Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2022 i Kitchen Garden

What a glorious feeling it is to be heading into summer with months of long days in the garden and on the allotment ahead of us. And to help you fill your veg patch with trugfuls of delicious produce, plus wonderful colour and busy wildlife, we have some great features for you this month. You’ll find in-depth features from all our regular experts on growing carrots, cauliflowers and strawberries. Deputy editor Emma Rawlings packs five pages with flowers on the plot for colour, cutting and pollinators, while special guest Frances Tophill reveals her favourite ‘plant and pick’ perennial veggies. There’s loads for organic gardeners – professional gardener Nicola Hope has some chemical-free tips for keeping slugs and snails at bay, Joyce Russell explains the practical benefits of mulches and Dr…

OUR SERIES FOR YOUNG GROWERS I love growing my own vegetables and I also really enjoy being creative. Doing things like drawing and painting! Do you? If so, I thought, we could use this month to combine two of our favourite things. Picking our own homegrown produce or foraged berries, then painting or drawing them. YOU WILL NEED: ■ Your choice of fruit and vegetables ■ Paper ■ Drawing pencil ■ Colouring pencils or pens ■ Paints ■ Pot of water ■ Paintbrush ■ Newspaper WHAT TO DO: 1. Start by covering your table with the newspaper. If we are painting, we do not want to get paint on the table. 2. Collect your choice of fruit or vegetables that you would like to try and paint. 3. Start painting!…

Get in touch by post, email or via our Facebook page: Facebook.com/kitchengardenmag THE GALL OF IT! I have recently taken on an allotment plot, it’s very overgrown. Today when clearing I found a clump of blackberry, but growing on the stems are gall-like growths Lucian Backler, Uckfield STAR QUESTION WINS £25 VOUCHER STEVE SAYS: I think the most likely cause of the swellings on your blackberry stems is a bacterial disease called crown gall. This is a very common disease and is found on lots of different plants. On most garden plants and trees it isn’t particularly damaging, but if it is affecting lots of your blackberry canes then the plant is probably best replaced with a more modern variety purchased from a reliable source supplying vigorous, disease-free stock. Plant…

As fresh veg goes, you can’t beat a crunchy carrot pulled straight from the garden. Full of flavour and packed with vitamins, for me carrots are a must-grow crop. The great thing about carrots is, with just a little planning, you can enjoy your home-grown roots for much of the year, starting the season with baby carrots grown in pots, fresh roots from the garden through the summer and autumn and finally some stored carrots to enjoy through the colder winter months. The range of carrots available from seed is large and all you’ll need for your yearly supply will be three or four varieties. Having said that, once you’ve eaten your own fresh carrots, I bet you’ll want to try many more types, not all of which are orange!…

Flowers grown on allotments and veg plots have many benefits, not just to look pretty. They can be grown as a crop for cutting for the house. They can be used to add flavour and decoration to food and they have a role in attracting pollinators and other beneficial insects to the vegetable plot. Here we have just a few examples of flowers you can grow and their uses. FLOWERS FOR CUTTING Flowers for cutting for the house were traditionally important crops on many allotments and gardens in the past and are making a comeback on many plots. There are many that are suitable and here is only a small example of what you can grow. COSMOS These are fantastic flowers to grow in gaps in the veg border or…

When I take the time to think about my approach to organic gardening my head starts to swim with concepts, ideas, methods and experience but what it all boils down to is very simple: organic gardening is no different from conventional gardening. Some tasks might take a little longer; others will definitely be easier; the results may be marginally different but what I hope to convey is that organic gardening is a mindset and a way of life rather than a leaflet of methods or a book of how-to techniques. Spring and summer 2021 were challenging for those of us who follow organic principles in our gardens. Prolonged spells of rain and cool ground and air conditions were ideal for slugs and snails and the damage has been significant in…

Green Broom Farm has been hidden in the woods of the Hardwicke Estate, at Crays Pond near Reading, since 2015. It is a low impact vegetable and fruit farm which has nine members. It is also a co-operative community with a shared communal barn and workshops on basketry, natural dyes and permaculture, to name but a few! On arriving, there is the farm shop (run on honesty) selling rare and heritage vegetables such as ‘Crystal Lemon’ cucumbers and cut flowers. I follow the track through the woods until I stop under the hand-painted wooden sign and survey the patchwork of texture and colour that is the growing beds. There is a joyous mix of wildflowers, brassicas, beans, sunflowers and herbs. At the newly self-built barn I meet co-op member Tom,…

ALL SET FOR SUMMER Two lucky readers will be set up for summer with a bumper bundle of top products from Westland gardening brands. Achieve four times more blooms versus watering alone and an abundance of healthy fruit and veg with new Westland Boost All Purpose Liquid Plant Feed. Its unique PlantSense Technology will feed all ornamental, ericaceous and cropping plants, and it is also the first feed tailored for both peat and peat-free composts. Our prize packs will also contain Westland Rose High Performance Plant Feed, child- and pet-friendly Westland SafeLawn Liquid Lawn Feed and Westland Big Tom Super Tomato Food. The new Kent & Stowe Eversharp Bypass Secateurs (£34.99) harness aerospace technology to achieve a carbon steel blade 100 times harder than the average blade. Their chassis is…

SUCCESSION SOW Carry on sowing quickgrowing staples like lettuce, radish, spring onions and beetroot. Sow short rows every few weeks, making new sowings as the previous germinate. HARVEST FIRST EARLIES First early potatoes may be ready to harvest. They have less foliage than maincrop varieties, making it harder to tell when they’re ready, so dig up a few plants to check. PROPAGATE STRAWBERRIES Pin down strawberry runners on to the ground or pots of compost to propagate new plants. Cut the runners off if you don’t need any new plants. START FOLLOW-ON CROPS Sow vegetables to follow on from earlier crops. This includes winter staples like kale, sprouting broccoli and swede, together with maincrop carrots for storing. PICK, PULL AND SOW June is a glorious month in the kitchen garden:…

I’ve been planting out ‘Czar’ beans, a variety of runner bean. This versatile bean can be eaten as a regular runner bean, but I leave it to grow on and harvest in the autumn as a dried bean for storing over winter. It is delicious. Soaked overnight to rehydrate, then boiled until tender (about 25 minutes), I use it to make pates, hummus, soups, stews and ‘nibbly beans’: tossed in oil with salt, pepper and smoked paprika, then baked in the oven for about 15 minutes, yum! I start all my tender beans in modules of compost first so that when they are planted out at around 8-10cm (3-4in) tall, they are less susceptible to being munched by slugs and snails, or rodents who often like to dig up direct-sown…

Many perennial crops like rhubarb, asparagus, artichokes, all kinds of berries and currants, Welsh onions and herbs are old familiars. Or well-known tropical perennials like ginger, turmeric and citrus fruits, which all need winter protection. Growing less common, though often very ancient, perennial veg could hold the key to sustainable food production on a wider scale. Agronomists are looking at how perennial crops could save water and fertiliser, preserve the soil microbiome and allow for year-round harvesting. The extensive range of available plants includes leafy substitutions for spinach or kale, onion alternatives and plants with edible roots and rhizomes. AMERICAN GROUNDNUT (Apios americana) With a natural range from Canada to Florida, this plant was used as a staple crop by the indigenous peoples of North America. It is now farmed…

It is well established that a growing area full of diverse life will actually support rather than hinder your plants. This natural web of life which includes insects, fungi, small mammals and birds, interacts to create a healthy environment for plants to function and flourish. A garden devoid of biodiversity is akin to a dark and deserted town at night: pest and disease trouble moves into the void and there is nothing around to help. So how do we encourage our friendly, natural, vigilante garden helpers? Two important ways: first, avoid using pesticides. Spraying will often affect ‘off target species’; if you kill an aphid, you threaten a ladybird. Second, provide a good range of diverse habitats for shelter and food throughout the year. Choose plants which flower, provide pollen…

DT BROWN & CO tel 0845 371 0532 www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk DOBIES SEEDS tel 0844 701 7625 www.dobies.co.uk MR FOTHERGILL’S SEEDS tel 0845 371 0518 www.mr-fothergills.co.uk JUNGLE SEEDS tel 01491 614765 www.jungleseeds.co.uk KINGS SEEDS tel 01376 570000 www.kingsseeds.com MARSHALS SEEDS tel 0844 557 6700 www.marshallsgarden.com MEDWYN’S SEEDS tel 01248 714851 www.medwynsofanglesey.co.uk MOREVEG tel 01823 681302 www.moreveg.co.uk THE ORGANIC GARDENING CATALOGUE tel 01932 878570 www.organiccatalogue.com PLANTS OF DISTINCTION tel 01449 721720 www.plantsofdistinction.co.uk THE REAL SEED CATALOGUE tel 01239 821107 www.realseeds.co.uk W ROBINSON & SON LTD tel 01524 791210 www.mammothonion.co.uk SARAH RAVEN tel 0845 092 0283 www.sarahraven.com SEEDS OF ITALY tel 0208 427 5020 www.seedsofitaly.com SHELLEY SEEDS tel 01244 317165 www.shelleyseeds.co.uk SIMPSON’S SEEDS tel 01985 845004 simpsonsseeds.co.uk SUFFOLK HERBS tel 01376 572456 www.suffolkherbs.com SUTTONS tel 0844 922 0606 www.suttons.co.uk THOMPSON & MORGAN tel 0844…

HOZELOCK SELECT CONTROLLER This Hozelock battery-powered water timer is simple to use and helps you to automatically water your garden – saving water, time and effort. The controller has 16 pre-set programmes to supply water from once a week up to four times a day – simply select your desired programme. Plus, it can conveniently be used with a water butt. https://www.hozelock.com/product/select-controller/ NEMASYS NEMASLUG CONTROL The winners will each receive a season-long programme of slug control called Nemaslug, a biological control using natural nematodes. The prize is for six Nemaslug Slug Killer 100sq m packs which will arrive at intervals from spring through to early autumn to give good control of slugs for the whole growing season. The product is pest specific and so won’t harm other wildlife and is…

With frost a thing of the past (for the majority of the UK), it’s all systems go in the kitchen garden, with sowing, planting and harvesting all needing some attention this month. June can be a glorious month for the veg grower, with greenhouses starting to crop and beds and borders both brimming with goodies which are ready to be picked. That said, it’s also a month of hard graft to make sure all your veg have what they need to perform to their potential, so make sure you’re ready to work hard as it will reward you in the months to come. If you left any chard plants in the ground, you’ll notice they are starting to put on flower spikes, so it’s decision time, do they stay or…

If you are new to gardening it can seem like there’s a lot to understand and keep on top of. Weeding can feel like an endless task and watering can feel the same in hot, dry weather. Take a breath and pause. Nobody learns gardening overnight, but the process should be enjoyable. Step back from the rush of everything growing fast and take time to discover something that can make your gardening life much easier. And that is mulching. Mulch isn’t really a miracle but it comes close. Covering your beds with a layer of material that cuts down on weeding, watering and feeding all in one go, can save hours of frustration. If used over years, some mulch materials will improve the quality of your soil and the number…

SUMMER TYPES ‘CANDID CHARM F1’: A mini cauli which is ideal for close spacings, raised beds or even a large container. (July-August) Mr Fothergill’s ‘ALL THE YEAR ROUND’: A reliable old variety. This white-curded type can be sown from January to March indoors or March to June outside to give harvests for seven months of the year. (June-December) Widely available ‘CLAPTON F1’: This one is bred to have good resistance to club root, a long-term soil disease which can wipe out brassica crops. Mr Fothergill’s ‘DE PURPLE F1’:A purpleheaded variety with good flavour. High in antioxidants. (June to October) Mr Fothergill’s ‘ROMANESCO NATALINO’: A long harvest season which stretches through into autumn and winter. Can also be used as baby heads at closer spacings. (July-December) Mr Fothergill’s AUTUMN TYPES ‘MOBY…

Making your own bread at home can be an exciting and tasty experience. But have you ever wondered if it is possible to make your own flour from home-grown wheat, for use in breads and pizzas? Over the past year, I’ve been finding out exactly how achievable this is on my allotment in South London. I expect you’re wondering how this idea came about? Well, over lockdown in 2020, I decided to take on an allotment as a project to keep myself busy when I would have otherwise been stuck indoors. My excitement for growing my own produce quickly grew and, like many, I took to the internet for inspiration on crops and varieties suitable for amateur growers and allotment-sized plots. I soon noticed that many crops grown on allotments…

If you are growing strawberries in pots, the number one criterion for me is flavour. I’m not interested in yield - there is never going to be a huge quantity anyway - and if I’m going to water, feed and generally cosset these plants, I want the fruit to be out of this world. Here are my top recommendations for the tastiest berries. ■ ‘GARIGUETTE’: A super variety from the Provence area of France, originally bred in the 1970s, and with all the ‘old-fashioned’ strawberry flavour that is often claimed but sadly rarely present in some of the modern varieties. It remains the most widely grown variety in France, and for good reason - the characteristically slim, tapered fruit of a bright orange-red harbour the sweetest of flesh, with a…

SAVE UP TO £ 20.95 (AGM is the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Under RHS garden trials these varieties performed particularly well) FREE* WITH EVERY ORDER SELF POLLINATING RUNNER BEAN COLLECTION X20 VEGETABLE PLANTS Runner beans have always been a plot staple. They are easy to grow, very rewarding and can make an attractive feature in your growing space. This collection contains 20 plants, 10 each of ‘Firestorm’ and ‘Moonlight’, some of the best self-pollinating varieties around. ‘Firestorm’ was the first red-flowered, self-pollinating runner bean, producing masses of stringless, tender beans. ‘Moonlight’ was the first (and we think the best!) self-pollinating runner bean. This vigorous climber produces masses of attractive white flowers that set well to give a bumper harvest. These self-pollinating runner beans are sure to give a great…

CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES A good friend of mine made these as appetisers for my wedding a few years ago. They look so beautiful on a serving platter, and they are loved by kids and adults alike. SERVES 6 Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes ■ 400g (14oz) strawberries ■ 200g (7oz) dark chocolate ■ 200g (7oz) white chocolate ■ Toppings of choice, such as chopped nuts, coconut, sprinkles or crushed biscuit. 1. Wash and dry the strawberries, then lay them on a paper towel-lined baking sheet and leave at room temperature for one hour. 2. Melt the chocolate. Place the chocolate in a medium-sized glass bowl that can rest on top of a pan without falling in. Pour a couple of inches of water into the pan, place…

IN YOUR JULY ISSUE OF KITCHEN GARDEN MAGAZINE NEXT ISSUE ON SALE MAY 26 GARDENING TIPS TO INSPIRE YOUR YOUNGSTERS THIS SUMMER DON’T MISS YOUR FREE GIFTS WORTH £6.05* (*Not available in NI or EU) DON’T MISS OUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO JOBS FOR JULY SOW LETTUCE FOR YEAR-ROUND HARVESTS WITH MARTIN FISH DISCOVER THE DELIGHTS OF CRANBERRIES & LINGONBERRIES PLANT A PATCHWORK - MIX CROPS TO IMPROVE YIELDS PLUS MEET THE BEARDED GARDENERS PLANNING NEW PLOTS BIG OR SMALL THRIFTY GUIDE TO WATERING FREE WITH EVERY ORDER* AUTUMN HARVEST BRASSICAS - 50 READY- GROWN PLUG PLANTS! (*Free only with orders from reader offer pages) WORTH £24.75 When can I get my next kit of Kitchen Garden? Scan this, and we’ll tell you! To order your next issue of Kitchen Garden,…