the planter will stand. Choose even,
straight sticks for this, or the planter may not
stand level.
WEEKEND PROJECT
step 5: attach handles
A window box or simple planter doesnt
need handles, but they do look rather nice if
you want to give it a try.
Use young straight shoots to make the
handles. These will be the most exible and
whip like. If in doubt, try bending one round
in a loop: it should bend easily without
cracking. Gently bending the hazel and
exerting slight pressure with the thumbs will
ease the bres within the wood, allowing it
to bend more easily. However, do take care
not to exert too much pressure and snap the
stick. It may be advisable to have a couple of
spares on hand for this stage!
Lay the planter on its side. Position one
end of a handle between the cut ends of two
of the rungs that form the base. Nail in place
using 30mm panel pins. Bend the handle
carefully round and t the other end
between two of the rungs at the far end of
the base. Aim for a nice even curve. Nail the
shorter panel pins. Saw off any excess length
of handle that extends below the bottom
line of the planter.
Repeat on the other side for the
second handle.
JUNE 2014 | 39
 GET GROWING

3. A simple wooden plAnter

The dimensions for the one shown are
610mm x 250mm, but you can increase or
decrease the dimensions to make a
longer/shorter/wider/narrower planter.

mAteriAls
Timber cut to the following lengths
2 pieces @ 610mm x 150mm x 25mm
for long sides
2 pieces @ 200mm x 150mm x 25mm
for short ends
1 piece @ 560mm x 150mm x 25mm
for base
2 pieces @ 180mm x 450mm x 25mm
for rails to lift base off the ground and
aid drainage
16 @ 40mm x 4mm screws (stainless steel
if possible)

tools
Saw, screwdriver, sandpaper, tape measure,
drill, 4mm drill bit and 10mm drill bit

step 1. Cut timber to the lengths
shown above. The end pieces can be
kept square for the simplest construction,
or you can cut the upright sides at an
angle so the end pieces are a broad
wedge shape. The latter is a slightly more
pleasing design so I cut the end pieces to
200mm at the top tapering to 150mm at
the base.
2. HexAgonAl step 2. Drill 12 evenly spaced holes in the
step 4. Join the side and end pieces to
make a frame. Use two screws at each end of
the long sides to x into the end grain of the
short ends. Drilling guide holes before xing
the screws will make the job simpler.
step 5. The base should slot neatly into
the bottom of the frame, so it is ush with
the sides. Use two screws through each of
the long sides to x the base in place.

plAnter
You can experiment and make variations
on the hazel planter. Square ones work
well and hexagonal ones are interesting
if you bear in mind the points below.
step 1. Lay out a hexagon with
alternate, overlapping sticks. Make sure
the sides are even before nailing in place.
base with the 10mm drill bit. These holes
allow compost to drain while not
compromising the strength of the base.
step 3. Sand all rough edges. There
should be no splinters but a rough texture
looks good.
step 6. Screw the bottom rails in place
across the base of the planter.
step 7. You can treat the planter with
stain, or paint, or leave it as it is. If you want
to leave the timber untreated, use a durable
wood like larch, cedar or oak.

step 2. Build up the sides to create a

gentle slope.

step 3. Two overlapping triangles

close the gap at the bottom of the
planter so the contents dont fall out.
They also give a steady base.

40 | JUNE 2014 www.kitchengarden.co.uk

www.kitchengarden.co.uk JUNE 2014 | 41
 GET GROWING

Londons
edible
secrets
Come to London on the third weekend in June (14-15)
not to see Buckingham Palace or the National Gallery, but
some ingenious and diverse fruit and vegetable plots.

F
or one weekend every year, more than 200
private and hidden gardens throughout London
are open to visitors; historic squares, formal
parkland, and contemporary corporate spaces,
also community veg plots, secluded herb gardens and
urban orchards.
Open Garden Squares weekend is organised by the
London Parks and Gardens Trust in association with the
National Trust and has been running since 1998. It has
grown into a major event, drawing in visitors from across
the UK and abroad, and this year gardens are open across
25 London boroughs.
Its not just the gardens that are the attraction, but the
festival atmosphere. Music whether from choirs and
Regents park quartets or jazz bands is often in the background. Pop-up
scarecrow cafes using home-grown produce endlessly tempt you with
delicious refreshments. Some gardens have plant and
produce sales, or provide workshops or guided tours, and
all offer a warm welcome.
You also get chance to peep into different lives from
those of veteran soldiers at the Royal Hospital Chelseas
Gardening Leave, for whom growing vegetables is therapy, On waste ground in North London, it took four months
to politicians who have passed through 10 Downing Street of digging out Japanese knotweed before Alara Forest
(which also has its own veg plot). Garden could be planted. Other plots, such as those in
Walpole Park and the Regents Park, help make more
Hidden spaces diverse use of the citys already green spaces.
Space for anything is scarce in inner London, let alone fruit All the gardens share the advantages and problems of the
and veg growing, and kitchen gardens and allotments have citys warm, dry microclimate. It means tender plants, exotic
sprung up in all sorts of neglected spaces concrete yards fruits and vegetables thrive the kaffir lime in the courtyard
and old factories, roofs, skips and barges, in a former behind Rococo Chocolates in Knightsbridge, for example,
graveyard and on a disused tennis court. and the Bangladeshi crops at Spitalfields City Farm.
Walworth Allotment Association in Southwark, for With the low rainfall and many plants grown in
example, reclaimed its plots from an old industrial area and containers, catching and recycling water is essential. Ingenuity
boasts that it now has one of the most urban vegetable flourishes for example, in the Skip Garden at Kings Cross
growing sites in the world you are almost within sight of adapted bicycles help drive the irrigation system. The same
Waterlow Park
kitchen garden the London Eye and the roar of the cricket crowds at The necessity applies to collecting and composting waste, as
Kia Oval can be heard on a summers day. organic matter is a valuable commodity.
Picture: Ian Henghes

42 | JUNE 2014 www.kitchengarden.co.uk

 XXXXX

ABOVE: The restored

knot garden at the
Garden Museum
adjacent to Lambeth
Palace.

LEFT: Bicycles power

the irrigation system in
the Skip Garden at
Kings Cross.

JUNE 2014 | 43
 Garden
BarGe Square
Tower Bridge Moorings, Southwark Se1 2aX; open
2-5pm Sat & Sun
Just down from Tower Bridge, you will nd these
extraordinary gardens oating on the Thames. They
have been created on the roofs of barges, which
themselves form walkways to individual residential
craft. Despite the shallow depth for their roots (about
30-40cm of a 50:50 soil and farmyard manure mix),
fruit trees such as quinces, medlars and apples
ourish. Mediterranean herbs also do well in the well-
drained, mild microclimate and help provide for bees.
One of the barges has its own beehive, the residents
seemingly happy that their home rocks with the swell
of the river, and that its entrance rises and falls with
the tide.

Past and PResent

Some of the gardens are steeped in history, adding to their
interest and ambience. You can imagine the landscape in
former times when there were grand gardens, tall fruit trees
as well as kitchen and market gardens before they were
sacrificed to the demands of the modern city. However,
among the legacy of the past and the state-of-the-art
developments, it is encouraging to see the importance of
food growing becoming recognised.

the skiP GaRden

Beaconsfield Street, Kings Cross N1C 4UZ;
open 10am-5pm Sat & Sun; garden tours, cafe
Seven redundant skips are at the heart of this mobile
food-growing garden. They stand on what would otherwise
be concrete wasteland created by the development around
Kings Cross station, and the garden makes use of waste
material from the construction site. One skip is a potager,
one is for permanent crops and one devoted to making
compost and liquid feeds.
The other buildings are also moveable the polytunnel
is on a wooden frame, the office is in a container and the
teaching room is a yurt because the garden has to be
shifted as the site develops. The site, run by Global
Generation, aims to bring together young people and
businesses and help local sustainability.

Rococo
chocolates
5 Motcomb Street SW1X 8JU;
open 11am-6pm Sat, 12 noon-
6pm Sun; demonstrations in
the chocolate kitchen
Behind the shop of this
award-winning chocolate
company is a small Moorish
courtyard, where you can sit
and enjoy hot chocolate or
mint tea. Old mirrors and a
Moroccan tile mosaic set the
atmosphere and the garden is
filled with fragrant plants such
as rose, lavender, geranium,
mint, jasmine and kaffir lime,
which are used in the chocolate
making and baking.

www.kitchengarden.co.uk
rEGENTS PArk
AllOTmENT
Chester Road/Inner Circle corner NW1 4NR;
open 11am-4pm Sat; tours, seed swap, plant sales,
competitions
Look over the hedge on one of the main drives in The
Regents Park and youll see raised beds full of herbs and
vegetables not only standard crops flourish, but
perennials such as asparagus and globe artichokes.
Soft fruit strawberries, currants, even blueberries
and apples and pears are trained as cordons along a
fence. The garden has been developed by The Royal Parks,
Capel Manor College and Capital Growth and is used for
training, but is maintained by volunteers. Fleece and mesh keeps off pigeons a troublesome park pest.

WATErlOW PArk kiTchEN

GArDEN (see picture page 42)
Dartmouth Park Hill N6 5HG; open 10am-4pm Sat &
Sun; talks, walks, and presentations by volunteer gardeners
Waterlow Park was once the garden of 19th-century
politician and philanthropist Sir Sydney Waterlow, until he
gifted it to the public as a garden for the gardenless.
In 2011, the site of his original kitchen garden was
restored as a community resource for growing fruit and
veg. The crops are grown in 10 large raised beds,
constructed and filled with fresh soil (because there are
problems with contamination of the ground on the site).
Each bed is cultivated by a different local organisation.

GArDENiNG lEAvE
London Gate entrance to Royal Hospital, Chelsea SW3
4SR; open 10am-4pm Sat & Sun
This garden is a haven of peace in the middle of London,
where veterans and serving personnel with mental wounds
FulhAm PAlAce come for horticultural therapy. They work with staff to

meAdow Allotments grow vegetables, herbs and soft fruit for the infirmary at
the hospital and cut flowers for the chapel. Three-foot-high
Fulham Palace, sw6 6eA; open 11am-6pm raised beds make the tasks easier for the less mobile.
sat; guided tours, teas, plant and produce stall
This site by the Thames, adjacent to the palace itself, is a real inner-city
haven. It originated as a gift from the Bishop of London in 1916 and covers an
Anglo-Saxon site of historic importance; hence it is protected from
development. The site has 406 plots and a cross-section of plot holders from
all walks of life.

Planting raised
beds at the Alara
Forest Garden.

AlArA FOrEST GArDEN

Camley Street, NC1 4PF; open 10am-4pm Sat & Sun;
plants for sale
It took four months to dig out Japanese knotweed and
remove rubbish on the unused land around commercial
buildings before this garden could be started. The forest
garden was planted in 2006, with trees and shrubs such as
silverberry, pomegranate, wineberry and edible hawthorn,
and many other perennial food plants. Since then a
vineyard, orchard and raised vegetable beds have been
added. Alara also has beehives.

www.kitchengarden.co.uk JUNE 2014 | 45

 GET GROWING

Picture: Mike Kear

SpitalfieldS City farm WalWorth allotment
Buxton Street E1 5AR; open 10am-4.30pm
Sat & Sun; cafe, plants for sale; up-cycling market association
on Sunday Fielding street, off Walworth road, se17 3eQ; open 10am-6pm sat & sun
The community garden at the city farm has This former industrial site has been reclaimed by the local Southwark
recently been reclaimed from industrial wasteland and is community who wanted to grow their own produce as close to home as
now a thriving organic vegetable garden, and the plant possible which is almost within sight of the EDF Energy London Eye. It has 16
nursery produces many vegetables and herbs for sale. plots growing herbs, vegetables and fruit organically, and thriving beehives.
The large polytunnels are full of Bangladeshi
vegetables such as dhata (amaranth), kodu (a traditional
pumpkin), white mouli radish and coriander. You can More info
also see the farms animals; sheep, donkeys, goats, pigs Londons Open Garden
and poultry. Squares Weekend is on
June 14-15, 2014.
the Garden muSeum The website
Lambeth Palace Road, SE1 7LB; open 10.30am-4pm www.opensquares.org
Sat, 10.30am-5pm Sun; displays and exhibitions, cafe includes details of the
and gift shop in museum gardens, maps and other
The Garden Museum was set up in 1977 in an useful information to help
abandoned church. Its secluded garden is in the old you plan your visit. Tickets
graveyard, which contains the tombs of the famous 16th (which include a guidebook)
and 17th century plant breeders John Tradescant and his cost 10 before the event
son. It has a knot garden as its centrepiece and the (online or by post from;
surrounding beds are planted with species introduced by The Storeyard, St Jamess
the Tradescants, including herbs and vegetables such as the Park, London SW1A 2BJ).
scarlet runner bean. During the weekend,
tickets cost 12 from
specic gardens which sell
them. A ticket gives access
Walpole park to all gardens on both
and Walled Garden days, except for those that
Ealing Green, W5 5EQ; open 11am-5pm Sat; have only guided tours.
garden tours, beekeeping demonstration, plant sale, We have made every effort
refreshments to ensure that the garden
As part of a project to restore Walpole Park to its former information given here is
Regency glory, the walled garden is being developed as a correct at the time of
community kitchen garden. The focus is on heritage going to press, but
varieties of fruit, vegetables and flowers, and there are recommend you check the
also beehives. website before travelling.

46 | JUNE 2014 www.kitchengarden.co.uk

 CELEBRITY CHAT

In the 1 How did you find the transition from landscape

garden
gardener to TV celebrity?
I was a reluctant player when I made my television debut
in a pilot with Charlie Dimmock. It was because my eight-
year-old daughter had a bet with a schoolmate, and
wouldnt allow me to lose the bet for her. I didnt sleep very
well the week before filming the first episode of Ground
Force. But I have to admit that I was quite fascinated by
the process and how it all worked and was put together. I

with Tommy
did really enjoy it, but was surprised how very hard the
filming work was.

2 Do you see yourself now as a TV personality or

Tommy Walsh is well known for his regular appearances on
Ground Force between 1997 and 2005, along with Alan
Titchmarsh. But what does a landscape gardener grow in
still as a hands-on gardener?
I see myself in an enviable position of having the best of
both worlds. I still do media work not as much filming
now but also my own private building and landscaping
projects for my hands-on enjoyment and experience.

his own garden and how does he spend his summer days?
3 What advice do you have for readers looking to
improve their own gardens and veg plots?
Gardens generally all benefit from a bit of hard graft. Why
not spruce it up now and prepare for the coming season?
Create raised beds from railway sleepers to grow your fruit
and veg in. This will save your back when tending and it
also provides extra seating.

4 Do you find time to look after your own garden?

Whats your garden like and what do you enjoy?
I do garden. I like cutting the grass, weeding, tending to my
raised beds for fruit and veg. I built a sunken terrace in
English sandstone and limestone to avoid being overlooked.
I have a studio workshop/garage at the bottom of the garden
with a fabulous deck area attached. I enjoy outdoor cooking
and cold beer drinking in warm sunny weather the most!

5 Do you grow or have you ever grown any of your

own fruit and veg?
I have two plum trees one a Victoria an apple tree, a
grapevine, two olive trees, a bay tree, a fig tree, blackberry
and red currant, raspberry, red gooseberry, strawberries and
tomatoes, cucumber, peppers and various herbs. I did grow
a large crop of various vegetables a few years ago, but the
less said about that the better.

6 Have you spotted any recent landscaping trends

that readers should know about?
There has been a huge surge in the popularity of natural
stone for hard landscaping. People are very interested in
structural timber features in the garden.

7 What are your tips for a low maintenance

garden?
I suggest raised beds for easy gardening with membrane
and mulch over the rest of the garden to restrict weeds,
with some large feature shrubs for effect. Also, groups of
planted pots and hanging baskets for colour and scent.

Tommy
Walsh is
ambassador for
8 What is your favourite meal and how do you
relax after a hard day at work?
My favourite meal in winter is a traditional Irish recipe for
Workforce socks. boiled bacon, swede, cabbage with boiled potatoes in their
Find out more on the website:
www. workforcesocks.co.uk/ jackets. In the summer, after a hard days work, I like
Follow us on Twitter: nothing better than sitting in the garden on a warm
https://twitter.com/ evening, having a few beers, listening to music and cooking
Workforce8 for the family on the barbecue.
Like us on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/
Workforcesocks
Dont miss our exclusive interview with
Alan Titchmarsh on page 36!

JUNE 2014 | 47
Joined up
thinking
Graham Strong sings the praises of grafted
tomatoes after last years bumper crop.

I
love everything about growing
tomatoes. In fact, I wouldnt mind if I
pop my clogs while tending them, like
Marlon Brandos Godfather.
The first ones I grew were planted in
bottomless whale hide rings stood on a bed
of weathered boiler ash. I was 15 at the time.
Since then Ive switched between cropping in
growing bags and pots, but cant recall ever
having the sort of glut I enjoyed last year
using grafted plants. They literally hit the
roof with eight trusses on the twin grafted
plants and none of the usual struggles to get
the last ones to swell and ripen.
I gave multi-coloured bag loads away and
we filled the freezers with thick, spicy soups
and whole fruits. Who wouldnt want to
repeat the experience, so I set about analysing
just what was so special about 2013. If you
have a similar passion, you too might like to
review your growing techniques and see if
improvements can be made.
 GET GROWING
Grahams DIY greenhouse is not ideal for
tomatoes, but that didnt bother these plants!
Orangino was a star performer for Graham,
and you can realistically expect twice as many
fruits as this on one truss.
50 | JUNE 2014
A colourful array of plum, beefsteak and cherry tomatoes being prepared for a summer salad with
the classic accompaniment, freshly cut basil leaves from plants grown next to the toms.
WHaT Weve goT
In some ways, my DIY greenhouse is not ideal
for plants that like to be cosseted. It is a big, airy
structure and slow to heat up, due in part to my
neighbours towering Lawsons Cypress conifers.
They are a haven for long tailed tits, but block
out the suns rays until at least 10.30am. There is
also no artificial heat apart from an electric mat,
half of which is covered by a glass propagator.
This is great for weaning newly arrived plants
that have been used to warmer conditions, but
once they are in the open greenhouse, apart
from a fleecing over on cool nights, they are on
their own.
grafTed vS
Seed raiSed
Commercial growers have used grafted plants
for years and regularly get 60 or more trusses
per plant. Ive trialled them several times,
but in hindsight, can see that Ive never given
them sufficient root run to realise their true
potential. Even an above average sized pot of say
30cm (12in) diameter will not give them a
sufficient volume of compost (the supplier
suggests 40cm/16in diameter) and growing
bags just dont have the capacity to offer room
for their extensive root systems to fully develop
and pump water and nutrients into
the plants.
In any case, growing in containers cancels out
one of the key benefits. Grafted plants are
resistant to soil borne pests and diseases
(eelworms, rots and viruses) so can be grown in
the same soil year after year, though forking
in extra organic matter like well-rotted
compost will help to maintain those high
yields. So we need to weigh up the ability of
grafted plants to cope with lower temperatures
and give earlier, heavier crops against the extra
purchase cost compared to seed raised. For
me, it was an easy decision. However, grafted
plants cannot compete with the fascinating
range of colours and shapes that only come from
a seed packet.
Taking THingS
To anoTHer level
With grafted plants on order, I set about
creating the perfect growing conditions a
heat retaining raised bed filled with my special
garden compost, enriched with a secret
ingredient, courtesy of our hens Clucky and
Gregory (Peck). Thermalite blocks are a quick
and easy way to build up the sides. More
familiar to builders than gardeners as the name
suggests, these blocks have excellent thermal
properties, are light and easy to handle and can
be cut in seconds using an old hand saw. I used a
trench block version which is much wider than
the more familiar 10cm (4in) thick blocks used
to build walls. Some have a tongue and groove
built in and slot together as easy as kids building
bricks. I topped my low retaining wall with the
salvaged blue Victorian pavers we call back
yarders in my part of the West Midlands. Mortar
it all together if it is going to be a permanent
feature in your greenhouse.
www.kitchengarden.co.uk
 GRAFTED TOMATOES

Step by step GROWING GRAFTED TOMATOES

STEP 1. These Thermalite
trench blocks will retain heat in
the soil. I used old roof slates to
line the brickwork and stop it
getting wet.
STEP 2. Use an old saw to cut
the blocks to size. You can lay
them dry on rm ground and
cap them with a brick coping to
make a convenient seat!
STEP 3. Suttons grafted tomato
twins just unpacked. Produced
in Yorkshire, they are around 32
days old when mailed out in late
spring and early summer.
STEP 4. You can quickly see
how much more robust the
grafted plants are compared
to the seed raised varieties
in front.

STEP 5. A month later the
potted up plants are ready to go
in. The twin stems are yellow
cherry Orangino F1 and red
fruited Florryno F1, the singles,
beefsteak Belriccio.
STEP 6. Stout 2.4m (8ft) canes
are needed to support the
plants as they grow, secured to
the greenhouse roof, or wrap
them around strong
polypropylene string.
STEP 7. Avoid overwatering
the tomatoes, especially when
recently planted, as in beds
they have a much greater
volume of soil to explore than
in containers.
STEP 8. This is the scene on
July 10 with the plants in full
bloom and the promise of great
things to come. The basil was
quickly crowded out by its more
robust neighbours.

Grahams
Growing Tips
Last summers warm spell helped
many gardeners enjoy bumper crops.
However, excessive temperatures can
actually reduce yield, avour and the red
health promoting pigment, lycopene.
Commercial growers aim for temperatures
of between 16-21C (60-70F) so ventilate
freely on hot days.
Suppliers
Overwatering can reduce the sweetness
Several of the larger seed and young plant
companies now offer grafted tomatoes.
of fruits so water before plants wilt, but not
to a hard and fast routine. Getting the Suttons tel 0844 922 0606
foliage wet can encourage tomato blight, www.suttons.co.uk
even under glass as many of us found out D T Brown tel: 08453 710532
in the wet summer of 2012. www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk
Dont bury the graft underground. Deland Nurseries tel 01354 740553
Planting too deeply will result in the www.organicplants.co.uk
fruiting stem rooting and cancel out the Marshalls, tel:0844 5576700
benets the rootstock brings. www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk

www.kitchengarden.co.uk JUNE 2014 | 51

GET GROWING
Top
Annes
10
CULINARY
HERBS
There is nothing to beat fresh herbs chopped
and added to the cooking pot.
Anne Swithinbank recommends
her favourites for avour
3
MARJORAM
(ORIGANUM VULGARE)
Years ago our son bought a pot of
Greek marjoram at a school sale and
after much dividing and replanting (in
autumn or spring) it now forms an
aromatic patio edging. In summer, it
rises to 45cm (18in) and the small
white ower heads are a great late
nectar source for insects. In winter it
sits as a mat of short shoots, only
dying right back in extreme cold.
1 ROSEMARY
(ROSMARINUS OFFICINALIS)
Another reliable evergreen,
rosemary is indispensable for
avouring roast meats and
vegetables. Shrubs can rise to
1.8m (6ft) but ours are constantly pruned
by harvesting. Most are bushy but Miss
Jessopps Upright produces neat, vertical
shoots and there are prostrate forms to trail
from walls and containers. Theyll ower in early
autumn and again from late winter to summer.
2 THYME
(THYMUS VULGARIS)
Common, evergreen garden
thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
earns top spot for its mouth
watering, savoury aroma and
ease of cultivation. Despite
loving sun and well-drained
soil, it survives our nutritious
clay if well-trimmed after
owering and in spring.
Common thyme is easily
raised from seed or cuttings.
Take cuttings of pretty T.v.
Silver Posie and delicious
lemon thyme T.x citriodorus.
A
lthough the name herb can be short for herbaceous plant
(meaning any non woody perennial), we mostly use it to cover
the vast number of plants used for flavouring food, medicinally,
in cosmetics and to make dyes. Here, Im narrowing the field to
culinary herbs, then down to those I grow in my kitchen garden and finally to
the 10 most regularly used. This meant leaving out lavender (indispensible for
lavender biscuits), Pelargonium radula (for lemon-flavoured cakes), lemon
balm and coriander (how could I?). Never mind dill and fennel. Herbs are
ornamental too and when in bloom, great for attracting insects. I line
pathways with them but they look great in a designated herb garden. To learn
more about these fascinating and useful plants, join The Herb Society
www.herbsociety.org.uk
4
MINT
(MENTHA SPICATA)
Over the years Ive been advised to
use peppermint (Menthe x
piperata) for tea and apple mint
(M.suaveolens) for mint sauce but at
the risk of being boring, good old
spearmint (pictured) is our family
favourite for everything culinary. I
even cut the ower spikes for vases
or making aromatic tussie mussies
(posies). Mint spreads but as I hate
constricting it to a large pot buried
in the ground, ours has its own bed.
www.kitchengarden.co.uk
 HERBS

5 SAGE
(SALVIA OFFICINALIS)
Ordinary sage has a sharp, distinctive
aroma and many uses. Plants rise to
9 FRENCH TARRAGON
(ARTEMISIA DRACUNCULUS)
Always be sure to buy
60cm (2ft), produce attractive blue proper French tarragon
owers in summer, much visited by rather than its inferior
insects including humming Russian cousin
bird hawk moths. Shear (A.dracunculoides). It is
after blooming. New normal for tarragon to look
plants are easily slightly miserable, it must
raised from seed or have well drained soil and
cuttings. Add purple hates wet feet. We grow
sage and gold sage ours in 17cm (7in) pots and
(S.o.Icterina) for a bring it into an unheated
tapestry of leaf colours. greenhouse to over winter.
The unique avour is
excellent in quiches, with
chicken, sh and in sauces.

10 CHIVES

6
(ALLIUM SCHOENOPRASUM)
PARSLEY For chive butter and fresh
snippings on salads and
(PETROSELINUM CRISPUM)
quiches, a ready supply of
Im old-fashioned and like crinkly-leaved mildly onion avoured chive
parsley. Its the stuff of garnishes and just leaves is great to have.
right for delicious parsley sauce and sh pie. Theyre easy to grow from
When it comes to salads, at-leaved is more seed or divisions made when
palatable. Sow into a seed tray during plants are returning to growth
December or January and under unheated in spring. Their pink owers
glass, germination takes 4-6 weeks and are good in salads. White-
despite what you read, seedlings do owered garlic chives (Allium
transplant well into pots. Plant out in spring. tuberosum) are good too. Cut
plants hard after owering to
renew young foliage.

7 BAY
(LAURUS NOBILIS)
Bay grows like a weed in my east Devon
garden, as we have a relatively mild
climate and moist soil. Plants quickly grow
bushy and tree-like, before seeding
themselves around the garden. They are
very tricky to root from cuttings. In pots or
in colder areas, bay is more challenging
and may need winter protection. Spicy
leaves are great for casseroles, sauces,
avouring boiled ham and sh.
Experts Choice
Tucked away in central London, the Chelsea Physic Garden was
founded in 1673 to train apprentice apothecaries and is Englands
second oldest botanic garden. I asked head gardener Nick Bailey for
his favourite culinary herb and he nominated the curry leaf Murraya
koenigii. This is a beautiful looking plant whose leaves are widely
used as the base avour in Keralan curries. The dry leaf is rubbish, so
you really need fresh. The curry leaf is evergreen
with small white fragrant owers. It belongs to
the same plant family as citrus and needs

8
a minimum winter temperature of 10-

BASIL 15C/50-60F. Nick stands his plants

out for the summer on gravel-
(OCIMUM BASILICUM) lled trays for increased
There are many basils and though humidity. He says: For their
weve tried a few, it is always unique avour, like coriander
common or sweet basil we rely on with a metallic note, they are
for sandwich llings, tomato and worth every bit of effort.
mozzarella salad, pesto and salad
dressings. This tender herb Plants available from The
deserves pampering and from Curious Plant Company
spring to autumn I sow and grow it 07766 023226
in the greenhouse. In winter, www.curiousplants.co.uk
supermarket potfulls last 2-3 and The Citrus Centre
months on the kitchen windowsill. 01798 872786
www.citruscentre.co.uk

www.kitchengarden.co.uk
ABOVE: An allotment
style garden Toby
discovered on his
travels. It turned out to
belong to an ex-pat!

LEFT: Monkeys can

be troublesome to
the Indian gardener.

RIGHT: A calendula
market.

FAR RIGHT: Gardeners

going to work on their
rickshaws.
 TOBY BUCKLAND

A taste of
India
Toby Buckland travelled to the Rajasthan region of India to
discover some exotic horticultural delights

I
f you thought caterpillars were a nuisance
on your cabbages, just imagine having to
fend off wild peacocks and monkeys. Just
two of the many challenges facing
gardeners I discovered on my trip to India.
This is an incredible country full of
contradictions. In Jaipur where I was based I saw
ugliness and extreme beauty, wealth and poverty,
pollution and amazing wildlife every single time
I ventured out on my bike.
I loved the countryside where farm machinery
is still a novelty and the pace of life has barely
changed in hundreds of years. Fascinating
edibles are everywhere, as although a desert, the
planes of Rajasthan are blessed with an aquifer
that sits close to the soil surface meaning water is
never far away. This combined with the intense
desert sunshine means growth-rates are boosted
way beyond what we get in British summer and
farmers can gather four harvests from the same garden. Its beds were filled with cottage garden
piece of ground in a single year. In winter there cut flowers such as larkspur and phlox with
are the brassicas including mustard or oilseed coriander, cabbages and spinach growing
rape, followed by wheat/grains, then vegetables between. Surrounding these were home-spun
and herbs. Between these staples are plantations rabbit fences and fruit cages except here theyre
of perennials such as sugar cane, cotton, fennel to keep the wild peacocks and monkeys at bay.
(grown for its leaves and seeds) plus a myriad of What a find, I thought until I was told by a local
fruit bearing trees including dates, citrus and that it was the house of an English woman who
mangos by the thousand. had moved to the city in the 1970s. It just goes
to show how deep our method of gardening runs
Home from we know what we like and were sticking with
Home allotment it thank you very much.
In the cities, gardens as we know them are Seeing India for the first time was fantastic.
mostly limited to hotels and the homes of the The food is delicious, the people are lovely and
well-heeled, and in the ones I saw the planting the plants are fascinating. It is a country in the
focused on fragrance not food. There was the grip of industrial revolution with rapid
odd container of Thai basil but mostly borders development everywhere from global Western
are filled with scented jacarandas and zingy companies that are setting up swanky offices on
orange calendula grown for ornament as the outskirts of the cities to the machines
opposed to decorating rice and wedding guests. making their way on to the farms. For all the
Allotments dont exist or so I thought until I health and wealth benefits this progress will
stopped at a hotel to the South of Jaipur. In the bring, I cant help but love magnificent and mad
grounds I stumbled across a small house India as it is and I hope they never get around
surrounded by an allotment-style kitchen to fixing the pavements.

www.kitchengarden.co.uk JUNE 2014 | 55

 GET GROWING

The mosT useful Tree

in The world?
One of the most common trees is neem. With
its compound leaves consisting of dozens of
individual leaflets and billowing cumulous-like
shape it looks a lot like our native ash but is far
more useful. So much so that Id advise should
you find yourself marooned on a desert island
that you ditch the gramophone and discs and
take a neem instead.
It is the first tree that farmers plant and if you
make your bed under the branches it is claimed
that itll help you sleep. The young shoots when
chewed are brilliant (if bitter-tasting) for home-
grown toothbrushes. Also cook in water along
with the white flowers like vegetables. The oil and
leaves are used in medicine while the dried foliage
and seeds come into their own for driving off
pests. Sprigs of the leaves when placed in a
cupboard (think lavender pouches) keep bugs out
of clothes while on a larger scale the ground-up
seeds when steeped in water and sprayed over
crops deter insects from laying their eggs.
The Indians have used neem for millennia
although in the West its not caught on and Ive
only seen it in mosquito repellent. That said I have
used the bulky raw neem bark in my garden at
home but it was less than satisfactory.
Ten years ago I was sent a bag to trial
and applied it as recommended as Id advIse
a mulch around shrubs should you fInd
vulnerable to pest attack in yourself marooned
my case a spring-flowering
on a desert Island
viburnum that always got
aphids. The mulch worked a that you dItch the
treat and the aphids scarpered gramophone and
although not sure whether this dIscs and take a
was down to the neems pesticidal neem Instead The leaves from the
qualities or the rancid potato and neem tree are used
joss-stick aroma that it gave off as it as a natural pest
rotted down in the rain. As with comfrey feed the deterrent.
concentrate is nothing like as smelly.

WaTch your sTep

Modern India is a country that has been built
by men. I know this because most of it hasnt
been nished and roads, sewers and
buildings remain, like so many
man-projects, in a state of
development. If, for
example, youre walking
along and are lucky
enough to stumble
across a pavement, you
can bet your bottom
rupee that itll have
sharp pipes sticking up
out of it or be blocked with
a pile of sand forcing you to
step out across an open sewer
a feature thats also been on the
municipalities must x list since 1987.
The roads are the best or worst example
of this fragmentary state not just their
nish but the evolving nature of the Highway
Code. While its true most drivers keep to
the left, many, including lorry drivers, prefer
to bowl along on the right, even if
its against the trafc
and on a dual carriageway.
Roundabouts are very
scary too with cars,
camels, rickshaws, bikes
and buses charging
across in all and every
direction the only rule
being to stay alive.
Perhaps then, my recent
trip to Rajasthan wasnt the
best place to get back in the
saddle of a motorbike after a 20
year break. That said, my Royal
Eneld was a brilliant way to get out and
about to see how the Rajasthanis grow their
plants; and as dangerous as it was, at least it
kept me off the pavements.

56 | JUNE 2014 www.kitchengarden.co.uk

www.kitchengarden.co.uk JUNE 2014 | 57
Pigging out
... on veg
W
Owners of hen Ollie Hutson started as gardener at The dishes in the restaurant reveal all though. Head chef,
The Pig, a gourmet restaurant in the New James Golding, colours his dishes with them. Theyre not
fashionable New Forest, his background in estate just garnish; to salads and soups the flowers brings a strong
Forest hotel The management meant he faced a steep shot of the vegetables flavour in a tiny bite.
Pig see it as a learning curve, especially as methods of veg harvesting are Yellow, blue and white flowers make it onto the plates,
somewhat unconventional. including three types of rocket (wild, salad and a cross
restaurant rst We let lots bolt, says Ollie. When visitors to the between the two), borage, broad beans and radish flowers,
and a hotel restaurant take a walk around the gardens, theyre often as well as mizuna, For anyone whose mizuna ran to seed
surprised by the billowing flowers. It takes a little bit of rather too fast for feasting this year, this is one way to get a
second. Helen interpretation, he adds, for those who wonder why those bit more from it, while you can regain the upper hand by
Gazeley visits, to vegetables arent on the compost heap. cutting it down to around three inches high once its
flowered, so making it do its thing all over again.
discover they are Flowers are not the main harvest though, however
true to their word flamboyant in the beds. The gardens provide the restaurant
that everything is with up to 50% of its ingredients in summer, and are an
education in making vegetables work hard for you, even
driven by the while theyre growing. Leaves are of primary importance,
gardener, forager but not just lettuce. Here theyre harvested from broad
beans, beetroot, chard and onions.
and chef in the
kitchen garden Cutting baCk to give more
The green leaves of growing onions are cut down to around
four inches above the bulb, including the unusual Egyptian
walking onion. (Grown for a bit of fun, says Ollie, of the
Pictures by scallion that produces its bulbs at the top of a stalk, only
Christopher J Bell for it to bend to the ground under its own weight and root

58 | JUNE 2014 www.kitchengarden.co.uk

 OUT & ABOUT

ABOVE: A great deal of

rocket makes its way into
rocket pesto.

INSET LEFT: The Pig lives

up to its name and keeps
Tamworths on site.

LEFT: Head chef James

Golding has a big say in
ABOVE: Rubble lled the whats grown.
walled garden before it
was renovated.

LEFT: Ollie Hutson enthuses

about the close planting of
courgette plants.

MuLTIpLE hArVESTS
FrOM ONE BEETrOOT
Around three-quarters of the Chioggia beetroot, in a
bed measuring 2.5 x1.5m (10 x 5ft), was bushy with
leaves; the rest sprouting only a handful of young
shoots. We cut the leaves down to two inches above
the root, explained Ollie, leaving the small leaves in
the centre to grow on. By the time theyve harvested
leaves from the rest of the bed, the leaves in the rst
rows will be ready for cutting again. Ollie agrees that
the beetroot themselves grow a bit more slowly when
treated this way, but not very noticeably. When the
roots are nally harvested, the plants will have already
contributed to a host of dishes in the kitchen.

www.kitchengarden.co.uk JUNE 2014 | 59

 GET GROWING

again at that spot). The leaves find their way into soups
James Goldings Assorted and the Irish potato dish, colcannon, as well as garnishing
Jamess signature dish of Bath Chap (pigs cheek).
Garden Beet Salad The decision on what to grow is very much kitchen-led.
When planning, we sit down and look at what we use,
3 medium beetroot and what we might be interested in, says James, whose
(candy, red, choices include the strongly tangy edible chrysanthemum,
golden and white) Shingiku, and Monks Beard, known in Italy as agretti,
500g assorted which imparts an acidic crunch to dishes during the short
baby salad leaves period it can be harvested. Theres no point in growing
250g Golden Cross what Ollie likes but what I dont want to use! he adds.
Goats Cheese
100g toasted SeaSonal pickingS
Pumpkin seeds Once things are planted, though, the emphasis changes.
1ltr New Forest Every night we give a list of whats ready for harvesting to
sweet cider the chefs, says Ollie. The chefs mark what they want and,
50g caster sugar when the gardeners come in at 6am, the ingredients are
100ml olive oil picked ready for when the chefs arrive at eight.
2tbsp Dijon mustard Even so, this doesnt stop a bit of pilfering. Ollie guards
2tbsp cider vinegar the herb fennel jealously, as hes found it one of the few
1bunch thyme plants that doesnt regenerate when over-harvested. Every
2 bay leaves so often the chefs creep out to pinch a bit. Sometimes you
1 bunch at-leaf parsley hear them whispering behind a wall, he laughs, saying
Salt, pepper Its all right, they wont notice.
The workload is intense, with three gardeners working
1. Wash beets. Place in tray, drizzle with 5. Once emulsied, add sweet cider full-time. Compost and leaf mould are made on site but
olive oil, sea salt, white pepper, thyme, reduction to Dijon and cider vinegar to only used on the formal beds as Ollie reckons that, with
bay leaves and one cup of water. Cover taste. Season, then add chopped at- not much carbon-rich material in it, and bedding from the
with foil. Roast at 180C until tender. leaf parsley. chicken houses, its too nitrogen-rich for the vegetables.
Remove from oven. Leave to cool. 6. Drizzle some dressing on the plate. Instead, they bring in 20 cubic metres of cow and horse
2. Once cool, peel and roughly cut Arrange some leaves as a base. Gently manure two to three times a year, enriching the beds as
beets into manageable pieces. Avoid place the beet around the plate so as they become available. We replant two/three/four times in
letting the red beets touch the others to see the different varieties. summer, adds Ollie, and plant closer than they tell you to
as the red juice will dye them. 7. Crumble some of the goats cheese in lots of books in order to reduce water loss and out-
3. Dressing: reduce sweet cider and over the top. Drizzle more dressing compete weeds. As produce is picked small, to be young
sugar in a pan until it becomes almost over and sprinkle the toasted pumpkin and tender, the closer plantings work well.
like honey. Leave to cool. seeds. Finally, arrange more leaves on In his two and a half years in the garden, Ollie has
4. Whisk mustard and cider vinegar in top for visual impact and serve. been guided by Ian Nelson, the owner of local organic

delicious
a non-metal bowl, slowly adding olive farm Sunnyfields, who keeps a watchful eye on the
oil until it becomes emulsied. You may young team at The Pig. The steep learning curve has

recipe
need more or less oil, so taste as you stood Ollie in good stead. The hotel is part of a growing
go; its important to keep it quite acidic chain, the brainchild of his father, Robin Hutson, who
to balance the sweetness of the dish. created the Hotel du Vin chain and sold it in 2004 for
66.4 million.

Visiting
the Pig
The Pig, originally a 17th
century hunting lodge, is now
a restaurant with 26 rooms,
offering the 25-mile Menu,
nding ingredients locally or
from within its own grounds. A
webcam of the walled garden
is viewable on the website.
Beaulieu Road, Brockenhurst,
Hampshire SO42 7QL
www.thepighotel.co.uk; tel:
0845 0779494
www.kitchengarden.co.uk JUNE 2014 | 61
 Create a
buzz!
Theyre the workhorses of the

productive plot bringing their
pollination skills. Benedict
Vanheems explores the
bumblebee and how to make
your garden bee friendly.
Picture: BBCT
t
he headlines surrounding bees and Modernisation of agriculture has also brought
their seemingly unstoppable decline with it widespread use of pesticides. Some of
are nothing short of disturbing. these potent chemicals have been shown to
With so many of the fruits and disorientate bees, leading to recent bans on the
vegetables we grow relying on these pollinators worst offenders; only time will tell whether this
their survival is intrinsically linked with ours. helps to redress the decline. As home growers we
Its a shocking fact that without that owe it to all our six-legged friends to go easy on
quintessential sound of summer the familiar the pesticides and recruit natural allies by going
buzz of bees hard at work our food system organic. Our gardens and allotments can be a
would be in serious trouble. refuge for the under-pressure bee an oasis of
Evidence for the decline of bees is stark: since food, shelter and friendly gardeners on the side
the Second World War two native species of of the humble bumble.
bumblebee (the Cullems and Short-haired
bumblebees) have disappeared; of the 24 PerfeCt
species that remain populations have Pollinators
plummeted. The exact reason The fuzzy bumblebee is truly a
behind this trend is hard to
pinpoint, though much of the
Did you pollinator extraordinaire. By
pollinating the likes of tree
blame can be directed at the know? fruits, soft fruits, tomatoes,
sweeping changes to While there are 24 species peas and beans they are
agriculture over decades, of bumblebee in Britain reckoned to contribute over
which have seen the removal and a remarkable 250 400 million to the UK
of many of the wildflowers solitary bee species, economy each and every year.
from the landscape that these theres just one species Just imagine having to pollinate
bees would have fed on. One of honeybee every flower by hand and the

A buff-tailed worker busy hard at graft.
estimate puts the loss since 1930 of
flower-rich grassland at a whopping
97%. Combine this with the loss of ancient
woodland and peat bogs and you can see why
our buzzing buddies are in such dire straits.
human workforce it would require!
By pollinating wildflowers they also help
to propagate future generations of flora,
ensuring a vibrant ecosystem and the support of
animals higher up the food chain.

62 | JUNE 2014 www.kitchengarden.co.uk


Bee paRade
Photo: Orangeaurochs
Photo: Penny Metal
Buff-tailed bumblebee
(Bombus terrestris):
The biggest bumble
and usually the rst to
make an appearance
in spring.
Photo: Orangeaurochs
Photo: Kjetil Fjellheim
White-tailed bumblebee
(Bombus lucorum): Similar
looking to the buff-tailed
bee but smaller. Its tail is
bright white.
Bumblebees are well adapted to the British
climate. They are easily distinguished from
solitary and honeybees thanks to their hairier,
bulkier appearance. The extra hairs trap an
insulating layer of air around the body, allowing
a bumblebee to be out even on cooler days.
Unlike honeybees, which live in swarms of
about 15,000 individuals and anywhere up to
50,000, bumblebees form colonies numbering
up to 400 individuals and often fewer than this.
These calm, sociable insects never swarm and are
highly unlikely to sting (only the females can do
so and even then they will only sting when they
feel life-threatened).
Busy lifestyle
Bumblebees tend to nest at ground level in
quiet, out-of-the-way corners. Most species look
for dry, dark cavities perhaps vacated by other
creatures. Others are happy nesting in leaf litter
or among tussocky grass. In gardens typical nest
sites might include a shaded, undisturbed
corner, perhaps behind or beneath a shed, for
example. Nests are rarely in direct sunlight as
this can overheat the colony.
After emerging from hibernation in spring a
queen bee will seek a suitable nest site,
inspecting potential locations with more gusto
than the most enthusiastic first-time buyer! If
you see a fat bumble zigzagging its way at
www.kitchengarden.co.uk
BUMBLEBEES
Photo: Gail Hampshire
Photo: Sarah Jenkins
Garden bumblebee early bumblebee
(Bombus hortorum): Its (Bombus pratorum):
long tongue means it These bees tend to have
prefers owers with deeper a dark orange-red tail. Veg plot perennial, cardoon (Cynara
tubes. It has a slimmer They are smaller than cardunculus), is a popular bumble bloomer.
body and a long head. other bumbles.
Photo: Jem Hologram
Photo: tomp77
Peekaboo! Most bumblebees nest at ground
level, often in previously-occupied burrows.
Common carder bee Red-tailed bumblebee
(Bombus pascuorum): The (Bombus lapidarus): A
bees are mostly brown or distinct red tail. The males
ginger; the exact shade also have a yellow band
varies across the UK. around their middle.
ground level with determination you could be
witnessing our nest-seeking queen in action.
On finding the perfect des-res the queen lays
her eggs, keeping them warm by shivering her
muscles to generate warmth. Like a devoted bird
with her chicks, the queen then collects pollen
and nectar from nearby flowers to feed her larvae
once theyre hatched. After a further two weeks
the larvae will spin a cocoon ready to transform
Photo: BBCT
into adult bees.
The first brood of bees are worker females
whose job is to service the nest and collect nectar
and pollen to feed themselves and the next Hibernating bumblebees should be left well alone.
generation of offspring. The queen no longer
leaves the nest, instead supervising her workers
and laying yet more eggs. As the season moves
on broods are less dominated by worker bees as Befriend the Bees
they switch to produce the next generation of Gardeners can do a lot to help the embattled
queens and the males required to mate with bumble. The total area of the UKs 15 million
them. Mating is a competitive business and the gardens is somewhere between one and two
majority of males never get to mate. million acres. The higher figure is equivalent to
The new queens role, other than being half the area of all of England and Wales
serenaded and seduced by the males, is to put on National Parks. Recent research has also
as much weight as possible by consuming discovered that domestic gardens contain around
copious quantities of pollen and nectar. This will 25% of total non-woodland trees, significantly
allow them to hibernate through the winter contributing to the wider landscape. Clearly this
ready to start a new colony the following spring. represents a bold opportunity to create a series of
The existing colony will naturally come to an small but perfectly formed nature reserves to
end; bumblebees rarely nest in the same place supplement the flowers and habitat found in the
two years running. wider countryside.
JUNE 2014 | 63
 GET GROWING

Bee-attracting flowers
Photo: Alois Staudacher

Photo: Kristine Paulus

Photo: Joan Simon.
Photo: windytan

Vipers Bugloss (Echium comfrey (Symphytum greater knapweed sedum HerBstfreude:

vulgare): The crme de la crme
of bumblebee crowd pleasers.
Produces 60cm (2ft)-tall electric-
blue spires of owers that bees
cant resist.
ofcinalis): Not only does this
versatile plant make excellent
liquid fertiliser (steep the leaves
in water), its also great for
bumblebees.
(Centaurea scabiosa): Pull in the All sedums are valuable to bees.
bees and the butteries with This one has wide panicles of
this stunner. The nely cut deep pink to red blooms atop its
purple owers are borne on eshy leaves. Crucially, it extends
stems up to 1m (3ft) tall. the season to early autumn.

The obvious place to begin is by growing water. Soak a sponge in this syrup and place the
flowers that are particularly high in pollen and stranded bee or bees outdoors on the sponge near
nectar thats easily accessible by bees. Nectar to open flowers. Theyll soon be up and away.
will give bees the energy they need This sugar solution can also be used
thanks to its high sugar content, if you accidentally disturb a
while pollen offers all the
nutrients and protein required
Did you hibernating queen in late winter
or early spring. First try
for healthy growth. Like us know? covering the queen back over
bees need a variety of foods Bumblebees work as a team;
with the loose material youve
for a balanced diet, so plant if they have exhausted the removed so that she can
or sow a range of bee- nectar or pollen from a emerge later on when the
attracting flowers. ower they will leave a scent weather is warmer. If,
In a cruel twist of modern behind to let other bees however, the queen is
breeding some flowers are now know not to waste particularly lively buzzing or
totally useless for bumblebees their time shaking and showing little signs of
and other pollinators, having going back to sleep you may need
inaccessible nectar reservoirs as a result to help her on her way with your sugary
of larger, showier blooms or, like pansies, mix. Bumblebees often hibernate in compost
producing blooms with little pollen or nectar to heaps or loose soil, so be wary when working on
access. Double blooms are notoriously bad news these areas at that time of year. Its easy to make a ready-made nest site.
for all types of bee, so opt for simple, single
blooms that flower throughout the bumblebees NestiNg iNstiNcts
active period from early spring to autumn. Its great fun to try making your own nest box.
Native wildflowers and traditional cottage This can be done very simply using an old Join the Bumblebee
garden-type flowers are usually best, including
common performers such as foxgloves, lavender,
flowerpot. Position your nest at the base of a
hedge, grassy bank or similar protective feature. Conservation Trust
geraniums, all manner of herbs and wild roses. You will know your nest is occupied when you Help support work to conserve bumblebee
Hedges, climbers, shrubs and trees also offer see bees darting in and out of the entrance. habitats and raise political awareness by
food opportunities and welcome shelter think To make the nest, scrape away soil to clear a becoming a member of the Bumblebee
of them as vertical wildflower meadows. circumference that matches the diameter of the Conservation Trust. Visit
top of your pot. Choose a pot thats about 20cm www.bumblebeeconservation.org.uk to learn
thoughtful gardeNiNg (8in) diameter. Place scrunched-up chicken wire more, including how to identify bees in your
While pesticides of any kind can disrupt a garden or twigs at the base to keep the nest well aerated garden and free resources such as a
or allotments natural ecosystem, some pesticides then cover with nesting material. Suitable downloadable guide to bee-friendly plants.
pose less of a threat to bumblebees than others nesting material includes chopped up dry moss
those made of plant oils or extracts, or those (the stuff raked out of the lawn is ideal), or dried
based on fatty acids, for example. If you must grass. Roll this into a ball, making a shallow
spray do so on a still evening when there are depression at the centre to enable the queen to
fewer bees about. Avoid spraying around open get settled in. Pop your pot on top, covering the
flowers that bees might visit. drainage hole with a piece of slate held clear of
Struggling bees found trapped indoors can be the hole by small pebbles to allow the bees
given a temporary boost to their energy levels by access. A larger stone on top will keep the slate next montH: The world of worms
offering them a solution of sugar dissolved in from moving about.

64 | JUNE 2014 www.kitchengarden.co.uk

 GET GROWING

basil
The lowdown on

This classic Mediterranean herb is indispensible for

its full-bodied avour and mouth-watering aroma,
says professional veg gardener, Lucy Halliday

O
ne of the highlights of the year in the kitchen garden at
National Trust Knightshayes where I work is late summer
when I spend a happy half hour harvesting crates of fresh
basil for the local market. The heady scent fills the
polytunnels and I go home with a faint aroma of those sun-soaked
leaves still clinging to my hands. Basil (Ocimum basilicum) always smells
of sunshine to me, so evocative is it of summer and good eating.
It needs as much sun as you can give it, soaking up those rays and
turning them into fragrant essential oils. If growing outside choose
south or south-west facing spots with plenty of shelter, or grow with
great success in any polytunnel or glasshouse or even in pots or window
boxes if pushed for space.
Basil needs light, free-draining soil with plenty of sand and loam.
Consistent light moisture is important so regular watering is needed in
containers. It thrives in the light, but manure-rich soil of our no-dig beds,
producing four to five pickings per plant throughout July and August.
Sow undercover, ideally with some bottom heat throughout late
spring and early summer, successional sowings guarantee a lengthy
supply in to early autumn. A germination temperature of 13-18C
(55-64F) is ideal with consistent light moisture and plenty of warm air
flow while seeds get going. I like to sow roughly every two weeks from
mid-April to June, using seed trays with a thin sowing and light
covering of compost. I then prick out the seedlings individually in to
7cm (234in) pots, keeping them in the unheated glasshouse until its
really warm outside, or else planting them directly into the polytunnel
once the seedling roots hit the bottom of their pots.

66 | JUNE 2014 www.kitchengarden.co.uk

 BASIL

try these...
violetto or red basil: Beautiful
deep-plum colour leaves that youll want
to show off in a salad. Slight hint of
cloves which is delicious with fresh
tomatoes. Franchi Seeds of Italy.

greek basil: A personal favourite,

compact bushy plants with small leaves,

Fast track ideal for containers, that pack a huge

avour punch and make amazing sauces.
to success Feed me!
Franchi Seeds of Italy.

A fortnightly balanced liquid feed will lime basil: A more unusual form
Warm enough? support heavy harvesting in late summer. (Ocimum americanum) with narrow oval
Cold temperatures will hinder leaves lime green leaves and a lime
performance. Is it warm enough to spend Winter delight green avour to boot. Excellent in Thai
the day in a T-shirt? Then your basil should Basil is very easy to store for later use, recipes. Jekkas Herb Farm.
cope outside too. freeze whole leaves, puree leaves in ice
cube trays, or make your own pesto. green basil sWeet italian: A
mildeW matters classic eshy, bright, full-avoured green
If weather comes in humid or you indulge increasing harvests Italian variety. I grow this every year in
in overwatering you may nd mildew When harvesting remember that, new the south west and it always performs
creeps in, keep up ventilation and pinch shoots appear where leaves join the stem, well. Marshalls Seeds.
out affected growth or sacrice the plant. pinch out tips just above this point.
cinnamon basil: An interesting
specimen plant for an ornamental
If you are growing in the ground or Harvesting basil is best if you treat it like kitchen garden, originally from Mexico,
in greenhouse beds add a medium- pruning although you can just use purple leaves and very pretty pink
fertility soil improver before It needs as whole plants if you have sufficient. I owers. This basil has a warm spicy
planting, very well-rotted much sun as you like to take all the growing tips avour. Jekkas Herb Farm.
manure, compost or leaf from each plant which gives you
mould will do nicely. I
can gIve It, the most succulent bits while
hesitate to give specific soakIng up those encouraging the plant to bush
timings for planting out rays and turnIng and produce more tender
basil as it will grow rapidly them Into growth. Your first small harvest
but only given sufficient should be the lead growing tip
warmth. Mid-May into June
fragrant of all the plants once they reach
is the ballpark but with the essentIal oIls. 13-15 cm (5-6in) tall, this will turn
British climate, playing it by ear is them in to stocky producers that will
better than adhering to strict rules. keep going from July to September.

Basil: What to do when

January: Scrub down any pots or
containers that will be used for basil to
reduce risk of mildew and damping off
February: Cheer yourself up with
some basil from the freezer and imagine
those long summer evenings
march: Prepare ground by digging in a
medium-fertility soil improver
april: Start sowing undercover with
bottom heat from the middle of this month
may: Sow in unheated glasshouses,
polytunnels or on warm window sills
June: Plant out earliest sowings and
continue to sow for early autumn harvests
July: Start harvesting and continue
planting out
august: This should be your peak
harvesting time, store up any spare basil
for leaner times
september: Harvesting should continue,
keep up ventilation as evenings get damp
october: Lift and compost spent
plants. Bruised stems are great for
avouring a soup stock to accompany your
tomato harvest
november: Order next years seeds
and maybe try out some different varieties
december: Use your basil store to
create exciting seasonal stufngs
and warming
pasta dishes
Suppliers
Jekkas herb Farm: 01454 418878,
www.jekkasherbfarm.com
marshalls seeds: 0844 5576700,
www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk
Franchi seeds oF italy: 0208 4275020,
www.seedsotaly.com

www.kitchengarden.co.uk JUNE 2014 | 67

 ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

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68 | JUNE 2014 www.kitchengarden.co.uk

 Have you tried...
eating your
weeds?
Why try this?
The temptation is to say here to get
your own back! Sitting in the garden in
summer enjoying a fresh, tasty ground
elder quiche, I would say that revenge is
indeed a dish best served cold. However,
there are other less punitive reasons for
eating your weeds as well. Using these
plants which just pop up whether you
want them to or not is a very sustainable
way of gathering extra food from your
garden, widening your palate and
introducing a rich source of diverse
nutrients to your diet. Its also easy.
70 | JUNE 2014
Lucy Halliday encourages
us to take a fresh look at
our weeds some of
which can be as tasty and
nutritious as any veg!
F
oraging has gained a popular
following over recent years as people
realise the diversity of wild foods free
for the taking. However, it requires a
good deal of botanical and local knowledge to
feel sure you are safe in eating your spoils.
Forage your own patch on the other hand, and
you can be pretty sure of how the ground has
been treated, and all veg growers sadly become
quickly acquainted with their most common
weedy interlopers. Almost everyone has a trouble
weed and happily many of them make pretty
good eating.
History oF eating weeds
All our crops were weeds at some point, in as
much as they were wild-growing, undiscovered
food sources. Cultivation improved the sought-
after characteristics, enlarging roots or reducing
bitterness, but there is a much wider range of
food plants outside of cultivation which many
people around the world still rely on as a major
part of their diet. The earliest cultivated plants
date back to 10,000 years ago or more, but
many plants have been used throughout history
and into the modern day in their wild or
relatively wild forms. A weed after all is just a
plant in the wrong place. Nettles, fat hen,
chickweed and bittercress were staples of the
Iron Age kitchen garden which was populated
with many choice plants in their uncultivated
forms. The Romans happily chowed down on
two of our most villainous weeds horsetail and
ground elder. Despite their devotion to the new
and innovative, even Victorian gardeners were
no strangers to the cultivation of weeds for food.
They regularly forced delicate dandelion leaves
and chicory for leaves and roots.
www.kitchengarden.co.uk

The boTAny biT
Why cAnT you jusT
eAT All The Weeds?
Wild plants can weigh in as tasty, benign or
downright dangerous. This is why it is
important to stick to what you are familiar
with unless you have expert help from a
good guidebook or experienced forager.
Common garden weeds are a good place to
start as most of us can name them on sight.
However, always check what you are about
to eat as wild plants have evolved
everything they can to avoid becoming
someones dinner, including producing an
array of toxic or irritant secondary
metabolites which help them defend against
browsing herbivores and insect attacks.
A salad of
wild plants.
Weed eating, Wild
Why Are Weeds
good for you?
safety and the laW
If you are eating weeds from your own garden or
Most wild plants are rich in micronutrients allotment, you can pick freely. However,
and contain a diverse range of them plus if you decide to gather additional
plenty of bre. The domestication wild plants from wilder areas
and breeding process of crops such as waste grounds,
often inadvertently reduces ALL OUR hedgerows and parks, there
nutrient levels in a constant quest CROPS WERE are four key things you need
for large size, uniform colour, to be aware of.
longer shelf life and other WEEDS AT Has the ground been
cosmetic interests. Wild plants SOME POINT treated with anything
have not been subject to this intentionally, such as
process so although they may not weedkiller in a municipal park
grow as big or as sweet, they often setting, or unintentionally, such as
retain far more of their natural nutrients. engine oil in a disused garage forecourt?
Eating a wide range of plant foods, Do you have permission? There is a common
especially leafy ones, also enriches your dietright, enshrined in law, that you may pick
with essential fatty acids such as omega-3. fruits, flowers, fungi and foliage from the wild
for personal use unless there are local bylaws or
the site is a protected habitat. However, this
doesnt mean you can uproot any plant or that
you can venture on to land without permission
which might be the neighbouring plot holder or
a private landowner; technically you should
always have asked first.
Is what you are picking endangered? Nothing
listed in this article is but if you expand your
horizons, check out the status of the plants you
name as quarry. Also pick with care, considering
the health of the plant and those that surround
it and dont take more than you need.
Are you sure you know what you are
picking? Please take seriously the identification
process and never pick without checking you are
certain of the species until you become a
seasoned weed eater.
JUNE 2014 | 71
 GET GROWING

10
common ground elder:
Young shiny leaves make great
nettles:
Super tasty when their young

weeds that eating and only release their true

avour when cooked. Try a
green shoots emerge in spring,
nettles in my kitchen go into

make good summer quiche made with equal

parts ground elder and shallots
nutritious soup, pesto with
walnuts and with Italian gnocchi.

eating with yogurt, cream and nutmeg. An indispensible wild green.

Here are 10 choice weeds, easy to identify and genuinely good to eat;
some of which may surprise you but all of which I use regularly when I
nd them growing about my allotment and garden. Use the references
listed in the info section here to help you get familiar with the looks of
these bonus crops. Once you gain in condence you can start to
broaden your search for other equally tasty wild harvests, but again if
you are at all unsure always seek expert advice and make full use of
those reference books below.

fat hen: hairy bitter-Cress: shepherds purse: ChiCkweed:

A delicious weed and one of the
most nutrient dense foods
known. A relative of the
wholesome grain quinoa. Use like
summer spinach, goes well with
tomatoes.
Photo: Dave Bevan.
A prolic self-seeder but one
which possesses that typical ery
cress avour. Ideal with cold
meats, pates or game or in a
punchy beetroot salad dressed
with apple juice and olive oil.
Pretty rosettes of lobed leaves.
The mild-avoured leaves of this
little plant are savoured in
Japanese cooking in stir-fries and
soups. Try adding to egg fried
rice too.
Very common annual weed.
Delicate textured light green
stems with tiny white star-like
owers, light avour which make
an excellent salad base or
accompaniment to chicken.

Cleavers: dandelion: broad-leaf willow horsetail:

Sticky sprawling stems with
whorls of green leaves, but their
stickiness disappears on cooking.
Steam as a fresh vegetable in its
own right or add to soups or
pasta sauces.
Rich in betacarotenes. Leaves have
a bitter taste and the owers a
bitter sweet avour. Try the owers
dipped in pancake batter and
fried, Serve with maple syrup. Use
the leaves in salads and pestos.
herb: A total annoyance to
hand weeding but the small
seedlings and new shoots look
and taste very like lambs lettuce.
Eat while still in small, tender,
glossy rosettes.
Eat young in stir-fries (well
cooked) or steam and eat like
asparagus. Avoid if you suffer any
kidney related complaints. Never
eat it raw as cooking destroys the
harmful enzyme thiaminase.

identifiCation information & good referenCe books

the forager handbook: a guide
to the edible plants of britain by Miles
Irving is an indispensable and comprehensive
reference for foragers old and new.
the thrifty forager by Alice Fowler is
a very comprehensive and inspiring
introduction to eating your weeds, wherever
you nd them.
wild food by Roger Phillips is a
fantastic photographically illustrated visual
reference from the author of this leading
identication series.
hedgerow: river Cottage
handbook no 7 by John Wright is a great
size for taking out with you and a decent
primer on the legalities of wild foods too.
www.ediblewildfood.Com is a great
quick reference website with all the common
suspects and good photographs to help you
recognise them and recipes too.
www.eattheweeds.Com is a very wide-
ranging and entertaining website, based in the
US but with loads of relevant information for
the UK weed eater.

72 | JUNE 2014 www.kitchengarden.co.uk

www.kitchengarden.co.uk JUNE 2014 | 73
GET GROWING

May the
forces
be with you
Gardening writer and keen biodynamic
gardener, Julie Moore explains the principles
behind this fascinating growing technique and
encourages us all to give it a try
 BIODYNAMICS

Julie believes that harmony and balance comes from

sowing seeds and carrying out other major tasks according
to the patterns of lunar and cosmic rhythms.

B
iodynamic gardening and farming is enjoying a
resurgence in popularity worldwide as gardeners
shun the use of chemical fertilisers and look for
environmentally sustainable ways to garden. But
what is biodynamic gardening and how did it come about?
Mankind has been farming for over 10,000 years. Our
ancestors observed the moon: its rhythms, its course in the
sky, its growth and its decline, learning the effects the
planets and zodiac constellations had on their bodies, the
oceans and their plants. Their constant watching allowed
them to determine the best time to plant and harvest crops,
raise their animals and fell timber, passing the knowledge
down through the generations.
With the birth of chemical fertilisers in the 20th century,
the principles that had served mankind so well for
millennia became lost and buried. That is until 1924 when
Austrian, Rudolf Steiner responded to the concerns of a
group of farmers about the future of agriculture under a
chemical fertiliser and pesticide regime by setting out his
own principles of biodynamics and reviving the lunar
gardening traditions. Steiners ideas were simple: to work
with the invisible energies and forces (cosmic) that exist as
well as those we can see around us (soil). Welcome to the
mysterious world of biodynamic gardening which deepens
our understanding of the life forces that underlie natures
processes enabling us to produce superior quality food free
of any toxins.

How does it work?

Steiner saw the farm as a self-contained, self-supporting
unit, producing its own manure and animal feed without
the use of chemical fertilisers or pesticides. He believed that
the energy of plants could be affected not only by human
actions and the weather, but also by the energy of the
moon, stars and planets. He concluded that sowing,
weeding, pruning and harvesting should be carried out
according to the patterns of lunar and cosmic rhythms.
Just as Steiner viewed the farm as a self-contained unit,
you too can keep your plot in balance with nature and the
cosmos by applying the same simple principles and using
biodynamic preparations.

JUNE 2014 | 75
 GET GROWING

WhAt is BiOdynAmics?
Biodynamics is essentially a sustainable and
holistic approach to gardening. Harmony and
balance comes from sowing the seed, then
watching the lifecycle of the plant from producing
owers, to setting fruit to collecting seeds.
Naturally, the biodynamic gardener is part of this
lifecycle too, planning tasks to take advantage of
the cycles of the moon as it passes through the
constellations of the zodiac.

Want to give it a try?

Its only possible to step up to biodynamic
gardening from an organic background or at least
one that respects Mother Nature. Remember,
biodynamics works with invisible forces and
energies that are incompatible with chemical
pesticides and fertilisers even the smallest slug
pellet is taboo!

thE mOOn
cAlls thE shOts
The fascination of working with unseen forces may
draw others to biodynamics. After all, we know the
inuence the moon has on the oceans in terms of
tides. Biodynamic gardeners believe therefore that
the moon inuences the movement of water through
plants: when the moon ascends,
the sap rises, becoming
concentrated in aerial parts
while sap ow concentrates
in the roots on a descending
moon. It makes us realise that
things dont happen by accident!
thE EssEntiAls tO gArdEning
BiOdynAmicAlly ArE:
Using natural compost preparations (chamomile,
dandelion, nettle, oak bark, yarrow and valerian)
which are added to the compost heap
Using cowhorn manure (BD 500) and cowhorn
silica (BD 501) to establish and enhance the
relationship between plant and cosmic forces
Using a planting calendar to carry out tasks at the
optimum time
Following
the calendar
Lets start by looking at the annual
sowing and planting calendar which
helps the biodynamic gardener plan
the optimum times to sow, transplant,
harvest and tend to crops, taking ABOVE: Extract from The
advantage of the cycles of the moon, planets, Maria Thun Biodynamic
stars and sun. Steiner and more recently, Maria Thun Calendar by Matthias
(1922 2012), a German gardener who became a leading Thun.
authority on biodynamics both concluded that there was a
direct correlation between the different parts of a plant and
the constellations of the zodiac. Based on her research, The
Maria Thun Biodynamic Calendar, published annually, is
considered a vital tool by biodynamic gardeners worldwide.
So how does the correlation arise? We know the moon
orbits the earth once every 27.3 days, ascending and
descending as it passes through the 12 constellations of the
zodiac. Every two to four days, the moon stands in a new
constellation. The constellations, biodynamic gardeners
believe, mediate their influences to the soil and plants through
the classical elements of earth, air, fire and water. The elements
in turn affect the four parts of a plant: earth influences roots, BELOW: Diagram showing
air influences flowers, fire influences fruits and seeds and water the path of the moon
influences leaves. As the moon makes its journey around the through the zodiac
earth, it influences different parts of a plant. constellations.

www.kitchengarden.co.uk
 Soil is the heart and
soul of any garden or plot.
For example, when the moon stands in front of a
constellation which has a positive effect on fruit growth
(Aries, Leo and Sagittarius), this is known as a fruit day.
Fruit plants such as strawberries, courgettes and tomatoes,
should be sown, planted, cultivated and harvested on fruit
days to ensure the healthiest plants, highest quality and
quantity and maximum storage time. The same will apply
for leaf, flower and root plants.
Its not only the constellations that have an impact on
the best times to carry out tasks; the position of the moon
in the sky also influences the optimum times for
transplanting, pruning and harvesting crops for storage.
The moon rises from its lowest point in the constellation
of Sagittarius (the Archer) to its highest point, Gemini (the
Twins) and then descends again. When the moon ascends,
the earth breathes out causing the sap in plants to rise and
the forces to become concentrated in their aerial parts.
Fruit days during the ascending moon are the perfect time
to harvest fruits for storage as the forces will be
concentrated in the fruits, thus maximising storage time.
When the moon is descending, the earth breathes in
causing the sap flow and plant forces to concentrate in the
roots. Planting, transplanting and re-potting should be
carried out during the descending moon as forces are
streaming downwards, promoting better and quicker root
growth. Its also the perfect time for pruning as the sap is
flowing downwards, you wont experience any weeping.
Root crops for storage should also be harvested on a
descending moon.
Dont get hung up about following the calendar
religiously its not the be all and end all. There are
alternatives if you miss the ideal time!
tHE iMpOrtAnCE
Of A HEAltHy sOil
Soil is the heart and soul of any garden or plot. Organic
gardeners understand the importance of soil fertility and
may improve soil structure using plant-based fertilisers
such as green manures, fertilisers made from nettles or
comfrey and animal manures.
A biodynamic gardener nurtures and builds healthy soil
that has vitality i.e. it is alive. The soil not only sequesters
up to 25% more carbon than conventional methods but
also becomes the source of food for plants, trees and micro-
organisms which in turn release oxygen back into the air
www.kitchengarden.co.uk
and not only sustain, but strengthen life cycles and The compost heap is
ecosystems, bringing true vitality back to the planet. The carefully regulated and
soil is never worked intensively even though it is capable of natural preparations
producing more its a question of balance and harmony, applied to encourage a
sustainability and productivity. Soil vitality can be balanced rotting process.
enhanced in a number of ways under a biodynamic regime.
HOME-MADE COMpOst
tHE kEy tO sOil fErtility
The compost heap is a key element in the biodynamic garden
as nutrients are recycled. In general, a compost heap is made
in one go and is completed by adding various natural
preparations which encourage a balanced rotting process to
bring harmony, stability and balance to the soil. The
preparations of chamomile, dandelion, nettle, oak bark and
yarrow are inserted into small holes in the compost heap.
Valerian is then added in liquid form, being watered over
the whole heap. The heap is then covered and left. Where a
heap is being continually added to, a different preparation,
the Barrel Preparation, which is made from carefully In cases where heaps are
fermented cow manure mixed with small amounts of basalt being continually added
meal and ground eggshells, can be added to the heap on a to, ground eggshells are
regular basis. The resulting compost is extremely potent. added in small amounts
along with basalt meal and
tHE iMpOrtAnCE fermented cow manure.
Of CrOp rOtAtiOn
Employing a crop rotation scheme is
paramount in a biodynamic garden.
This will avoid crop illness and
failure, pests and diseases while
preventing the soil from
becoming exhausted of specific
nutrients. By considering the
main part of the plant to be
JUNE 2014 | 77
 GET GROWING

harvested i.e. root, leaf, fruit or flower together with

the plant families, the best possible conditions are created
for both the soil and plant growth. For example, cabbage
needs to produce a leafy structure. The following year,
carrots can grow unhindered as they do not use the same
stem forces which were previously used by the cabbage.
Soil fertility can be further enhanced by incorporating
certain green manures into a crop rotation to increase
mineral contents. Lupins, being leguminous plants are
able to take nitrogen from the atmosphere and transfer it to
the soil while phacelia not only increases the potassium
content of the soil, it is also attractive to pollinating insects ABOVE: Phacelia increases
such as bees. the potassium content of
Following such a rotational plan ensures that crops are the soil as well as
not intensively grown and the soils fertility is respected. providing a pollen source
for predatory insects.
AnimAl AttrActionS
Two sprays, cow horn manure preparation (Preparation
500) and cow horn silica preparation (Preparation 501) RIGHT: Cow horn is used in
are indispensable in terms of biodynamic gardening. the making of some key
Preparation 500 works in the root zone, helping to biodynamic preparations.
establish a good relationship between the plant and earth
forces. If sprayed at sowing time, the plant is able to develop
roots more quickly and will have a deeper root system, thus
supplying the part of the plant above ground with more
nourishment. It also helps to increase earthworm activity
and improves moisture retention in the soil. BELOW RIGHT: Lifecycle of
Preparation 501 is active in the area of light and growth, a pumpkin watched by the
enhancing the forces emanating from the cosmos and biodynamic gardener:
constellations. As one would expect, it should be used on setting fruit.
the days corresponding to each plant type i.e. spray
cucumbers on fruit days etc. It should be first applied when Seeing the reSultS
the plants are growing strongly and then again when the More info Since starting to garden biodynamically five years ago, I
crop begins to ripen. The spray increases nutritional values Further information quickly witnessed the invisible forces at work. Immediately,
and improves the storage quality of vegetables. is available from the my germination success improved and those seedlings grew
The sprays should not be used in isolation Preparation Biodynamic into much stronger, healthier plants providing me with
501 should only be used where Preparation 500 has been Agricultural bigger yields. Likewise, pruning soft fruits, fruit trees and
previously applied. Association, vines on the appropriate days, resulted in bumper yields.
The compost preparations and sprays can be purchased Painswick Inn Ive also been able to extend the storage life of fruits and
directly from the Biodynamic Agricultural Association, Project, roots than previously under an organic regime.
contact details at the end. Gloucester Street, I believe that gardening biodynamically allows me to
When youre ready to sow, remember that biodynamic Stroud, form a better spiritual and physical connection with my
seeds are open-pollinated (F1 hybrids are not allowed), Glos GL5 1QG garden as I grow crops in tune with Mother Natures
organic and grown on biodynamic farms. These seeds www.biodynamic. rhythms. If you try it too, youll be adopting the most
can be saved and swapped and have evolved to suit the org.uk environmentally sustainable approach to gardening. May
local climate. the forces be with you and your garden!

Lupins being leguminous plants

are able to take nitrogen from
the atmosphere and transfer it
to the soil.

BIOdynAmIcs - fAcT OR fABLE?

We'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences.
Send them to: sott@mortons.co.uk

www.kitchengarden.co.uk
www.kitchengarden.co.uk JUNE 2014 | 79
 GET GROWING
Are you our most
Passionate Plotter?
Enter our competition
and win great prizes
W
e are looking for the UKs most passionate
plot holder and we are not talking lurve
for the ladies or gents here but passion for
fruit and veg growing. And now veg plots
are brimming with early crops and the promise of some
great harvests to come, it is the perfect time to take some
photographs and enter our competition. So if you love
your plot, then share it with us and other KG readers.
Simply send us a few photos of your plot and you could
win some great prizes and your plot will also be featured
in a future issue of Kitchen Garden.
Previous winners
Our winners of the 2012 competition were:-
1st
1st Ernie Whiteld of Leeds
2nd
2nd Laura Netti of London
3rd
3rd Irving Robinson of E Yorkshire
How to enter
send us:
1 photograph of yourself (preferably
taken on your plot.
Others who help you on your plot can
also be in the picture, but please state
who they are).
6 pictures of your plot (Aim for one
overall shot and then some pictures of
smaller sections of the plot or even just
one crop).
The questionnaire (page 82) lled in.
email or post your pictures and
questionnaire to us. the competiiton
will also be online at
www.kitchengarden.co.uk
YOU COULD WIN:
Pictures should either be supplied as
digital jpegs (need to be ne quality eg. set
your digital camera to take the biggest
pictures possible) or you can post
photographs on photographic paper, (not on
normal printing paper please). We regret
these cannot be returned.
If sending digital pictures you can choose
to attach them separately as jpegs to an
email or alternatively put them on a disc. We
have difculty using pictures that are pasted
direct on to a document.
Also remember to include a document
containing your answers to the questionnaire
on page 82.
Your answers can be written direct on to
an email if you prefer and please feel free to
include as much information as you wish.
1st
prize
WOrtH
595
www.kitchengarden.co.uk
 YOUR PLOT COMPETITION
take some snaps of
your plot The sponsors HarrOD HOrTiculTural
This company has been producing top
We are grateful to the sponsors of our quality garden products for 60 years and is
competition this year. innovative in bringing new designs on to
prizes HaygrOVe
the market. It offers an excellent mail
order service and as well as being
WOrTH As a commercial fruit grower it renowned for its sturdy fruit and vegetable

OVer was a natural progression for

WHaT THe juDges
are lOOkiNg fOr 1300
Simply a passion for growing so
dont worry if your plot is not perfect or
pristine; but we are looking for a plot well
loved with effort to grow a good variety of
crops and good use of the space.
WHere TO seND
email TO: erawlings@mortons.co.uk
pOsT TO: Kitchen Garden Passionate Plotter
Competition, Mortons Media Group, Media
Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR
Haygrove to move into designing
and producing a range of
commercial polytunnels to aid fruit
growing in our inclement weather. It then
took the quality design of its commercial
tunnels and adapted them to smaller
competitively priced tunnels for
gardeners. More information tel:
0845 269 6395; www.gardentunnels.co.uk
cages, arches and structures, it also sells a
huge range of other gardening sundries.
More information tel 0845 402 5300
www.harrodhorticultural.com
garDeN-mall
Garden-Mall.co.uk is one of the UKs fastest
growing online garden supplies stores,
offering over 2000 garden products from
garden furniture to propagation products.

The closing date for the competition is

September 26, 2014. Judging will commence
after this date and the winners will be
announced in the December issue.

1sT HaygrOVe
sTarTer TuNNel
This is a 2m wide by 4m wide (6ft 7in x
13ft 1in) long Haygrove Garden Tunnel.
It comes with a potting table and
widthways trellis cable that offers
support for crops such as tomatoes.
Delivered to the winner at a mainland
UK address.

2ND
2ND HarrOD Walk iN
prize
WOrTH
fruiT/Veg cage
Harrod Horticultural, which sells 500
exceptional high quality fruit/veg
cages, is offering a heavy duty
steel or aluminium walk-in cage to be
chosen by the winner. The cages comes TOp THree WiNNers
alsO receiVe a
with heavy duty side and roof netting
and a door unit. A height of 2m (6ft 7in) 3rD free 12 mONTH
gives you ample room to work and
harvest fruit or vegetables.
prize subscripTiON TO
KG yOur faVOuriTe
WOrTH
150 garDeNiNg reaD.

3rD garDeN-mall
paraseNe HigH TOp
elecTric prOpagaTOr
This Parasene electric propagator has
a strong aluminium framed top with
safety glazing. The 60 Watt propagator
is thermostatically controlled so will cut
off when the correct temperature has
been reached. Ideal for starting off
young tender veg plants.

www.kitchengarden.co.uk
 GET GROWING

Most Passionate Plotter Competition

great prizes to be won
fill in your details here
Name........................................................................................................

Address ....................................................................................................

................................................................................................................
5 Do you grow any veg in containers, if so what and how
................................................................................................................ have they been grown (compost, size of pot, feeding, how
Postcode .................................................................................................. successful and will you do it again?)
Email address .......................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................

Tel no........................................................................................................ ..................................................................................................................

(Please include your name and address. We do not publish full address details) ..................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................

Please answer the following questions. The more information you can ..................................................................................................................
give us the better, so if you prefer, feel free to use a separate sheet of ..................................................................................................................
paper for your answers.

6 How do you grow one particular named crop from sowing

1 Do you tend your plot on your own, if not who helps you?
to harvest. choose a crop and give us a brief summary of how
................................................................................................................ you grow it from start to nish with any tips you can pass on?
................................................................................................................ ................................................................................................................

2 Do you have an allotment or veg plot in your garden
(and approximate size)?
................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................

3 How long have you been growing veg?

7 Why are you passionate about your plot?
................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................
4 What variety of vegetable can you recommend to other ................................................................................................................
kitchen gardeners?
................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................ Please add any further details on a separate sheet if you wish.

Send the above together with your photographs Photocopies of the above form are permitted.
to: Kitchen Garden Passionate Plotter
Competition, Mortons Media Group, Media
We regret that photographs cannot be returned.
If I am successful and win the rst prize, the send us
your snaps!
Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR Haygrove Tunnel, I will be happy to receive this
or email your pictures and answers to and after it is erected to have it featured on the
erawlings@mortons.co.uk pages of Kitchen Garden magazine.

Disclaimers: Only tick this box if you do not wish to receive information from Mortons Media Group regarding or
relating to current offers of products or services (including discounted subscription offers) via email/post/phone
On occasion Mortons Media Group Ltd may permit third parties, that we deem to be reputable, to contact you
by email/post/phone/fax regarding information relating to current offers of products or services which we believe
may be of interest to our readers. If you do wish to receive such offers please tick this box
For full giveaway terms and conditions please visit: www.kitchengarden.co.uk

82 | JUNE 2014 www.kitchengarden.co.uk

 WHAT TO BUY

WIdE WEllIES
Have you noticed how many wellington boots on the market are designed for people with lovely slim calves?
Well, we cant all have legs like a model, but Jileon has come up with the answer a range of different-sized
wellies to t different calf sizes. There are four in the range. The generous t range has a calf size 39cm-42cm
(15-1612in). The wide t is 42-45cm (1612-18in) and the extra wide is up to 53cm (21in) calf. The company also
sells half boots that t below the calf.
The Jileon range of wellies comes in a variety of colours and designs and as well as being much more
comfortable around the leg they are well padded at the insole, making them a pleasure to wear.
Pictured are the plum wide-t calf wellies with removable strap. These are suitable for calves up
to around 46cm (18in) and having a wide top means you can also tuck your trousers in which
you cant do with most wellies. These also have a eecy lining making them really comfortable.

Price: Plum wide-t calf with strap 34.99 sizes 5-8. Mens and childrens boots are also available
as are other sizes, colours and designs. More information tel 01488 71988 www.jileon.com

GARDEN STORE
OUR ROUNDUP OF THE LATEST PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR KITCHEN GARDENERS

PAPER POTS
OOH lA lA! A FRENcH IN THE FRAME
bEAN FROM FRANcE Many of you will have
Dwarf beans are often referred to as French beans, so it seems made paper pots
appropriate that the venerable gourmet variety Johnsons has from recycled
added to its World Kitchen range of vegetable seeds for the newspapers in
2014 season was bred in France. a bid to save
Dating back to the 19th century, Fin de Bagnols is a classic, cash and help the
pencil-podded let variety, the tender, stringless pods of which environment,
are best harvested young and eaten immediately for best avour. but in the past
Johnsons says they are particularly good served steamed with you may have found
diced radishes and an olive oil and lemon dressing, which is a it to be a ddly and time-
traditional French recipe. Pods can also be left to mature and the consuming job. With the
beans shelled out as haricots, making Fin de Bagnols, a most Potta System, however, making biodegradable pots is simplicity itself.
versatile variety. The Potta System kit comprises three durable plastic frames, each
forming a grid through which rolled newspaper strips are inserted.
A heavy cropper from a May sowing, Fin de bagnols also Simply use the small-holed frame over a deep container for runner
does well in cooler soils. A packet of 50 seeds costs 1.80. beans and sweet peas, the medium frame and a shallow container for
Available from good garden centres nationwide. peas and the large frame with a medium-depth container for kitchen
herbs or pots of salad leaves.
Once you have lled a grid with rolled newspaper tubes it can be
lifted up and away from your new paper pots before lling with your
preferred compost.
Apart from being virtually free, one of the great advantages
newspaper tubes offer is that as they are bottomless the roots arent
stopped and also they arent disturbed on planting out as they grow
through the sides of the paper, too. Just plant the rootball, still
contained in its paper container, and watch your plants grow.

The Potta System kit costs 22 including p&p within the UK. For
more information or to order a pack visit www.pottasystem.co.uk
We have 10 Potta System kits to give away. To enter our
competition simply complete the entry form on page 97 or online
at www.kitchengarden.co.uk

10
to win

www.kitchengarden.co.uk
 WHAT TO BUY

CUTTING THE COST OF GARDENING

Taking cuttings is rewarding and can save you cash, but getting the watering right can be
tricky. To help overcome the challenge of keeping cuttings properly watered, Greenhouse
Sensation has developed the Hydropod cuttings propagator. This propagator sprays a mist
around the cuttings, which lowers the leaf temperature, creates a
humid atmosphere and reduces the amount of water lost from the
leaves, therefore preventing cuttings from drying out.
It also incorporates a seven-day reservoir so theres no
need to watch water levels every day, and you can go on
holiday and not worry about your cuttings.

Available in three sizes 20 plant, 40 plant and

120 plant. Price: from 54 for the 20-plant BOOST yOUR
version. Size of the 20-plant version: L46cm x
W39cm x H40cm (18x15x16in). Available from BUTTERFLIES
www.greenhousesensation.co.uk The Natures Haven range from Westland
Horticulture is designed to attract the
butteries, bees and other benecial insects
into your garden that are so important for the
wellbeing of your crops.
The new all-in-one Easy Wildowers mix,
says Westland, is the easiest way to create a
perfect wildower garden. It contains a range
of wildower seeds which quickly produce
nectar-rich owers, and comes pre-mixed with
granular compost. Simply shake the pack and
scatter the contents across a ower bed.
The Natures Haven range also includes
some special mixes available in seed packets.
These are specically formulated to attract
butteries and a range of other benecial
species. Choose from Cottage Garden Choice
RDE mix, Butteries mix or Buddleia Miss Buttery
GA mix for more butteries in your garden.
N
GREAT

B UY S

Prices range from around 2.49 for the

Buddleia Miss Buttery seed packet mix and
7.99 for the Easy Wildowers mix. All are
available from good garden centres
nationwide.

STOP THOSE SLUGS PROTECT

As our new sowings emerge, thoughts turn to & MULCH
slug and snail control. Slug and Snail Barrier from Vitaxs biodegradable
Darlac is said to offer an easy, fuss-free way to range is designed to
keep your plants safe from munching molluscs. It help protect and
forms a wall around individual plants and nurture new plants
protects them from the outside. As the slugs and and seedlings.
snails scale the sides of the barricade, they are Gardeners growing
confronted with an impenetrable row of spikes, cabbages and other brassicas will welcome
which, says Darlac, they will refuse to cross. Vitaxs Cabbage Collars a non-chemical and
Darlacs Slug and Snail Barrier can be adapted efcient barrier against cabbage root y which
to any shape or size and comes in the form of lays eggs by the base of the young plants. Vitax
green plastic panels which slot together easily Cabbage Collars come in packs of 30 (2.99).
with large spikes at the bottom for pushing into To keep your strawberry fruit clean and
the ground. Each pack contains four panels, each healthy, Vitax has added Mulch Mats to its
275mm long x 176mm high (10x7in) and once range for 2014. Also ideal for use around
slotted together form an enclosed area of 625sq lettuces, the mats keep the leaves clean and
cm (approx. 97sq in) but can be extended by protect plant roots from extreme temperatures
adding more packs. while retaining moisture. Available in a pack of
10 (4.29), the mats also act as a slug deterrent.
Darlacs Slug and Snail Barrier is 6.95 per pack and is available from garden centres
nationwide. For local stockist details, call Darlac on 01753 547790, or for information on Available nationwide. For more information
Darlacs entire range of garden tools and accessories, visit www.darlac.com. visit www.gardenworld.co.uk

84 | JUNE 2014 www.kitchengarden.co.uk

Product review
Trugs & baskets
Y
Joyce Russell looks at
stylish products designed
to carry your precious
were broad, flat baskets made from strips of wood.
home-grown fruit and veg Some modern variations still follow this pattern and
the wood-strip construction is reinforced with screws
Features: WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN PURCHASING
MATERIALS
Split wood is traditional, it looks lovely,
and trugs made in this way are surprisingly
light. They can get dirty if used a lot in the
garden, but this adds to their charm.
However, they will take a light scrubbing
from time to time.
Willow basketwork makes for a stylish
trug and there is scope for interesting
shapes. These look beautiful laden with fruit
and vegetables. They can be brushed to
remove dry soil etc.
Plastic may not be the prettiest, but it is
tough, easy to clean, cheap and very
functional.
Wire basket trugs are strong and they can
be used to rinse dirty veg under a tap; they
can also be used to store vegetables.
Galvanised metal trugs are very robust
and easy to clean.
www.kitchengarden.co.uk
ou can carry your fruit and vegetables in
from the garden in a bucket, or
cardboard box, but these are not as
beautiful as a trug. Traditionally, these
HAND-MADE
A lot of these trugs are hand-made: some
will be made to full bulk orders while others
are one-offs made by skilled craftsmen. Take
a look at whats available and choose a
pattern that suits you.
There are many small basket-making
businesses throughout the UK and Ireland. If
you go to one of these you can have a trug
made to your own requirements. Most will
use local materials and each will be unique.
However, you will usually pay more than you
would for a mass-produced one.
WEIGHT
A trug should be light enough that you can
lift it when full of vegetables, but strong
enough that it doesnt collapse when full. It
should t comfortably in your hand or on
your arm.
or flat nails traditionally copper nails were used and
still are in some instances. There are some made from
other materials too, so look for one that is attractive
enough, tough enough and the right size to meet
your needs. Once you have one, you'll find that you
won't want to be without it on your regular forays
around the garden.
COST
I was really surprised to nd how little you
have to pay to get a beautiful trug. You may
choose to pay more for something that will
last for years. On the other hand, some of
these are so low cost that you can afford to
replace them more frequently.
Suppliers
Burgon & Ball: www.burgonandball.com
Harrod Horticultural:
www.harrodhorticultural.com
Two Wests & Elliott: www.twowests.co.uk
Nutleys Kitchen Gardens:
www.nutleyskitchengardens.co.uk
Joseph Bentley: www.josephbentley.co.uk
Tinware Direct available from
www.amazon.co.uk
The Basketry, mail order:
00353(0)2766111.
JUNE 2014 | 85
 WHAT TO BUY

NATURAL WOODEN TRUG,

MEDIUM (BURGON & BALL) KG Verdict
An attractive
PRODUcT cODE: ghV/trm FEATURES: small trug ideal
hand-made from strips of shaped for kids and
wood, held in place BY solid Brass adults alike
pins. handles extend right round
PERFORMANCE
trug BodY. SIZE OF TRUG BODY: 42cm
x 22cm x 11.5cm (16inx9inx4.5in)

WEIGHT: 400g. PRIcE: 19.95
DURABILITY

a small wooden trug thats useful for
carrying tools, or when deadheading
owers. also good for harvesting berries VALUE
and small crops. a coat of varnish helps
when cleaning the trug, but it scratches
with use. the xed handle is strong,
going all the way round the body. a childs OVERALL
version is available, but this one may also
suit a child.

STAINLESS STEEL WIRE

KG Verdict HARVESTING TRUGS
A really useful (HARROD HORTIcULTURAL)
and versatile set
of attractive PRODUcT cODE: gdn-434 FEATURES: stainless
trugs steel wire mesh Bodies, wooden handles,
PERFORMANCE three sizes SIZE OF TRUG BODY: small 38cm x
27cm x16cm (15inx11inx6in), medium 42cm x
31.5cm x 18cm (17inx12inx7in), large 46cm x
33.5cm x 20cm (18x13inx8in) WEIGHT: small
DURABILITY 600g, medium 700g, large 750g. PRIcE FOR
THREE: 46.95

VALUE this set of basket trugs is really useful. You can dig
dirty roots and sloosh the dirt off before bringing
indoors; you can hang up vegetables to air-dry;
or use trugs for storing vegetables. they are
Joyces
OVERALL strong, have robust long handles that slip over choice
an arm and they look great when lled. small for everyday
use
fruits, beans etc., might slip through the holes.

LARGE GARDEN TRUG

(JOSEPH BENTLEY) KG Verdict
Large, light and
PRODUcT cODE: JBY0470 beautiful to
FEATURES: split wood trug and look at. Good for
wooden handles SIZE OF TRUG general use
BODY: 53.5cm x 32cm x 13cm
PERFORMANCE
(21inx13inx5in) WEIGHT: 400g
PRIcE: 19.99

DURABILITY
this trug is very light for its size and
has a huge capacity, but i wouldnt

want to make too heavy a demand
weight-wise. it is a really attractive VALUE
piece and theres no point pushing
the boundaries, so use it for lighter
vegetables, fruit, owers etc., and for
carrying hand tools and string around OVERALL
the garden. or sit it in the corner of
the kitchen piled with fruit.

86 | JUNE 2014 www.kitchengarden.co.uk

 TRIED & TESTED

soPhie conran
galvanised trug KG Verdict
(Burgon & Ball) Functional,
tough and looks
Product code: gsc/trug Features: great too
handmade, galvanised and aged
steel body, beech wood handle. PERFORMANCE
siZe oF trug Body: 21.5cm x 33.5cm
x 8.5cm (8inx13inx3in) weight: 500g

Price: 19.95
DURABILITY

a lovely piece of design if not quite what
we usually think of as a trug. its small but
perfect for carrying handtools, plants, or VALUE
taking cups of tea out to the garden
gang. its well made, very strong and
puts up with a lot of punishment. this
trug can be left outdoors with few ill OVERALL
effects and rinses clean under the tap
when needed.

traditional garden
KG Verdict trug Joyces
A delight to look (harrod horticultural) choice
at and a delight for classic
to use Product code: gcg-125 Features: beauty
hand crafted from cricket bat
PERFORMANCE willow with chestnut handle and
frame. steel and copper fixings.
siZe oF trug Body: 50cm x 27cm x
11cm (20inx11inx4in) weight: 700g
DURABILITY Price: 54.95

this is a beautifully crafted, traditional sussex
VALUE trug. it is sturdy and well made with the strips
of wood trimmed to a neat t. there is
something pleasing about the use of copper
tacks and the bent wood handle is very
OVERALL comfortable to hold. strong enough to carry a
good weight of vegetables, but you might be
reluctant to dirty the lovely pale willow wood.

medium rustic
willow trug KG Verdict
(nutleys kitchen gardens) Lovely, functional
basket for indoor
Features: hand crafted basket, or outdoor use
woven from fresh green willow.
handle and stand from one PERFORMANCE
willow piece. siZe oF trug Body:
44cm x 29cm x 15cm (17inx11inx6in)

weight: 500g Price: 19.30
DURABILITY

a beautiful hand-made basket that looks
great on the dresser or kitchen worktop.
its a delight to harvest produce into VALUE
something attractive and this one ticks
most of the boxes. avoid using for dirty
vegetables or ones that might squash
between the strands. its great for picking OVERALL
apples, beans, peas etc., and it will nd a
host of other uses in most homes.

www.kitchengarden.co.uk JUNE 2014 | 87

 WHAT TO BUY

the WOburn naturaL

Large trug basket KG Verdict
(tinWare Direct Light, pretty and
FrOm amaZOn) a snip at the
price
Features: sPlit wood trug with
wooden handles siZe OF trug
bODy: 29cm x 41cm x 8cm PERFORMANCE
(11inx16inx3in) Weight: 200g
Price: 9.75

DURABILITY
a really light and simple trug. it looks
pretty, holds plenty of peas, beans,
tomatoes etc., and the handles fold VALUE
down for storage or if you want to
display what youve picked in the
home. it isnt the strongest, but it is a
good price and is suitable for light use. OVERALL
Perfect for making a gift hamper of
garden produce.

garDeners trug
KG Verdict (tWO Wests & eLLiOtt)
Cheap, strong
and very PrODuct cODe: sPgtr
Joyces
functional Features: durable green choice
Plastic siZe OF trug bODy: for durability
and value
53cm x 30cm x 13cm
PERFORMANCE (21inx12inx5in) Weight: 300g
Price: 6.45

DURABILITY this trug is simple, strong and great

value, if not the prettiest in the
bunch. it has a good at shape for
VALUE harvesting into and is really light for
its size. it holds a lot, is easy to
rinse clean, and it wont take any
harm if left outdoors. thats a lot to
OVERALL recommend it if you arent looking
for a display piece for the house.
and who can complain at the price?

harvesting basket
trug (the basketry) KG Verdict
A beautiful and
Features: homegrown willow balanced piece
basket with multi-strand of work
hand and arm handles. siZe
OF trug bODy: 45cm x 26.5cm x PERFORMANCE
12cm (18inx10inx5in) Weight:
400g Price: 33

DURABILITY
this is a real beauty with an unusual
handle design. theres plenty of

skilled detail that makes it a lovely
piece of craftsmanship. it ages VALUE
gracefully if left outdoors, but, as
with all woven baskets, its best to
keep it dry and clean if possible. the
willow is grown, and woven into OVERALL
baskets, in the south west of ireland
by martin & Yvonne oFlynn.

88 | JUNE 2014 www.kitchengarden.co.uk

The LEquip FilterPro Food Dryer
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The L'Equip FilterPro is the only food dehydrator with clean air drying technology

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 WHAT TO BUY

GROWING GUIDES
WEBSITES AND BLOGS FOR ALLOTMENT GARDENERS BY HELEN GAZELEY

Open Garden
Squares Weekend
www.opensquares.org
The annual Open Garden Squares Weekend, when
squares and gardens across over 25 London boroughs
are open to the public, takes place on June 14-15. The
aim since it began in 1998 is to increase knowledge
and appreciation of Londons green space network. It
also gives you the chance to nose around private
gardens and a wide range of veg-growing spaces that
you wouldnt normally see, such as the gardens at HM
Prison Holloway, The Diversity Garden, Elephant and
Castle, with edible hedging, and the productive
Abbey Gardens, E15, designed by artists.
New this year is The Growing Kitchen, a resident-
led community garden in Hoxton, now with 35
micro-allotments, fruit, herbs and foraging areas. (See
page 42 for more on the Open Gardens Weekend.) Cranbrook Community Food Garden, Bethnal Green.

Suttons Seeds
www.suttons.co.uk
Theres just time this year to get your children
interested in gardening with the seed kit, Grow
Your Own Lunch, which comes in its own little
lunch box, packed with things to do as well as
the seeds to sow. Vegetables include tomato,
pepper, lettuce and cress, with the propagator,
pots and compost for growing them, as well as
wallcharts, card game, notebook and crayons.
Suttons has also produced a variety of mini
propagator trays of sprouting seeds and micro- Grow Dixter
greens that can be sown at any time of year.
This could be the summer to get your children
Vegetable Garden
into growing the veg they eat. http://dixtervegetablegarden.
wordpress.com
A peek at the Vegetable Garden blog from
Great Dixter, East Sussex, home of the late
Christopher Lloyd, is guaranteed to generate
Growveg on YouTube a bit of veg envy. The heavy clay soil has had
www.youtube.com/user/GrowVeg compost added for over a hundred years, so
Growveg, the veg-plot planning software company, has been it couldnt be better and many of the
adding to the useful growing information on its website for vegetables that Lloyd grew are still grown, as
years. It is now building up a library of short videos, dealing with they thrive in it. Aaron Bertelsen has been in
everything from Common Garden Planning Mistakes to How to charge of veg-growing for the last three
Use Raised Beds and Crop Rotation. The videos feature years and delights in getting feedback. He
producer and presenter Wayne Trevor who trained in says its often men from the North who
horticulture at Capel Manor. Each video lasts around ve have grown vegetables for a very long time
minutes and is carefully scripted to ensure as much information who are a great help with crop problems.
is imparted as possible in the clips. You will also pick up tips on From the North or not, if you have any
Wayne Trevor
how to make best use of its planning software. advice on growing, then Aaron would love
you to comment on his blog.

WHY NOT LOG ON TO WWW.KITCHENGARDEN.CO.UK

90 | JUNE 2014 www.kitchengarden.co.uk

 KG website forum
Join our friendly forum and nd lots of growing tips. Go
HELp WITH
SOWInG
pARSLEY
I never have much luck getting
parsley to germinate although I
sow some pots of it every year.
Does it really help pouring
boiling water in the seed drill
before sowing or is this just an
urban myth?
Primrose, Bucks
I sow at-leaf parsley in a
half seed tray in a heated
propagator in spring; through in
10 days.
Alan Refail, NW Wales
Lets tALK VeG
HERE ARE A FEW TIPS & IDEAS FROM THE KG INTERNET COMMUNITY
Kitchen Garden
reader poll
Here are the results of the latest reader
poll posted on our website.
WHERE WILL YOU GROW
YOUR TOMATOES THIS YEAR?
Outside in the ground 15%
In the ground in
greenhouse/polytunnel 21%
In the growing bag/containers in the
greenhouse/polytunnel 40%
In growing bags/containers on the
patio 20%
I dont grow tomatoes 4%
FOLLOW US AT FACEBOOK.COM/KITCHENGARDENMAG
www.kitchengarden.co.uk
to www.kitchengarden.co.uk
I had a supermarket
plant that I kept and
let go to seed. I
used to collect the
seedheads to sow
each year but it was
pretty erratic from
seed, so now I just
keep an eye out for
little seedlings
around the base and
dig these up when
quite tiny and
transplant them. I
rarely get failures
unless I nd them
when a little too large, then they
sulk when transplanted and
generally bolt early.
Westi, Dorset
I soak the
seeds in a saucer
of water for a couple
of days before
Ive only recently heard of
the boiling water technique. I
sowing. Once or
twice a day I replace
may give it a try as Ive not
found a way of consistently
the water as it germinating parsley
becomes yellow. successfully. I once sowed it in
Then I sow in the autumn, in early October, and
normal way and got masses of parsley plants
germination is usually from seed which I simply
good. I suspect that broadcast. I think this simulates
the seeds may have plants self-seeding. My mothers
something in their parsley has kept
outer layers to going by self-seeding for
inhibit germination years. I cant help thinking
and that soaking removes this that the freshness of the seed
just an idea, dont know if there is also important, but no proof
is any truth in it! of this.
John, W Glos FelixLeiter, E Yorks
TIp fOR
GROWInG pEAS
I start them off in toilet roll inserts,
when they are planted out they dont
get root damage.
Rab Ramage
JUNE 2014 | 91
 WHAT TO BUY
GIveAWAYS
TO ENTER OUR GIVEAWAYS SEE PAGE 104 OR VISIT THE KG WEBSITE
BRInG ThE WEBER MASTERTOuCh TO BARBECuES
Kitchen Garden has teamed up with Weber,
the worlds number one barbecue brand, to
offer one lucky KG reader a chance to win a
funky Spring Green MasterTouch barbecue,
plus two amazing Gourmet Barbecue System
accessories, the Pizza Stone and Wok.
The MasterTouch with GBS Grate makes it
easy to cook in so many different ways.
Open up a world of culinary
opportunity with the unique Gourmet
BBQ System Grate, which allows
the use of a range of
interchangeable cooking
implements. Simply remove the 30cm
(12in) hinged grate in the centre of the
grill and replace it with a choice of
accessories.
The GBS Wok is perfect for a
taste of the Orient and much
more, and the GBS Pizza Stone
will turn out an authentic Italian
TO ENTER GO TO WWW.KITChEnGARdEn.CO.uK/COMPETITIOnS
92 | JUNE 2014
Worth
over
1729
4 TAKE GARdEnInG uP A lEVEl!
TO GIVE VegTrug, the original self-contained raised vegetable planter, is designed to
AWAY
combine practicality with style. Made from 100% sustainable FSC plantation-
grown cedar, its comfortable working height ensures easy access for the
gardener, and its unique V-shaped design provides sufcient soil depth for root
crops such as potatoes and carrots.
To address the difculties faced by would-be gardeners with limited space, the
original cedar VegTrug is now available in three sizes: medium, small and mini.
Their compact size makes them ideal for terraces or balconies and the design
ensures the surrounding area stays neat and clean, plus they maximise growing
space while also providing an attractive garden feature. VegTrugs are now
something of a style statement, which has made them extremely popular with
novice, casual and city gardeners.
Their stylish, fun appearance also makes VegTrugs popular with parents. One
of the best ways to get children to eat their greens is to help them grow their
own, and the Mini VegTrug can be used to encourage children to develop a
healthy relationship with vegetables by providing the perfect platform for
teaching them how crops are grown.
VegTrugs are also specially designed to offer a practical solution to the age-old
gardening problems of aching joints and bad backs by providing an easy working
height which eliminates the need for kneeling or bending. Their unique shape
also helps to ensure ease of access for elderly or disabled users.
Original cedar VegTrugs range from 89.99 for the mini to 159.99 for the
medium. A list of stockists can be found at www.VegTrug.com where you can also
buy online.
We have four Small VegTrugs worth 109.99 to give away.
pizza in just minutes. Also available with the
range are the GBS Poultry Roaster, the GBS
Griddle and the GBS Sear Grate. 1
TO GIVE
The stand-out clever design of the AWAY
MasterTouch is based on the original kettle
barbecue, with the added feature that the lid,
which is central to the Weber way to barbecue,
slides neatly into the Tuck-Away lid holder. It
is available in a range of stylish colours
including Spring Green, Smoke,
Crimson and Black.
Plan a summer of awless
barbecue feasts with the
MasterTouch. For details on the full
range of Weber products, visit
www.weberbbq.co.uk
We have one MasterTouch, complete
with GBS Wok and GBS Pizza
Stone, worth a total of 349.97, to
give away.

BuIldInG ShOW nOW EVEn BIGGER
For the rst time, Britains largest
homebuilding, renovating and home
improvement shows are joining forces to
attract both self-builders and remodelers.
The inaugural Southern Homebuilding and
Renovating and Home Improvement Show
will take place at Sandown Park, Surrey
from June 28 to 29 and will cater for all
projects, tastes and budgets. This years
event will host more than 150 exhibitors, free
seminars and masterclasses and a wide range
of property experts.
For in-depth information on all aspects of
homebuilding and improvement including
design, self-build, extensions, remodeling,
landscaping, nance, budgeting and legal
issues, there will be seminars and
15
PAIRS OF
TICKETS
TO GIVE
AWAY
OnE-STOP FEEd ShOP
If youve ever wondered whether professional
fertilisers might give your plants or lawn a
boost, heres your chance to nd out.
Solufeed, supplier of specialist fertilisers to
the professional grower since 1946, offers a
carefully selected range of fertiliser products
online. The Solufeed horticulture shop at
www.shop.solufeed.co.uk is tailored to the
needs of serious amateur gardeners and
other smaller-scale users requiring top-quality
fertilisers in convenient pack sizes and at
great value for money. Solufeed offers a wide
range of fertilisers and other products, all for
delivery direct from the factory.
Soil Association-approved organics are
a Solufeed speciality, with formulations
to suit most needs. For example, NPK 7:7:10
(20.50 plus 7.95 P&P for 10kg) is a
Soil Association-approved potassium-rich
general-purpose organic fertiliser. Its
high organic matter content improves
soil structure and health.
OR YOU CAN FILL IN YOUR DETAILS ON THE GIVEAWAYS FORM PAGE 97
www.kitchengarden.co.uk
GIVEAWAYS
GREEn-FInGEREd
masterclasses hosted by professional
companies and celebrity experts.
FIxES TAPEd uP
The Advice Centre will be open to discuss Weve teamed up
project plans and nd solutions to problems, with Duck Tape
and individual advice will be available from a to offer a
range of experts from the Homebuilding & selection of
Renovating magazine team. Tricks of the premier-quality
Trade presentations by DIY Doctor Mike tapes to help
Edwards will provide all the know-how on with thousands
essential skills. of DIY jobs
Standard tickets are 8 in advance or 12 on around the garden
the door (under-16s go free). For more and home this summer.
information visit www.homebuildingshow.co.uk New Green Duck Tape is perfect for
or call the ticket hotline on 0871 2301086. discreet on-the-spot gardening and DIY
xes. Its ideal for making minor plant
We have 15 pairs of tickets worth 24 per repairs, afxing stakes to trees or
pair to give away. supporting trees, shrubs and fencing. It
can be used to reattach broken tool
handles and, when summer is over, its
perfect for winter-proong garden
equipment and securing covers to patio
furniture and barbeques.
Our prize package also includes a roll
of Ultimate Duck Tape, the companys
toughest multipurpose cloth tape.
Waterproof and temperature-resistant,
Duck Tape will stick to almost any
surface, providing a secure, long-lasting
hold. The rst aid kit on a roll, Duck
Tape is a must-have for every garden
shed and kitchen drawer.
Green Duck Tape and Ultimate Duck
Tape retail at 4.99 and 8.49 respectively
and are available from B&Q, Homebase
and all good hardware stores. For more
information visit www.ducktape.co.uk
We have 16 prize packages of two
rolls of Green duck Tape and a roll of
ultimate duck Tape, worth a total of
10
18.47, to give away.
16
Solufeed
7:7:10 is ideal PACKS
for all outdoor TO GIVE
AWAY PACKAGES
vegetables, ower TO GIVE
AWAY
borders and fruit
crops, and is
recommended
for lawns because
the organic
formulation offers
a reduced risk
of scorch
compared to
conventional
fertilisers. 7:7:10
is also recommended for addition
to peat-based potting composts.
For more details or to order, go to
www.shop.solufeed.co.uk
We have 10 10kg packs of 7:7:10 Organic
Fertiliser worth 28.45 to give away.
JUNE 2014 | 93
 WHat to BuY
READER OFFERS
EXCLUSIVE SAVINGS TO GET YOUR SEASON OFF TO A GREAT START
Free
*
For everY reaDer
DWARF
ORANGE TREE
* You paY just 5.60 p&p
this beautiful little calamondin orange
tree will be a great addition to the
patio, conservatory or even the kitchen
windowsill. It will ower and fruit for
most of the year in the right conditions.
as well as being highly decorative, it
produces small, aromatic, bright,
orange-red fruits which have an acidic
lime-orange avour. although it can be
eaten raw, this sharp avour makes
them aligned more with limes, for
which it can be used as a substitute.
It is relatively drought tolerant and
cold hardy and provides colour with its
dark, evergreen leaves and its sweetly
fragrant blossoms. It is, however, when
the calamondin bears fruit that it is at
its most stunning. supplied
in a 9cm (3in) pot
worth
12.95
GET THESE GREAT OFFERS AND MANY MORE ONLINE:
94 | JUNE 2014
Patio LeMoN
Save
Save uP to 26
The perfect accompaniment for your
3 thiS MoNth
calamondin orange, lemon Citreon has
been bred and grown in Northern
Europe, so is suited to our conditions and
can be grown outside in sheltered areas.
They make great container subjects and
may even be suitable for growing in the
open ground in sunny aspects.
We have carefully selected lemon Citreon
for its reliability and impressive cropping
potential. It is a lovely variety and, once
established, will yield large yellow fruits on
glossy green foliage to add some zest to
gin and tonics. Expect it to crop in two to
three years. Supplied in a 9cm (3in) pot.
our offer: one plant 9.95,
a saving of 3 on the rrP of 12.95.
Kiwi arguta iSSi
Issi produces small kiwis, no bigger than
the size of a grape, that can be eaten
whole no need to scoop out the esh.
Packed with more vitamin C than an
equivalent amount of orange, the bright
green esh of the kiwi fruit speckled with
tiny black seeds is extremely sweet and
tasty great on their own or to add a
tropical twist to fruit salads.
Kiwi fruits are vigorous climbers and can
easily reach a great height, although they
are best trained on horizontal wires on a
Save warm wall and pruned to keep in check. It
3 will establish rapidly to produce a crop
within a couple of years plus Issi is self-
fertile which means that you only need the
one plant. Supplied in a 9cm (3in) pot.
Patio Pear NaShi
Also known as the Asian pear, it has the our offer: one potted plant 9.95
shape of an apple, but the texture and
avour of a pear. Bite into its esh and
youll be surprised at just how heavy with
sweet, tasty juice this pear can be. Its a real
pleasure whether eaten on its own or when
added to a fruit salad bowl. The white
blossom, with tinges of green, is very
attractive and the fruits ready for picking in
October. Well worth growing and a real
treat. Supplied in a 2ltr container.
our offer: one potted plant - 31.95
www.kitchengarden.co.uk
 READER OFFERS

SeCoNd CroppiNg
potatoeS hoW to order
Call the credit card and debit card order
Enjoy delicious new potatoes from your
hotline on 0844 770 4654 quoting
garden with second cropping spuds. These KG14JUN (open 8am to 8pm, seven
specially selected tubers are put into days a week). Only orders above 10 by
temperature controlled storage to keep them phone please.
dormant until the middle of summer so that Or send a cheque made payable to
they can be planted in late July and August thus Carlingford D. T. Brown Seeds to Kitchen Garden June
Offers (KG14JUN), D. T. Brown Seeds,
giving you a late crop. They are ready in two
Rookery Farm, Holbeach St Johns,
months from planting, but crops can then be Spalding PE12 8SG.
left in the soil until you want them they can All plants will be despatched within 28
even be used for fresh, home-grown spuds for days of order. Offers are subject to
Christmas lunch! availability. Delivery to UK mainland only.
Buy 10 tubers each of of Carlingford, the
original late cropping potato, and the nutty-
Qty oFFer PRICE SUBTOTAL
avoured salad potato Nicola.
Delivery from July 2014.
FREE* Citrus 5.60
1
Nicola calamondin p&p
our offer: 20 tubers, 10 of each 9.90
Citrus lemon
Citreon one plant 9.95
Save 3
Kiwi arguta Issi
9.95
1 plant

Save grape viNeS Patio pear

4
Nashi one 31.95
Vines provide great decoration and can plant Save 3
easily be trained to trail ostentatiously over Grape Boskoop
15.95
a pergola to provide some summer shade, Glory one plant
or over a fence or wall. Our increasingly Grape Phoenix
15.95
warm summers also mean that vines now one plant
prove to be extremely productive and Buy both Grapes
everybody can now enjoy gorgeous home- two plants 27.90
Save 4
grown fruits. Choose from either:
phoeNix a robust, disease resistant Raspberry Glen
12.95
phoenix Coe 1 plant
variety that gives a heavy crop of golden
Raspberry Glen
green grapes with a marked Muscat avour. Coe 3 plants 29.85
Ready for harvesting from October. Save 9
BoSkoop glory an old very Second cropping
potato Nicola &
reliable and almost seedless black grape Carlingford 10
9.90
which has a wonderfully sweet avour. It is tubers of each
also well worth growing for its glorious
autumn foliage. Although, it is completely total
hardy, it is also a good choice for growing
in a conservatory or greenhouse. I enclose my cheque payable to: D T Brown OR
please debit my Mastercard/Visa account
Both supplied in 2ltr containers (delete as applicable).

Please fill in Card No below.

Boskoop glory our offer: one potted plant 15.95,
save 4 when you buy both for 27.90.

Expiry Date

raSpBerry gleN Coe Security No: (Last 3 digits on the back of card)

Try something a little different this season. This

Signature
vigorous oricane variety produces high yields
and one plant will form a multi-stemmed
clump. The mid-season fruit typically weigh 3g
are rm and round with an intense avour and Name
richly coloured. A good garden variety Address
showing resistance to wilt disease, and the Save
fruits are very tasty eaten fresh or cooked.
Supplied in a 2ltr container.
9
Postcode
our offer: one potted plant 12.95 or buy
three plants for just 9.95 each and Save 9 Telephone

Email Address

WWW.kitCheNgardeNShop.Co.Uk Tick if you do not wish to receive further product information

from D T Brown. Offers are subject to availability.

www.kitchengarden.co.uk JUNE 2014 | 95

 GET GROWING
DIARY DATES
SHOWS, TOURS AND COURSES: THERE IS SO MUCH TO SEE AND DO THIS MONTH
garden ShowS
and feStivalS
Secret garden Sunday June 1 &
July 6. RHS Lindley Hall, Vincent
Square, London SW1. Local food
and grow-your-own stalls, advice,
workshops; 10am-4pm.
www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events
the garden Show June 6-8.
Stansted Park, Rowlands Castle,
Hampshire. Includes veg and herb
growing workshops; 10am-5pm.
01243 538456
www.thegardenshowonline.com
BBc gardenerS world live
June 11-15. National Exhibition
Centre, Birmingham. Includes new
Kitchen Garden Talks tent; 9am-
6pm. 0844 581 1340
www.bbcgardenersworldlive.com
duBlin garden feStival June
13-15. Christ Church Cathedral,
Dublin, Ireland. Spectacular oral
displays and expert talks inside
the cathedral plus horticultural
displays, Irish food produce, urban
gardens, craft demonstrations, live
entertainment and more outside.
More information
http://dublingardenfestival.ie/
StrawBerry fair June 15.
Brogdale Farm, Faversham, Kent.
Enjoy the rst fruits of the season
tours of the National Fruit
Collection orchards, expert
advice; 10am-5pm. 01795 536250
www.brogdalecollections.co.uk
Taste the rst fruits of the season at Brogdales Strawberry Fair (June 15).
96 | JUNE 2014
Join a tour of Harlow Carrs beautiful kitchen garden and new greenhouse (June 18).
talKS, tourS
& open dayS
eaSt malling tour June 6 or 27,
July 4 or 25. East Malling
Research Centre, Kent. Behind the
scenes of the fruit research centre,
focusing on pests and diseases.
Book on 01732 523781
www.theorchardseastmalling.co.uk
SeedS of italy preServing day
June 7. Seeds of Italy, Rosslyn
Crescent, Harrow, Middlesex.
Advice and demonstrations,
9.30am-3pm. 02084 275020
www.seedsotaly.com
london open garden
SquareS weeKend June 14-15.
Over 200 gardens open
over 25 London boroughs,
including many allotments and
fruit and veg plots.
www.opensquares.org
digging for victory June 16.
Scampston Hall Walled Garden,
Malton, North Yorks. How
Englands gardeners fought the
Second World War talk by
Ursula Buchan and garden tour;
7-8.30pm. Book on 0845 6121253
www.rhs.org.uk
www.jekkasherbfarm.com
Kitchen garden tour
June 18. RHS Garden Harlow
Carr, Harrogate, Yorkshire.
Tour and talk about the
garden and new glasshouse;
10.30am-12pm. Book on
0845 6121253 www.rhs.org.uk/
harlowcarr
BeeS, chicKenS and
other courSeS
Keeping chicKenS June 2. RHS
Garden Harlow Carr, Harrogate,
Yorkshire. Essentials for beginners;
10am-1pm. Book on 0845 6121253
www.rhs.org.uk/harlowcarr
compoSt magic June 5. Ryton
Gardens, Coventry, Warwickshire.
Composting for beginners, 2-
4.30pm. Book on 02476 308210
www.gardenorganic.org.uk
BeeKeeping June 6 or 12. River
Cottage HQ, Park Farm, near
Axminster, Devon. Complete
introductory course, theory and
practice; 10am-5pm. Book on
01297 630300,
www.rivercottage.net
culinary herBS and their
digeStive propertieS June 14.
Jekkas Herb Farm, Rose Cottage,
Shellards Lane, Alveston, Bristol.
Practical masterclass with Jekka
McVicar, 10am-4.30pm. Book on
01454 418878
www.kitchengarden.co.uk

vegetaBle growing
courses
no-dig gardening June 4 or
July 12. Alhampton, Shepton
Mallet, Somerset. Vegetable and
fruit growing with Charles
Dowding, 10.30am-4pm. Book on
01749 860292
www.charlesdowding.co.uk
manage your soil June 5. Ryton
Gardens, Coventry, Warwickshire.
The key to growing healthy crops,
10am-1pm. Book on 02476 308210
www.gardenorganic.org.uk
grow your own vegetaBles
June 5. Hyde Hall, Rettendon,
Chelmsford, Essex. Seasonal
session on harvesting, watering,
pests and diseases etc. 11am-
1pm. Book on 0845 6121253
www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/hyde-hall
vegetaBle growing June 7.
Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire.
Learn all the principles with
Tattons gardeners, 10am-3pm.
Book on 01625 374428
www.tattonpark.org.uk
Fruit growing
getting started with soFt
Fruit June 11. RHS Garden
Wisley, Woking, Surrey. Choice,
planting and care of different soft
fruits, 10.30-12.30pm. Book on
0845 6121253
www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley
care oF soFt Fruit June 18. RHS
Garden Rosemoor, Great
Torrington, Devon. Summer
pruning and training of currants
and gooseberries, 11am-12.30pm.
Book on 0845 6121253,
www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor
Matthew Biggs will be hosting the
Kitchen Garden Talks Tent at
Gardeners World Live (June 11-15).
www.kitchengarden.co.uk
OUT & ABOUT
the productive greenhouse in
summer June 7. RHS Garden
Wisley, Woking, Surrey. Growing
KG June giveaways
salads, fruit and veg under cover; simply fill in the details below and return to us at:
10am-1pm. 0845 6121253 Kitchen Garden June-14 Giveaways, Mortons Media Group
www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ. You can
growing vegetaBles under also enter online for free at: www.kitchengarden.co.uk
cover July 17. RHS Garden Closing date for entries Friday, June 6, 2014
Rosemoor, Great Torrington,
Devon. Seasonal cropping in Name
greenhouses and polytunnels, Address
11am-12.30pm. Book on 0845
6121253 www.rhs.org.uk/
gardens/rosemoor Postcode
designing kitchen gardens Telephone
June 21. RHS Garden Wisley,
Email Address
Woking, Surrey. Creative and
practical solutions, 10.30am- to enter: Once you have supplied your details, cut out and
12.30pm. Book on 0845 6121253 send this coupon to the address above and you will
www.rhs.co.uk/gardens/wisley automatically be entered into the following competitions:
vegetaBle growing summer Paper pots in the frame (p83) .... Building show now even bigger
school July 21-24. RHS Garden ............................................... (p93) ........................................
Harlow Carr, Harrogate, Yorkshire.
Bring the Weber MasterTouch to Green-ngered xes taped up
Talks, tours and practical activities, barbecues (p92) ....................... (p93) .........................................
10am-4pm. Book on 0845
6121253 www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/ One-stop feed shop (p93) .......... Take gardening up a level (p92)
.................................................. ..................................................
harlow-carr
DiscLAiMers:
Only tick this box if you do not wish to receive information from Mortons Media Group regarding or relating
to current offers of products or services (including discounted subscription offers) via email/post/phone
Fruit For containers & small
On occasion Mortons Media Group Ltd may permit third parties, that we deem to be reputable, to contact
you by email/post/phone/fax regarding information relating to current offers of products or services which
spaces June 21. RHS Garden we believe may be of interest to our readers. If you wish to receive such offers please tick this box.
Harlow Carr, Harrogate, Yorkshire. For full giveaway terms and conditions please visit: www.kitchengarden.co.uk
Illustrated talk, 10am-12noon.
Book on 0845 6121253 www.rhs.
org.uk/gardens/harlow-carr
orchard design June 21. cONTAcT seeD cOMPANies
Brogdale Farm, Faversham, Kent. chiLTerN seeDs MOreveG siMPsONs seeDs
Theory, orchard tour, eld tel 01491 824675 tel 01823 681302 tel 01985 845004
www.chilternseeds.co.uk www.moreveg.co.uk simpsonsseeds.co.uk
exercises; 10am-4pm. Book on
DT BrOWN & cO NicKys NUrsery sUFFOLK herBs
01795 536250 www.brogdale tel 0845 371 0532 tel 01843 600972 tel 01376 572456
collections.co.uk www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk www.nickys-nursery.co.uk www.suffolkherbs.com
Budding and graFting June 25. sAMUeL DOBie AND sON The OrGANic sUTTONs
tel 0844 701 7625 GArDeNiNG cATALOGUe tel 0844 922 0606
RHS Garden Wisley, Woking, www.dobies.co.uk tel 01932 253666, www.suttons.co.uk
Surrey. Techniques and aftercare www.organiccatalogue.com
ThOMAs eTTy TAMAr OrGANics
for fruit and ornamentals, 10.30am- tel 01460 298249 PLANTsByPOsT.cOM
tel 01579 371098
www.thomasetty.co.uk tel 0115 727 0606 sales@tamarorganics.
1pm. Book on 0845 6121253 co.uk
Mr. FOTherGiLLs seeDs The reAL seeD
www.rhs.co.uk/gardens/wisley tel 0845 371 0518 cATALOGUe TerWiNs seeDs
summer Fruit pruning July 11, www.mr-fothergills.co.uk (Vida Verde) tel 01284 828255
tel 01239 821107 www.terwinseeds.co.uk
14 or 16. Bradbourne House, East The herBAry www.realseeds.co.uk
tel 01985 844442
Malling, Kent. Half day practical www.beansandherbs.co.uk W rOBiNsON & sON LTD
ThOMPsON
& MOrGAN
workshop organized by East tel 01524 791210 tel 0844 573 1818
heriTAGe seeD LiBrAry www.mammothonion. www.thompson-
Malling Research. Book on 01732 tel 02476 303517 co.uk morgan.com
www.gardenorganic.
523755 www.emr.ac.uk org.uk seeDs-By-size eDWiN TUcKer
summer Fruit pruning July19. tel 01442 260237 & sONs LTD
JeKKAs herB FArM www.seeds-by-size.co.uk tel 01364 652233
RHS Garden Wisley, Woking, tel 01454 418878 www.edwintucker.com
www.jekkasherbfarm.com seeDs OF iTALy
Surrey. Pruning fruit trees and tel 0208 427 5020 UNWiNs seeDs
bushes for maximum productivity, eW KiNG & cO www.seedsofitaly.com tel 0844 573 8400
tel 01376 570000 www.unwins.co.uk
talk and demonstrations; 10.30am- www.kingsseeds.com seLecT seeDs
tel 01246 826011
1pm. Book on 0845 6121253, se MArshALL & cO www.selectseeds.co.uk
WALLis seeDs
tel 01245 360413
www.rhs.co.uk/gardens/wisley tel 0844 557 6700 www.wallis-seeds.co.uk
www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk sheLLey seeDs
tel 01244 317165 vicTOriANA
MeDWyNs seeDs NUrsery GArDeNs
tel 01248 714851 siMPLy veGeTABLes tel 01233 740529
www.medwynsof tel 01449 721720 www.victoriananursery.
anglesey.co.uk plantsofdistinction.co.uk co.uk
PLEASE NOTE
We have made every eort to ensure
these details are correct at the time of
going to press, but recommend you suBscriBe to KITCHEN GARDEN page 30
check with organisers before travelling.
JUNE 2014 | 97
GET COOKING

A taste of
Summer This month Anna Pettigrew and Gaby
Bartai pluck fresh salad leaves and sun
ripened strawberries from their plots to
create some delicious summer time treats
 SEASONAL RECIPES

Roasted cherry tomato

and aubergine
bruschetta with rocket
Its hard to beat freshly picking your own
salad leaves, and rocket is at the top of the
list for avour and bite. Added to warm and
juicy bruschetta, it gives a lovely fresh
pepper punch.

Serves 4 as a starter
250g (9oz) cherry tomatoes, halved
6tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp oregano
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large aubergine, sliced into 1cm
thick rounds
2 handfuls rocket leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
30g (1oz) Parmigiano cheese,
shaved into akes
1-2 small ciabatta bread

1. Pre-heat the oven to 150C/fan 140C.

2. Place the halved tomatoes in a roasting
dish, drizzle with 2tbsp olive oil, oregano,
sugar, salt and pepper, and roast for one hour.
3. Meanwhile, combine the remaining oil and
crushed garlic and coat the sliced
aubergines. Set aside.
4. Once the tomatoes are almost cooked,
heat a large pan over a medium heat, and
grill the aubergines for 5-10 minutes until
soft and cooked through.
5. Slice the bread and brush with a little olive
oil and grill for a minute or two on each side
until slightly golden.
6. Now assemble the bruschetta by layering
up the aubergine, tomatoes, rocket and
Parmigiano akes. Serve warm.
Warm salad of rocket, beetroot,
sweet potato and feta
The sweet avours of beetroot and sweet potato just scream to be paired with the strong
pepper avours of rocket. Serve this warm salad as a healthy weekend lunch, or as a side
dish for a bigger spread.
Serves 4 1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C/fan 170C.
4 handfuls of rocket 2. Roughly chop the peeled sweet potato and beetroot,
4 small beetroot, peeled and place in a roasting dish with 2tbsp olive oil, bake for
2 sweet potatoes, peeled 35 minutes until soft.
pack of good feta 3. Remove from oven, and leave to cool for ve minutes.
5 sprigs of thyme 4. Meanwhile make the vinaigrette by combining the
1 tsp honey remaining oil with the lemon juice, honey and thyme.
5. Crumble the feta over the roast vegetables, pour over
the vinaigrette and top with rocket leaves.
Serve warm.

www.kitchengarden.co.uk JUNE 2014 | 99


Lettuce, pea and broad bean salad
Mild crumbly cheese and nut oil draw out the earthy, nutty notes of looseleaf
lettuces and early-season peas and beans. This is a salad to celebrate the gentle
avours of early summer.
Serves 2
55g (2oz) baby broad beans (shelled
weight), shelled
55g (2oz) peas (shelled weight), shelled
70g (2oz) looseleaf or butterhead
lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
85g (3oz) Lancaster or similar mild
white crumbly cheese, crumbled
10-12 mint leaves, roughly chopped
1 tbsp hazelnut or walnut oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
tbsp honey
tbsp wholegrain mustard
Pinch of salt
18 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1. Steam the broad beans for
two minutes. Add the peas and
continue cooking for a further ve
minutes, or until both beans and
peas are just tender. Drain them,
refresh them in cold water and let
them cool.
2. Put the beans and peas into a bowl
with the lettuce, cheese and mint.
3. Combine the oil, vinegar, honey,
mustard, salt and pepper. Add
the dressing to the salad, mix
everything together, and serve
straight away.
Strawberry and almond
Victoria sponge
A fresh strawberry lling beats the traditional
cream-and-jam Victoria hands down. This version
adds three layers of almond avours, which provide
a lovely counterpoint to the berries.
Serves 12
250g (9oz) butter or margarine
250g (9oz) caster sugar
5 medium eggs
170g (6oz) self-raising our
80g (3oz) ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
20g (oz) aked almonds
300ml (10oz) double cream
3tbsp icing sugar
tsp almond extract
180g (6oz) strawberries,
hulled, halved and sliced
1. Put the butter/margarine and caster sugar into a
bowl and beat them together until the mixture is
light and uffy.
2. Beat in two of the eggs, then another two, and
then the nal one.
3. Add the our, ground almonds and baking
powder and fold them gently into the mixture.
4. Grease and line two 20cm (8in) sandwich tins.
Divide the sponge mixture between them and
smooth it level.
5. Put the tins into the oven at 180C/350F/gas 4
for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the sponges are
golden on top and rm and springy to the touch.
Let them cool in the tins, then turn them out.
6. Toast the aked almonds in a dry frying pan until
they just start to colour, then take them off the heat.
7. Whisk the cream until it is just stiff, then mix in
2tbsp icing sugar and the almond extract.
8. Spread one of the sponges with the cream,
arrange the strawberries on top, then cover with
the other sponge.
9. Dust the top sponge with 1 tbsp icing sugar and
scatter it with the toasted almonds.

Strawberry, chocolate and
mascarpone cheesecakes
You can take the hard decision on whether to pair your strawberries with
cream, or shortbread, or chocolate, or mascarpone or you can hand the
decision-making over to a cheesecake recipe, which isnt hampered by
tiresome notions like self-restraint.
Serves 2
10g (13oz) butter
50g (1oz) shortbread biscuits,
crushed
150g (5oz) strawberries, hulled
and quartered
tsp grated orange zest
1. Melt the butter and then stir in
the shortbread crumbs. Divide the
mixture between two glass tumblers
and tamp it down gently (dont
compact it, or it will set solid).
2. Put the strawberries, the orange
zest and juice and 2tsp icing sugar
into a pan. Simmer the berries over
a gentle heat for 10 minutes.
3. Put the chocolate into a
heatproof bowl. Put this over a pan
of water, making sure that the bowl
does not touch the water. Bring the
water to a simmer and stir the
chocolate until it melts.
SEASONAL RECIPES
2 tsp orange juice
4 tsp icing sugar
30g (1oz) dark chocolate, broken
into pieces
50ml (1oz) double cream
85g (3oz) mascarpone
2 sprigs mint
4. Whip the cream until it is just
stiff, then stir in the mascarpone,
2 tsp icing sugar and the melted
chocolate.
5. Divide the cream mixture
between the tumblers and
smooth it level. Put the tumblers
and the poached strawberries
into the fridge to chill for at least
an hour.
6. Just before serving the
cheesecakes, divide the strawberries
between the tumblers and top each
one with a sprig of mint.
Lettuce and prawn salad with soy
and lime dressing
This stir-fry-inspired salad is designed to showcase the livelier texture
and avour of Cos lettuce. You can cook Cos lettuce you could add
it to the last 30 seconds of a stir-fry using these ingredients but
Id rather keep its raw crunch and just borrow avour ideas
from cooked dishes.
Serves 2
100g 1 tbsp sunower oil
(3oz) Cos 1 tbsp lime juice
lettuce, 2 tsp light soy sauce
shredded tsp muscovado sugar
100g (3oz) mild red chilli, deseeded
large prawns, and nely diced
shelled and cooked 1 clove garlic, peeled and
40g (1oz) crushed
radishes, sliced cm (in) slice root ginger,
40g (1oz) carrots, cut peeled and nely chopped
into matchsticks Pinch of salt
1. Put the lettuce, prawns, radishes and carrots into a bowl.
2. Combine the oil, lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, chilli, garlic,
ginger and salt. Add the dressing to the salad, mix everything
together, and serve straight away.
JUNE 2014 | 101
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www.kitchengarden.co.uk JUNE 2014 | 105
YOUR VIEWS

LAST WORD

Janice Sharkey from Glasgow started up a community hedge

and orchard only to face an uphill challenge

I
t was the two sweet words free hedge which inspired
me to set up our very own community garden and
hedge planting scheme. A few of us got together and
launched Friends of Hawthorn Hill.
Hawthorn Hill was no ordinary hill. It formed part of an
ancient right of way which meant we couldnt fence in our
hedge. It looked like a gentile Tellytubbies land but looks
were deceptive. The run off from the nearby capped field
from a new housing estate, The Hawthorns, meant a gully of
water oozed down the hill which leached soil nutrients and
caused me to slip flat on my back more than once.
Planting day took place on a breezy February in 2012 with
local volunteers plus some keen helpers from The Woodland
Trust. We all got stuck in the mud and set about planting
over 300 saplings of rowan, hawthorn, an oak (one from a
Royal garden), and birch.
The mini orchard was planted a week later and included
two Granny Smith, two Egremont Russet, two Opal and a
Victoria plum and a damson Merryweather. After staking
them we put rubber tree ties on and thought our work was
done. Somewhere in the dark side of our community lay folk
set on destroying our efforts. Only days after planting the
orchard, we discovered all eight trees ripped out and thrown
into gardens. We rescued them and replanted. Since then
weve lost one apple and a plum was hacked down leaving a
stump. The stump has since sprouted new life. We replaced
the lost apple. Every week we repair torn ties with black tights
tied in a figure of eight. It does the job.
The Jubilee hedge too has been attacked by school kids
plucking out odd saplings as a dare. The onslaught from dogs
jumping over it and the people too lazy to walk to the nearest
path, have left gaping holes. The rainy weather has bogged the
ground but still lots of hazel, birch, hawthorn have survived.
The wind has whipped across the Hill, bending the young
hedgerow despite its mini stakes and collars. Now months later,
we have some new saplings from The Woodland Trust to fill the
gaps this time with dog rose and prickly hawthorn.
Looking back, would we do it again? Yes. Last summer we
got our first harvest of damsons and they were delicious. Other
rewards will come as each month our plants get stronger.

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