Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2017 i Kitchen Garden

It’s time to start sowing those tender crops for growing outside or in the polytunnel and greenhouse. Whether you like to grow sweetcorn, courgettes, cucumbers – or all three – we have it covered for you this month. On page 37 Rob Smith dips into the world of heritage veg to reveal some of his favourite old flavoursome varieties, while starting on page 56 Colin Randel has the latest on the very best sweetcorn for your garden or allotment. We turn to our wonderful KG readers this month for some recipes and tips on what to do with the (almost) inevitable glut of cucumbers this summer (see page 54), while nutritionist Susie Kearley and regular KG cook Anna Pettigrew offer some recipes of their own. You’ll be amazed at just…

SOW SALAD LEAVES It’s very easy to grow too many salads when you sow directly into the garden, but by growing in pots and trays you can easily control the amount to give a continuous supply all summer long. The secret is to sow little and often to avoid gaps between batches. If you eat lots of lettuce and salads a weekly sowing can be done, otherwise every couple of weeks should be fine. TRY RADISH Radishes are not as popular as they used to be, but a young, freshly pulled radish, sliced thinly into a salad, really does help to spice it up! They are also very tasty when eaten as a bar snack, as you would nuts or olives. They come in all shapes, sizes and colours and…

THIS MONTH’S EXPERT PANEL: POORLY PEACH TREE This is the bark on my peach tree which I planted spring 2016 at my allotment. When I took the fleece off in March I noticed this at the bottom of the trunk and a mound of jelly substance on the floor. I checked for the boring insect but cannot see any movement at all. Need to know what I can do to try and fix it if possible please. Lynn Shilton, Bedworth GUY SAYS: Peach, like other prunus, can form exudates for a number of reasons but bacterial canker is the probable cause here as the exudate is associated with characteristic shrinkage of the bark. Pruning out cankered areas is the only remedy. Clearly this is not applicable to a damaged…

One of the absolute pleasures of tending a kitchen garden is the control you have over how your hard-won harvests actually taste. There’s no denying that the packed, primped and perfect shelves of our supermarkets look inviting. Yet, sadly, good looks and a long shelf life usually come at the expense of flavour. By growing much of what you eat there’s the opportunity to try varieties bred for flavour, above all else. And when you try the first sweet strawberries or aromatic tomatoes of the season, you’ll immediately know all that effort has been worth it! Pick up any seed catalogue and it’s positively bursting with hundreds of different varieties whose descriptions read like a utopian smorgasbord of tempting delights. We all have our tried-and-tested favourites that we return to…

SOW: March-April HARVEST: July-October TYPES OF CUCUMBER GREENHOUSE: These varieties are more tender and need to be grown undercover. They like a warm humid atmosphere so you can damp down the floor on really hot days. Grow up canes or strings. Pinch out the growing tip when they reach the top. Remove the male flowers of cucumbers. You can tell the female ones because they have a mini cucumber behind the flower. OUTDOOR: Hardier types, sometimes called ridge cucumbers. These can be allowed to just scramble along the ground. You can pinch out the growing tip after 7-8 leaves to encourage side shoots to grow which will produce more fruit. Do not remove male flowers. CURIOUS CUCUMBERS: Look out for more unusual ones like the round yellow ‘Crystal Lemon’ or…

It is actually possible to lose a garden. Less than a mile outside Penicuik, a town of 16,000 people south of Edinburgh, is a four-acre brick-walled garden, once one of the finest productive gardens in Scotland. Built in 1875, it was still in use into the 1970s – and then, in the space of a generation, it disappeared from sight and mind. Penicuik, once a prosperous paper-making town, is now largely a commuter base for Edinburgh. In 2005, a public meeting about local regeneration led to the setting up of the Penicuik Community Development Trust, which now oversees a burgeoning range of projects. The trust identified a need for community growing space in the town – its allotment site had a long waiting list – and one of its members,…

EMMA RAWLINGS As well as writing her spring onion growing guide this month Emma has been busy working with our readers to bring you some lovely stories from plots around the country (p58) and some great top cucumber tips and recipes (p54). ROB SMITH As a heritage veg expert and seed guardian for the Heritage Seed Library, Rob is our resident expert on those tried and trusted old varieties that might not make the supermarket shelves, but which provide tasty results on our plots. GABY BARTAI Gaby travels to an old walled garden near Edinburgh. Once considered ‘state of the art’, it has only recently been rediscovered and thanks to a team of dedicated volunteers is now being restored to its former glory. COLIN RANDEL Professional seedsman Colin has his…

June isn’t a bad time to take a holiday! Temperatures are settled and most plants are in their final home. There are still plenty of jobs to do, but it’s hard for too much to go wrong if a gardening neighbour is in charge for a while. If you have automatic watering and ventilation systems installed, then short absences are easy. This is a time when plants should be in good health and there isn’t yet the full summer jungle, or harvest glut, to cope with. SOW & PLANT IN JUNE • Plant aubergines into the border or large pots if you didn’t do so last month • Sow kohl rabi in June for use in autumn and winter • Keep sowing salad leaves and spinach direct in drills •…

PAWTY: There are some things you only get from growing your own. Tonight I will be making a salad from the last of the purple sprouting. OK, so you can buy this, but it will be mixed with freshly picked garlic scapes! Are there any other by-products that people consider a treat which others might put on the compost heap, or that you can’t buy? DAN3008: Personally, I use carrot tops and parsley to make a parsley wine, add a bit of yeast and it develops a really deep flavour and a slight sparkle. WESTI: I haven’t tried it but I am going to this year – coleslaw made from the calabrese stem. I believe there are a few ideas for using it, so will enjoy trying some of them…

GREENFLY ARMAGEDDON One day your plants are looking wonderfully pest free then the next time you take a look you’re shocked to see them crawling with greenfly. Leave these creatures be and they will suck the lifeblood from your plants – the sap – and your plants will suffer distortion and debilitation. Not only that but greenfly carry viruses, so they offer a double threat. To make matters worse, their reproductive powers are prodigious, some emerging in spring from overwintering eggs and the new females carrying embryos already developing inside them…. and so on. Often aphids can be dealt with by crushing them with your fingers but for heavy infestations you may want to use a biological control such as introducing natural predators into the plant environment. For more info…

“Over the next few years the business was totally transformed and soon became a very popular and busy place to visit” Set in the lovely north Nottinghamshire countryside, Paula and Steven Routledge have created and developed their business, Floral Media, from a love of gardening, growing, flower arranging and the enjoyment of working with the public. The story began 29 years ago when the couple met at college. Steven comes from a farming background in Nottinghamshire and as a young man went off to study agriculture at Askham Bryan College in York. While there he met Paula, a ‘Yorkshire lass’, who was studying horticulture. Romance blossomed and the couple have been together ever since. Although Steven’s training was in farming, he liked the growing side of things and he…

“I’m usually waiting with bated breath for the first finger-length fruit to slice thinly and add to salads” After a cold and drab winter, there is no better feeling for any gardener than starting to harvest from your plot. I actually get a little fanatical about checking the varieties that I know will crop first, pacing the plot every day and waiting for the very first ripe specimen that I can pick and undoubtedly eat before I make it five paces away from the plant! One of the most prolific of crops for me has to be courgettes. I’m usually waiting with bated breath for the first finger-length fruit to slice thinly and add to salads, or even eat raw while wandering the plot. The lovely, sweet, juicy taste of…

Over the last few years there has been an increase in people who have certain allergies and intolerances to food, my niece included – she can’t eat nuts. That’s why I became interested in growing tiger nuts. They aren’t real nuts, they are actually the sweet little underground tubers of a grass known botanically as Cyperus esculentus. I was reading an old pamphlet from the Second World War and it mentioned tiger nuts as a sweet treat for children to eat in times of rationing. I then began to ask some of the more mature members of my allotment about them, and most remembered the sweet little ‘nuts’ with great fondness and enthusiasm. As they aren’t real nuts they are the ideal nut alternative for people with allergies, meaning they…

Such a popular vegetable, it is hard to believe that in Britain sweetcorn was considered an unusual crop before the 1940s. Dr Dermot Dawson of Tozer Seeds in Cobham was Britain’s first sweetcorn breeder, introducing the first in 1942 and several more up to the 1950s. Tozer Seeds has continued introducing cultivars from its US programmes to this day. Breeding developments have improved considerably over the past 60 years or so. The previous 2009 AGM trial consisted of ‘Extra Tender and Sweet’ and ‘Supersweet’ types only, but this 2016 trial had the full modern range of genetic variations. THE TRIAL Seed was sown in 8cm (3in) biodegradable pots, two seeds per pot, on May 2 in the propagating house. Prior to planting out on May 25, the area was fertilised…

When I first began growing my own organic vegetables I had, like many novice gardeners, an idyllic picture in my mind of a quintessential Victorian kitchen garden with row upon row of healthy green plants. Nowhere in my dream did I have a vision of netting, chicken wire or fleece – perhaps the odd ornamental cloche or two, but nothing more. It was a romantic vision that didn’t last long and I soon learned from experience that nature isn’t always an ally! I have had many visitors and guest-gardeners in my kitchen garden over the years and it has quickly gained a reputation for being a good training ground for the fight against pests and diseases. Nestled among surrounding woodland and close to a nature reserve, we are home to…

When I started gardening as an apprentice on the parks nursery one of the things that was instilled into me was the need to label plants. This continued when I was at horticultural college and as a result I still try to label as much as possible in the garden, including the fruit and veg plot. From the seed sowing stage right the way through to harvesting plants are labelled. This is partly to prevent seedlings and young plants being mixed up at an early stage; after all, one tomato seedling looks very much like the next one! Another reason is to remind me of what I’m growing in the veg plot. I often try new and different varieties and it’s very easy to forget what variety of carrot, onion…

COLOURED BEETROOT COLLECTION Four different varieties of coloured beetroot to liven up summer salads and dishes. Easy to grow and quick to crop, each collection contains one packet each of: ‘Albina Vereduna’ (white), ‘Boltardy’ (red), ‘Burpee’s Golden’ (yellow) and ‘Chioggia’ (ringed). Coloured beetroot collection – four packets for £4.46. SAVE £2 CLIMBING FRENCH BEAN COLLECTION The perfect varieties for growing in a small garden or among flower beds and borders. This collection of three different coloured varieties are as ornamental as they are prolific. Plant now, they’ll crop well into late autumn. Each collection contains one packet each of: ‘Cobra’, ‘Golden Gate’ and ‘Violet Podded’. Climbing French bean collection – three packets for £5.67. SAVE £2 SELF-POLLINATING RUNNER BEAN COLLECTION One our best loved and most widely grown vegetables, runner…

BUMPER SEED COLLECTION There’s still time to sow many vegetables this season, for a continual crop from late summer into autumn. The soil is warm, the days are long and many seeds can be sown directly outside in their final growing positions. This bumper collection contains 10 packets of seed to sow now and includes: runner bean ‘Polestar’, climbing French bean ‘Cobra’, carrot ‘Nandor F1’, parsley ‘Curled’, pumpkin ‘New England Pie’, lettuce ‘Mixed Contrasts’, cucamelon, beetroot ‘Moneta’, lettuce ‘Mazur’ and spring onion ‘Darcy’.…

NEW LOOK FOR CLASSIC VEGTRUG The Classic VegTrug is available in a stunning new Grey Wash finish for the 2017 season, in a choice of Medium (180cm/71in long; £159.99) or Small (100cm/39½in long; £109.99). The iconic VegTrug planter continues to lead the market in the UK and globally. Its unique V-shaped design allows you to grow a multitude of crops, with deep-rooted species in the centre and shorter-rooted ones around the edges. Because it stands 80cm (31½in) high, no bending or kneeling is required. You can work at a comfortable height, or from a wheelchair – so they’re ideal for elderly and disabled gardeners, and for children. VegTrugs are made from sustainable FSC wood with a protective membrane liner. To view the whole VegTrug product range and buy online go…

COCONUT MILK STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM A lovely cooling and not too sweet dairy-free ice cream, perfect for serving on a summer’s day. SERVES 6 Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooling time: One hour 2tinsfullfatcoconut milk 450g/16oz strawberries, hulled 100g/3½oz sugar 1. In a blender combine all the ingredients, except for 4-5 fresh strawberries, and blend until smooth. 2. Place the mixture in your ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer’s directions. 3. Chop the reserved strawberries into small pieces, and add them to the ice cream just before it’s fully churned. 4. Serve immediately for a softer texture or place the ice cream in the freezer for 1-2 hours to harden. STRAWBERRY & MELON FRUIT NEST Crispy nests topped with luscious crème fraîche and this season’s best fruits.…

10 MINUTE JOBS PROTECT PEA SHOOTS As pea shoots start to push through the garden soil make sure you protect them from hungry pigeons, otherwise they will quickly peck off the new growth. I use chicken wire bent to create a low cloche structure and this is popped over the rows. CUT ASPARAGUS Asparagus spears need cutting every few days while tender and before they get too tall. The traditional time to stop harvesting is June 21, after which time you stop cutting to allow the ferny foliage to grow to help build up the roots for next year. PINCH OUT BROAD BEANS Broad beans should be growing well now and well on the way to producing a crop of tasty beans. If not already done, the tips of the…

• ‘LUNGO BIANCO’ (Date unknown): Producing light green, creamy, almost white fruit. It is beautifully smooth skinned, with a mild/sweet flavour. ‘Lungo Bianco’ is a very productive variety, best picked when it’s around 15-20cm (6-8in), although it will grow bigger if you let it. Available from www.dobies.co.uk • ‘COCOZELLE V. TRIPOLIS’ (1820): Dark green skin which produces pronounced lighter stripes along its length. It can be harvested up to 20cm (8in) long. Widely available. • ‘TROMBONCINO’ (Around 1800): A wacky variety with a lovely, mild artichoke flavour and the neck is totally seed free. Can grow to a whopping size. Available from www.suttons.co.uk • ‘DE NICE À FRUIT ROND’ (1903): This courgette is a trailing vigorous plant with a spherical fruit of light green, best picked before the skin begins…

JULIE BROOKSBY FROM HALIFAX, WEST YORKS Julie has an allotment on a locally self-managed site. “My plot is full size – around 230m2 . The site is in the Pennine hills almost 1000 feet above sea level with panoramic views across to Emley Moor in Huddersfield,” she said. Do you share your plot with anyone? I work alone on my allotment, although my husband helped me to build the greenhouse and the raised beds. How long have you been growing vegetables? I have grown vegetables for around 12 years, eight years on this site and four on this particular plot, having moved to a full from a 2/3 size plot when one became vacant. Can you recommend a veg to grow? I can recommend ‘Oregon Sugar Pod’ mangetout as they…

When it comes to the many incredible elements that make up the UK’s flora and fauna, there are few as well qualified to comment as Kate Humble. Here she talks to Kitchen Garden about the best things to do in a UK garden to attract wildlife, the enduring legacy of Springwatch, and what secrets she unearthed during the research for her new book, Friend for Life “I built a pond in my garden and within two years I had all three species of British newt in it – they just found it” What kind of plants are the best for encouraging wildlife into a garden? I would say native species are the best. Think about planting things like lavenders and buddleia, which are lovely for bees and butterflies. When you…

I am convinced that there is a secret and colourful world in the local gardening allotments of Twickenham, that the older gardeners I spoke to were very keen to keep secret. I needed to find out what they were all getting up to in those mysterious allotment sheds. With a baseless suspicion of organised heavy gambling and drinking, I approached a few local allotments to see if they would be interested in getting involved in an idea for an oil portrait for exhibition, but I was viewed with deep suspicion and nobody returned my calls. The idea was for a large portrait of a group of gardeners in their 80s, loudly gambling and shouting over a snail race in an allotment shed, a scene reminiscent of the movie, The Deer…