Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2018 i Kitchen Garden

After all the sowing and planting of previous months July gives us the opportunity to slow up a little and just get on with the lovely job of growing our crops. Assuming the sun will shine this month we asked cookery expert Anna Pettigrew for some ideas for cooling home-made cordials; just the thing to enjoy while taking a break from the weeding. One of those uses blackcurrants as its main ingredient and starting on page 68 you’ll find fruit expert David Patch’s own recipe for growing success with this delicious fruit. Beans are great freezer fillers. Veg expert Rob Smith reveals his favourite varieties and offers some great growing tips, plus on page 92, Joyce Russell has a simple idea for giving these climbers the support they need. We…

PLUM TREE SPLITTING Four years ago I inherited my dad’s house with a large garden. One side of the garden is lined with fruit trees and bushes which I do my best to look after. In the middle of the lawn is an old plum tree. I did prune it right back two years ago. The trunk seems to be splitting so I have supported it with stakes. My dad, with all his wisdom, thought he could sweeten the fruit by sprinkling a bag of sugar round the base. Ann Jones, Caerphilly David Patch, professional nurseryman, R V Roger Ltd DAVID SAYS: Bark splitting on old plum trees is quite common – the growth can also be quite brittle and branches can break in high winds or if overloaded with…

An important part of Eden’s mission is our unique way of displaying edible plants – we have crops in mini fields and plantations, as well as more traditional allotments and vegetable gardens. As well as a temperate outdoor garden, we are home to the world-famous biomes housing rainforest and Mediterranean climates. All three grow zones of the Eden Project have similar components but obviously within the biomes we can grow much more tender and tropical fruit and vegetables than are normally found in the UK. And that’s just what’s on show to the public. As large as our garden is, we can’t produce enough raw materials to supply our restaurants, but we have a nursery a few miles down the road that grows crops of salad, edible flowers, fruit and…

1 ‘LOLLO ROSSA’– Harvest individual leaves or the whole lettuce 2 ‘RELAY’ – A Batavian lettuce, crispy yet similar to a loose-leaf type in structure. Good disease resistance 3 ‘PIGALE PILLS’ – A ‘Little Gem’ type with crisp centre but red edges to leaves 4 ‘INTRED’ – Another ‘Little Gem’; red leaves with pink hearts and good flavour 5 ‘FRECKLES’ – A semi-cos variety that is speckled red. Resistant to bolting 6 ‘ROBINSON’ – Crisphead variety with vigorous roots system. Ideal for organic growing 7 ‘REINE DES GLACES’ – A heritage variety with superb tightly packed crispy iceberg-like leaves 8 ‘SUZAN’ – Soft-headed lettuce, ideal for sowing early under cloches 9 ‘LITTLE GEM’ – Small conical head of crispy lettuce. A firm favourite and early to mature 10 ‘BALLOON’ –…

Raised beds are a common sight now on allotments and in gardens for growing fruit and vegetables. Their popularity in recent years is possibly down to people having less time to garden and raised beds do help reduce the workload required. WHAT TO FILL BEDS WITH? As mentioned above if the sides are not too high and the soil beneath is okay you could just dig over the bed and grow straight away. If you are placing beds on grass you will need to kill off the grass first or lift the turf then dig over the bottom of the bed. If the soil is sandy or clayey add some garden compost or some farmyard manure (not too much in one go) and dig over then sow or plant. Do…

Some of the messages from the Year 6 pupils of Ashley C of E School as to why we should all be growing food organically: “We must grow organic food, just as we do in our school, as we will make a positive impact on the environment and help save our beautiful world,” Myesha “Growing organic food is important because pesticides and herbicides are harmful to the environment and if you don’t use them, the food is natural and healthy,” Lucy “We should grow organic food because organic means you don’t use pesticides and herbicides, which are bad for the environment. Also, it is healthier for us and has a healthy and positive impact on our environment,” Freya “We need to grow organic food because it is not harmful to…

Herbs are the aristocrats of the garden. They’re good-looking, great for beneficial insects and carry an irresistible aroma – and that’s before you’ve even considered their outstanding contribution in the kitchen. They’re also very easy to propagate, so there’s no excuse to run short. As a gardener it’s frustrating to pay out for a mean packet of supermarket herbs. They aren’t great value let’s face it, especially when you know how easy it is to grow them. Many herbs, such as basil or coriander, are easy enough to sow once or twice a month for a steady supply of leaves. Easier still are the perennials like rosemary and thyme – the hardy heroes giving their all from year to year. But sometimes even perennial herbs need a refresher. Or perhaps…

RHUBARB CORDIAL Nothing beats the colour of rhubarb when it comes to cordials! Its vibrant pink is a true delight to serve on a summer’s day. Make sure to use organic or unsprayed citrus fruit when making cordials. Makes approximately 600ml (1 pint) Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes ■ 300g/10oz caster sugar ■ 1 organic orange, zest and juice of ■ 1 organic lemon, zest and juice of ■ 450g/14oz rhubarb, chopped ■ 1 thumb-size piece of ginger, peeled 1. Put the sugar in a large saucepan with 300ml (10oz) water. Bring to a simmer then add the zest and juice of both the orange and the lemon along with the rhubarb and the ginger. 2. Cook the mixture over a medium heat until the rhubarb is…

TUNNEL SAVINGS The Walk-In Wonderwall makes under-cover cropping easy and affordable. Ideal for organic gardeners and designed for the amateur gardener’s budget, it provides protection from harsh weather and pests, while allowing rain and sunlight to enter. Its lightweight but robust PVC frame needs no base and fixes directly into the ground. It is covered with fine heavy-duty UV-rated netting, which drastically reduces wind speed within the tunnel. The entire growing space can be worked with ease, and plants can be watered from inside or outside. See the full range at www.walk-inwonderwall.co.uk Prices range from £140 to £419 (plus £20 to £25 p&p), but KG readers can claim 10% off any Wonderwall by calling 01543 677531 and quoting code ‘0718kg’. Offer valid until June 30, 2018.…

A great one-pot meal. I love eating chunky vegetable soups, I so prefer them to the blitzed, smooth versions. This is a feel-good classic with an option to add in lots of fresh herbs at the end. SERVES 1 ■ a good glug of olive oil ■ 1 yellow onion, sliced ■ 1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped ■ 1 carrot, finely chopped ■ 1 bay leaf ■ ½ red (bell) pepper, diced ■ ¼ courgette (zucchini), diced ■ 1 potato, diced ■ handful of frozen or fresh peas ■ 500ml (17fl oz/2 cups) water ■ handful of chopped kale ■ 1 teaspoon salt ■ pinch of black pepper, to taste TO SERVE ■ 1 teaspoon chopped dill ■ 1 tablespoon chopped parsley ■ Good-quality shop-bought or home-made bread Heat…

STEP 1: CUT TIMBER TO LENGTH Measure timber and cut to length. Use sandpaper wrapped round a wooden block to smooth all rough edges. STEP 2: CUT SPACERS Cut the pipe into four pieces 22mm long. These will act as spacers to hold the frame out from the wall. Use longer spacers and longer screws if you want a bigger gap between the wall and the frame. STEP 3: DRILL HOLES FOR CANES Measure and mark seven drilling points on each piece of timber. For the verticals, mark at 15cm in from each end and at 120cm spacing between these. For the horizontals, mark at 10cm from each end and at 15cm spacing between these. Use the 16mm drill bit to make holes at these marked points. STEP 4: MARK…

DWARF FRENCH BEAN PLANT COLLECTION Consists of 15 plants, five plants each of: ■ ‘AMETHYST’ – These compact plants produce an excellent crop of stringless, quick-maturing beans over a long picking season. 15cm (6in) long pods that turn green once cooked. An attractive addition to any vegetable plot. ■ ‘FERRARI’ AGM – Slim, fleshy and stringless fine ‘Kenyan’ type beans with a good flavour and colour. Produces high yields of 15cm (6in) long beans. Disease resistant. ■ ‘SONESTA’ AGM – The waxy yellow pods make a great addition to summer salads but are also enjoyable lightly cooked as a vegetable. Another stringless variety on neat and compact plants. 13cm (5in) beans. Height: up to 60cm (2ft) Harvest from August. 15 plants for only £9.95 Buy two collections and SAVE £3…

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10 MINUTE JOBS FEED ONIONS Give onions a feed with a fertiliser rich in nitrogen to keep them actively growing through July, which is when the bulbs really start to swell out. In dry weather keep the plants watered to prevent any checks in growth, which can cause them to bolt. PICK YOUNG COURGETTES Check courgettes in the garden which should be growing well now and producing plenty of fruits. To keep them fruiting all summer long, pick the courgettes while they are small and tender. If allowed to grow large into marrows, the plant will stop producing new flowers and fruit. CHECK LEEKS Check young leek plants to make sure that they are establishing and starting to make new growth. If you planted in deep holes made with a…

LITTLE RAYS OF SUNSHINE Here at Little Miss Sunshine Childminding we have been growing our own vegetables for the past few years. The children really enjoy planting the seeds, watering them and watching them grow. This helps the children know where vegetables come from as they are involved in the whole process of the growing. The children love digging up their vegetables and potatoes. They said it is like finding buried treasure. This also encourages the children to try the vegetables which they have grown. Donna and Thomas McQuilter, Lincoln ALLOTMENT WORKOUT! If ever proof was needed that gardening was good exercise I think the attached picture proves it. My daughter Emma and her husband Ryan are always keen to help on the allotment when they visit. In September they…

BIRDS Birds will peck at young plants, damaging the leaves or uprooting the plant in toto. Later they will peck at cobs. SOLUTION: Cover plants with bird netting (buy online or from garden centres) if it looks like it’s going to be a problem. POOR POLLINATION Sometimes pollination is erratic, resulting in incomplete cobs with lots of kernels missing. SOLUTION: Plant in blocks to encourage wind pollination rather than a single row. You can also shake the tassels so that pollen falls on to silks below, especially if grown under cover. MICE If mice are a problem where you sow, there’s a good chance they will eat your newly sown seeds if you sow them directly into the soil. SOLUTION: Start seeds off indoors or in a greenhouse, coldframe or…

SOW: Apr-May HARVEST: Jul-Oct If you’ve not tried growing sweetcorn before, these tall plants might look a daunting prospect but you’ll be pleasantly surprised just how easy they are to grow and how sweet the rewards. SOWING You can sow sweetcorn in May directly into the soil but I prefer to start them off in cells under cover in mid-April. To develop a robust root system, sow them in toilet roll tubes or Rootrainers filled with multi-purpose compost. They will need a temperature of 18-21C (65-70F) for best germination, which usually takes about 10-14 days. Push the seeds down to about 2.5cm (1in), cover with compost and water in. SOIL PREPARATION Sweetcorn likes a slightly acidic soil (around pH 5.5) which is fertile, moisture retentive and well-draining. In the autumn…

“I always like to plant my climbing French beans with some sweet peas in between them; this is something that my grandad always used to do” I remember many moons ago flying back from Kenya with 14 tonnes of French beans in the hold along with all the suitcases. That’s perhaps not as ethical as I would like with all the food miles, but it really does show you our love for these pencil-thin beans. Then again, China beats that number with ease, producing more than 15 million tonnes of French beans per year, most of which are eaten and not exported... that’s a few more than I grow in the garden! TWO MAIN TYPES Originally from South America, French beans (also called string beans because of the ‘string’ that…

■ High raised beds can help those who have mobility problems such as those who garden from a wheelchair. ■ Can make tending to veg/weeding easier. ■ Psychologically, raised beds can make veg growing seem less overwhelming. Ideal then for newbies to vegetable growing. ■ Raised beds can be filled with good quality topsoil which is particularly useful if you garden on really poor or problem soil. ■ Ideal if you don’t have much spare time. ■ They can be free draining and warm up quickly. The sides may also protect young plants against wind damage.…

1. THE CYCLE We see that nature works in circles and cycles: lifecycles, seasonal cycles, carbon cycles, water cycles. Nothing is linear and nothing is wasted. “In food growing, the children plant the seeds, care for the plants, harvest the food, eat the food and compost the waste using a Ridan composting facility,” Richard explains. “So the children understand that by sending food waste back into the soil, they have created a closed system.” 2. INTERDEPENDENCE Nature’s systems are wholly interdependent and interconnected – nothing is separate. Each element within an ecosystem has a role to play. When elements are destroyed or degraded, the system is weaker as a result. “The children see how food growing is part of a wider ecosystem, working interdependently; for example, they learn how bees…

1 START EARLY: Collect cuttings material early in the morning, while it’s still cool and the stems are turgid (full of water). 2 NO FLOWERS: Avoid flowering shoots. Non-flowering shoots are likelier to succeed and will generally root much quicker. 3 SHARP CUTS: Knives and secateurs should be sharp to give a good, clean cut. Make sure the cutting edge is also sterile. 4 AVOID SUN: Strong sunshine can wilt cuttings, so position them somewhere bright but out of direct sunlight. 5 KEEP MOIST: Compost should remain moist while the cuttings are rooting. Most cuttings also prefer high humidity.…

“ I would recommend leaving half of the stems intact after planting, in order to get a small crop in the first year” I absolutely love blackcurrants. Whisper it quietly, but I think they may be my favourite summer fruit, above even the strawberry, the epitome of the British summer. I’m sure this all began as a child, when the highlight of my week was trying to sneak a bottle of Ribena into the family shopping trolley when my mum wasn’t looking – back in the 1970s it had a lot more sugar in, so was notionally banned in my house. This continued through my student days, when a shot of blackcurrant cordial was added to lager to make it more palatable to my developing taste buds. Having now grown…

Some of the developments in QR composting are from the original work by Maye Bruce (the inventor of the method back in the 1930s), some are developments from my own experimentation and some are useful discoveries by a group of Benedictine nuns in Germany. AN ADAPTED DALEK BIN Miss Bruce latched on to the concept that if you can retain the heat generated by the bacteria in the heap, then this would increase the speed of decomposition. She would use sacking or carpet on top of the heap as insulation. So insulating a compost bin is a sound idea as long as you don’t cut off air to the decomposing material within since the beneficial aerobic organisms we want to encourage require air for their bodily processes. With the advent…

Mat’s written a book, Eat Your Front Garden, which gives detailed advice on growing more than 30 ‘invisible’ crops – and you can help get it published. Unbound is the award-winning crowdfunding publishing company that invites readers to support the books they really want to read, and allows authors to write the books they really want to write. To pledge your support for Mat’s book, please go to https://unbound.com/books/eat-your-front-garden. KG readers can get 10% off by entering the code “KG10”.…

■ Optional: tie some of the canes with wire at the points where they cross. This stops them moving if strong winds or footballs are likely to be an issue. In practice they are unlikely to move and especially so when beans are growing. ■ Beans twist anticlockwise as they grow. You may have to make sure that each cane has a stem, but once they are growing they just keep going up. French beans have more delicate foliage than runner beans and they are slower growing too. ■ Slugs and snails can be a problem when plants are small, but less so when plants grow tall. Use an organic approved slug control in the early stages of growth. ■ Water carefully so the compost isn’t waterlogged. Beans need plenty…

SUMMER HARVEST BRASSICA COLLECTION As you start to harvest some of your earlier crops and space becomes free on your plot, now is the perfect time to start plugging the gaps. Our Summer Harvest Brassica collection offers some of the best brassica varieties, to give you an extended harvest and tasty supply throughout the coming months. The collection contains 25 plants, each one grown individually in cells of compost. When ready, we hand select, grade and despatch them direct to you, guaranteeing the best possible quality. Each Summer Harvest Brassica plant collection contains: 5 x cabbage ‘Dutchman’, 5 x Savoy cabbage ‘Savoy Serve F1’ AGM, 5 x cauliflower ‘Sapporo’, 5 x kale ‘Nero di Toscana’ and 5 x calabrese ‘Marathon F1’ plants.…

BLUEBERRY FLAPJACKS So incredibly easy to make, and delicious with the addition of fresh blueberries. Perfect after a bit of digging in the garden. Crunchy around the edges and soft in the middle! Yum! MAKES 12- 16 Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes ■ 150g/5oz butter or spread ■ 75g/2½oz light brown soft sugar ■ 3 rounded tbsp golden syrup ■ 250g/8oz porridge oats ■ 100g/3½oz blueberries 1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. 2. Grease and line a shallow 20cm (8in) square tin with parchment or greaseproof paper. 3. Put the butter, sugar and golden syrup into a medium pan and gently heat until melted. Stir in the oats. 4. Gently add the blueberries and combine, taking care not to burst too many. 5. Turn…

The shed door creaked open for a moment and then slammed shut. Startled, Donna stood up from her planting and looked across to the rather dilapidated shed on her neighbour’s allotment. How strange, she thought, must be the wind on the loose door as there’s no one in there. The owner of the shed was never seen, but occasional noises emanated from the rickety wooden structure on this stunning allotment. It was just one more mysterious occurrence on Plot 4B. What was interesting to 4B’s neighbours was that the plot was immaculate. There was not a lettuce out of line or a weed in sight. It was packed with sumptuous produce. There were hole-free cabbages which hadn’t been netted, wigwams of beans and all manner of other vegetables all perfectly…

WHAT TO DO IN JULY  ■ Start sowing for autumn and winter crops ■ Keep nipping side shoots from cordon tomato plants ■ Leave doors and windows open and secure them against winds ■ Shake corn stems gently so pollen falls on silks ■ Harvest regularly to keep plants producing ■ Tap pepper stems lightly to help fertilise their flowers ■ Water each day in hot weather and don’t let roots dry out ■ Peg down strawberry runners into 8cm (3in) pots to grow on ■ Thin plants out if overcrowding is likely to impact on their health A NEW GREENHOUSE: WHAT SIZE? Don’t rush the decision! A big greenhouse is wonderful if you are able to tend it and have an outlet for all the produce. It can be…

A lettuce tower may seem a bit quirky but it has a few advantages to growing in the ground. If you have limited space to grow, then going upwards maximises the growing area. This tower holds 48 lettuces. If you grew those in a bed it would need to be about 90x120cm (3x4ft) in size, taking up 1sq m (about 12sq ft). This tower packs 12sq feet of lettuce into 1sq ft! The other advantage is it can help reduce slug and snail attacks, especially if you use some copper tape around the container. The lettuces are also kept cleaner grown this way and ideal for placing in a small greenhouse in the autumn for some winter leaves. You can also easily pluck one or two leaves off rather than…

Those who know me are well aware that I have more than an average fondness for good food. As I have often remarked, I come in the bumble-bee version, not the wasp waist. At this time of year I’m looking forward to one of my favourite summer sandwiches, which is only around for a week or two every season: young white goat’s cheese loaded with pink rose petals on a satisfyingly crunchy baguette. You will probably say that there are roses around all summer, and yes, there are – and in many other colours than pink. But only a few are worth eating rather than putting in a vase. ONES FOR VASES NOT PLATES The yellow roses, as a rule, are to be avoided, being derived from Rosa foetida, the…

“The traditional subjects of English, Maths, Science and Art are all linked into growing food” Since the dawn of time, our ancestors have always understood the need to live in harmony with the natural world, respecting its never-ending cycles and rhythms and sustainable systems. However, since the Industrial Revolution, mankind has become increasingly disconnected and distanced from nature’s systems – there is now little place for harmony in a world dominated by economy. Today, we are living beyond the means of our planet, consuming and polluting in ways that are damaging and degrading to the natural environment. It’s clear that we need to develop conscious mindsets, collectively implementing better and more sustainable practices in how we live on Earth. What better way to promote sustainability and connectivity than through the…

There is a general, but unfortunate, consensus that gardening is an activity to take up when you retire. Once your kids have flown the nest, you’ve paid off the mortgage and are no longer enslaved to the 9-5. But to wait years, decades even, to grow your own food, is to miss out on one of life’s greatest pleasures – not to mention a whole load of nutrients. I was eight months pregnant when I first took on an allotment. By the time my third child came along, most people, including my partner, questioned whether it was time to call it a day. Their scepticism only fuelled my desire to continue. And while it can be challenging, juggling work, family and a jungle of crops, I wouldn’t give it up…

STEP 1: Take cuttings from healthy, nonflowering shoots. Place cut material into a bag, so they don’t dry out. STEP 2: Prepare cuttings by trimming the base just below a pair of leaves before cutting off those lower leaves. STEP 3: Dip your cuttings into hormone rooting powder or gel. Tap off any excess. STEP 4: Prepare a cuttings mix of equal parts compost and sharp sand to fill plastic pots or plug trays. STEP 5: Insert cuttings around the perimeter of pots or set one cutting into each plug. STEP 6: Root your cuttings somewhere warm and humid. A clear bag, secured with an elastic band, works well.…

To us, it’s very important that our children are active and interested and that they see that we are too. Jobs and work in the garden don’t necessarily get done very quickly when the children are with us, but by encouraging them to join in, it gives them confidence and enjoyment in what they are doing. Planting potatoes, sowing seeds and filling pots with compost are all enjoyable and simple tasks that they can join in with, but by far their favourite activity is picking the fresh fruit and vegetables that we have grown in the garden.…

There is no point scouring catalogues looking for a ‘heritage’ blackcurrant. All the Victorian varieties have been replaced by more modern strains and with good reason – an intensive postwar breeding programme, particularly in Scotland, has resulted in newer varieties which are far more productive and disease-resistant. The only one you are likely to find is ‘Baldwin’, but even this is only useful as a curiosity – the fruit is decidedly tart and it crops poorly in areas prone to late frosts. ■ ‘BEN SAREK’ – the variety to choose if space is at a premium. Compact growth means it can be planted at 1m (3ft 3in) spacing. The plant may be small, but the currants are large and have a fine flavour. Frost and mildew resistant. ■ ‘BEN HOPE’…

STEP 1: Apply rolled-up bubble wrap (max. 10cm/4in diameter) above the hatch. Fix with tape STEP 2: Apply more rolls of bubble wrap until the top of the bin is reached STEP 3: Bind on the bubble wrap with waterproof tape STEP 4: Apply cling film until the bubble wrap is completely covered STEP 5: Make a bubble wrap cushion to sit snugly in the lid STEP 6: Place the bin on a circle of bricks to improve air circulation, essential for aerobic composting STEP 7: Add high carbon material (such as wood-based cat litter) to the compost crock STEP 8: Chop up waste in a bucket adding some soil or old compost rich in composting microbes STEP 9: Add QR activator. See page 81 for instructions on how to…

My book Happy Fo o d is a cookbook for everyone! Grandmothers with newly converted vegan granddaughters coming over for Sunday dinner, couples who want to increase their veggie intake, single people looking for a quick meal after a long day, families that have allergies but want to enjoy a meal together without compromises on comfort and taste, as well as anyone who wants to give vegan or gluten-free cooking a go. These dishes are a combination of my philosophies. You feast with your eyes first, so making food look pretty on your plate is important when it comes to self-care and it is a lovely touch when cooking for yourself, family or friends. When it comes to flavour, I try as much as possible to combine the five tastes…

STEP 1: Sometime in March, the mashua tubers that I’ve stored in the garage over winter, buried in very slightly moist coir or sand, will start to show roots and sprouts. The small tuber on the left has started rotting slightly. I’ll pot it up anyway, having cut off the rot with a sharp, clean knife – there’s a good chance it’ll still grow. But bigger tubers generally store better, and grow faster, than small ones. STEP 2: Choose a pot just big enough for each tuber. You can move into larger pots later. The orientation of the tuber in the pot doesn’t seem to matter. I prefer to place them horizontally, to avoid damaging the fragile shoots and roots. Use fresh multi-purpose compost, which is moist enough not to…

Growing climbing beans is easy enough in a large garden. You need enough room for a tripod type structure; or use a long A frame made from poles if you want to grow lots. There are other support options of course, but few of these are designed to suit a small garden or back yard. If you want to grow beans up a wall, then you might consider trellis or fixed wire frames – but both of these can fit too closely for beans, which like to wrap all the way around supports. So what do you do to get the most out of a small back yard? Well, one answer is to make your own frame, where you are in control of how closely it fits against a wall.…

BUILDING BLOCK  If you want to add a new growing area or revamp your garden layout, WoodBlocX is the ideal place to start. This unique modular system allows you to build your own long-lasting raised beds and planters simply, quickly and without any specialist tools. The wooden blocks slot together using a dowel and wedge system which makes the structures strong and durable – much more so than those made from railway sleepers or wooden boards. Each kit includes step-by-step instructions and easy-assembly components including the lightweight pressure-treated pine blocks. No heavy lifting or sharp tools are required to assemble WoodBlocX kits – the wooden pieces simply slot together using strong recycled plastic dowels, and everything is supplied cut to size so there is no waste. Kits are available in…

SUMMER FRUIT PRUNING JULY 9. RHS Garden Wisley, Woking, Surrey. How to prune a range of fruit trees and bushes, talk and demonstration from Wisley’s fruit experts. 10.30am-1pm. Book on 020 317 65830 www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley JEKKA’S HERB FARM OPEN DAYS JULY 6&7. Rose Cottage, Shellards Lane, Alveston, Bristol. Look round the herbetum, and buy herb plants and seeds. 10am-4pm. Mini tours by Jekka at 11am and 2pm. 01454 418878 www.jekkasherbfarm.com RHS HAMPTON COURT FLOWER SHOW, JULY 3-8 Hampton Court Palace, East Molesey, Surrey. The RHS’s largest flower show: gardens, stalls, advice, demonstrations. 10am-7.30pm (Sunday 5.30pm). www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events BEEKEEPING TASTER JULY 22. National Botanic Garden of Wales, Lanarthne, Carmarthenshire. Introduction to beekeeping and visit to the site’s bee garden. 11am-2pm. 01558 667149 www.botanicgarden.wales SOIL MANAGEMENT JULY 17. Doddington Hall, near Lincoln. Theory and…