Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2022 i Kitchen Garden

Just a short time ago I watched as the thermometer hit 39C in the shade. Scary stuff and nature’s way of telling us we had better start taking care of our planet now… or else. But while the rest of the plot struggled, there were a few crops that lapped up the sunshine such as aubergines, peppers and tomatoes. My onions promptly dried and were stored and it was also perfect for the subject of one of our main features this month – shelling peas and beans. In fact, the heat ripened the pods so quickly I had to rush out and gather them before they burst and spilled their seeds over the soil. Our garden visit this month also has links to climate change – the new RHS Wisley…

Hi! I’m Belle and I’m here every month to share lots of fun activities for you to do at home, on your own or with your family Do you like getting your hands messy and growing beautiful flowers? If so, I think you will love making these seed bombs! If you choose wildflower seeds, they will be brilliant for wildlife over the spring and summer, or you could use lettuce or herb seeds and wait until spring to throw them. You will need: ■ 5 parts compost ■ 3 parts clay – either powdered or natural soft clay ■ 1 packet of seeds of your choice – wildflower seeds would be great for the butterflies and bees next spring! ■ Water ■ Bowl What to do: 1. If you are…

As reported in your January 2022 issue, in March 2021 Cadent Gas put forward plans to take over the allotments at Redbridge Lane West in North East London for two years while carrying out works on its adjacent site. The plans included building a large compound and car park for contractors which would have meant closing the allotments to all of us, the destruction of many of the plots and of the thriving wildlife habitat. Just before Christmas we learnt that, unfortunately, Cadent is still planning to take over almost a quarter of the site. We are very saddened that a number of us are losing our allotments in this way. We are worried about the huge disruption caused to the allotments as a whole when the works start and…

In 2021, I spent almost a month at Hampton Court Palace, when I designed the RHS No Dig Allotment Demonstration Garden together with Charles Dowding (KG August 2021). What a fantastic experience! This year I was delighted to have been invited to speak at the Market Theatre, opposite the River Cottage Garden, giving talks about no-dig gardening and growing your own food and, most importantly, exploring this vibrant show. It’s exciting to explore RHS shows before they are officially open to the public as final touches are made to the show gardens, plants watered so they look in the peak of health and the air of anticipation increases. Press photographers, who will have arrived hours before to capture the gardens in the early morning light, set up incredibly complicated-looking equipment…

MAINTENANCE MADE EASY Cobra products are packed with innovative features to help you maintain your garden with minimum time and effort. Powered by a 2500W motor, the Cobra QS2500 Quiet Shredder (RRP £229.99) is ideal for garden waste up to 40mm (1¾in) in diameter. Awarded a Kitchen Garden Best Buy in 2018, it has a plunger to speed up the shredding of heavier loads, while the ergonomically positioned controls make operator use more comfortable, and as safe as possible. The 50-litre waste box reduces the frequency of stops for emptying. The SA32E (RRP £119.99) boasts an 18-tine scarifier that effortlessly removes moss and thatch from lawns, and a 12-blade aerator that relieves lawns of compaction, producing healthier, more vibrant grass. It features four working depth positions, is driven by a…

COMPANION PLANTING WITH ECOLOGIST BECKY SEARLE HOW GROWING VEG CAN CUT YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT GROW GREAT GARLIC WITH TOP TIPS FROM EXPERT MARTIN FISH OUT & ABOUT: TAKE A TOUR OF SISSINGHURST’S VEG GARDEN CHARLES DOWDING: GROW BETTER AND WITH LESS EFFORT NEXT ISSUE ON SALE SEPTEMBER 29 DON’T MISS YOUR FREE GIFTS WORTH £5.60* (*Not available in NI or EU) PLUS FRUIT ROOTSTOCKS EXPLAINED MAKE YOUR OWN SOIL FOOD ENTER OUR PLOTTER OF THE MONTH COMPETITION FREE WITH EVERY ORDER* 10 FREE STRAWBERRY ‘HONEOYE’ PLANTS (*Free only with orders from reader offer pages) WORTH £14.95 When can l get my next hit of Kitchen Garden? Scan this, and we’ll tell you! To order your next issue of Kitchen Garden, head to classicmagazines.co.uk/pre-order-kg We will send it directly to you!…

CURE SQUASHES October gives us the first real taste of autumn, and with it a celebration of that most hearty family of vegetables, the squashes. Courgettes are nearly done for the season, so why not leave a few to grow into full-sized marrows? They’re fantastic stuffed – split lengthways and hollowed out into boats for your favourite filling, or as scooped-out slices. Eat them up within a few weeks of cutting. Winter squashes and pumpkins will store for months so long as they are cured after harvesting. Cut them off with at least 10cm (4in) of stem and bring fruits indoors if anything but a light frost threatens. Never carry fruits by the stem because if it snaps off, you’re inviting disease. Finish curing on a sunny windowsill or in…

All readers who are picked to be our Plotter of the Month will receive a great bundle of prizes from our sponsors including Two Wests and Elliott, BASF (Nemasys) and Town & Country. To enter simply fill in a questionnaire and send us 10 pictures of your plot including a picture of yourself/and or others that help you on the plot. You can submit an entry for an allotment, a veg patch in your garden or even a few veggies grown on a balcony or patio in a few pots. All are welcome as it is your passion for growing that we want to share with other readers, so pristine plots and perfect veg are not necessary. HOW TO ENTER ■ Send us 10 pictures of your plot, including one…

The ecology of a young woodland can be handily broken down into seven layers. Each layer is at a different level so they are not competing for growing space. The ideal is that your forest garden will incorporate plants from each layer to maximise use of the vertical space within your garden. In reality there is no strict rule that says if yours only has four or five layers you cannot call it a forest garden. It is an aspiration, and especially on a smaller scale, all seven layers can be difficult to achieve. SEVEN LAYERS OF A FOREST GARDEN 1: CANOPY LAYER These are the tallest trees such as nut trees or large fruit trees. In small gardens this layer is usually absent as many gardens wouldn’t manage to…

At the end of a busy gardening and show season, my wife Jill and I always try to get away for a few days and last year we spent a very pleasant week in Perthshire at the end of September. The county is rich in gardens and agriculture and of course famous for soft fruit that thrives in the fertile soil. On arrival at the cottage that was to be home for the week, the owners had very kindly left a selection of locally grown salads and vegetables that we later discovered were grown a few miles up the road near Coupar Angus on a market garden called The Wright Root. The business is run by John Hepburn-Wright who has worked in agriculture for more than 30 years as an…

How long have you been growing your own food? The first time I grew vegetables was when I was 19, we had just bought our first house with a tiny urban garden that only had two raised flower beds. I sowed a packet of carrot seeds in one and broccoli in the other. That was more than 20 years ago and I haven’t stopped since! How long have you had your Somerset allotment? I only took on my allotment late last summer so this is my first full growing year at this site. It was shoulder high with weeds, which took some time to clear back first. It’s going to be a bit of trial and error to see what will grow well at the plot. I’m also incredibly lucky…

WHAT’S IN THE DIARY? VISIT WWW.KITCHENGARDEN.CO.UK DT BROWN & COtel 0845 371 0532www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk DOBIES SEEDStel 0844 701 7625www.dobies.co.uk MR FOTHERGILL’S SEEDStel 0845 371 0518www.mr-fothergills.co.uk JUNGLE SEEDStel 01491 614765www.jungleseeds.co.uk KINGS SEEDStel 01376 570000www.kingsseeds.com MARSHALLS SEEDStel 0844 557 6700www.marshallsgarden.com MEDWYN’S SEEDStel 01248 714851www.medwynsofanglesey.co.uk MOREVEGtel 01823 681302www.moreveg.co.uk THE ORGANIC GARDENING CATALOGUEtel 01932 878570www.organiccatalogue.com PLANTS OF DISTINCTIONtel 01449 721720www.plantsofdistinction.co.uk THE REAL SEED CATALOGUEtel 01239 821107ww.realseeds.co.uk W ROBINSON & SON LTDtel 01524 791210www.mammothonion.co.uk SARAH RAVENtel 0845 092 0283www.sarahraven.com SEEDS OF ITALYtel 0208 427 5020www.seedsofitaly.com SHELLEY SEEDStel 01244 317165www.shelleyseeds.co.uk SIMPSON’S SEEDStel 01985 845004simpsonsseeds.co.uk SUFFOLK HERBStel 01376 572456www.suffolkherbs.com SUTTONStel 0844 922 0606www.suttons.co.uk THOMPSON & MORGANtel 0844 573 1818www.thompson-morgan.com UNWINS SEEDStel 0844 573 8400www.unwins.co.uk PENNARD PLANTStel: 01749 860039www.pennardplants.com…

BUTTERNUT SOUP This is a filling soup thanks to the pasta, but it doesn’t feel heavy or stodgy. If you are making it for children, you can omit the wine. SERVES 4 Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes ■ 2 tsp olive oil ■ 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped ■ 1 small butternut squash (peeled and cut into 1cm/½in cubes) ■ 80ml (3fl oz) white wine ■ 1.2 litres (2 pints) vegetable stock ■ 1 bay leaf ■ 100g (3½oz) soup pasta ■ Freshly grated Parmesan cheese to serve 1. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan, and cook the onion for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly until it is soft. 2. Add the cubes of butternut and turn in the pan for a couple of…

HERB AMBASSADOR As an enthusiastic grower, user and public speaker on herbs, I am pleased to say that I am one of the newly appointed Herb Society Ambassadors, helping to keep our herbal heritage alive. The aim is to raise awareness about the society and increase public interest in the history and horticulture of herbs, together with their use in cooking, medicine and well-being. I represent the society at the talks and workshops that I give, with the view of gaining new members. The first of my herb talks concentrates on growing, harvesting and preserving herbs, the second on their uses in cookery, health, beauty and well-being. Further information is available via my website www.aspoonfulofherbs.co.uk and www.herbsociety.org.uk Lynda Warren, Wiltshire POLLINATOR SAVER We have a large polytunnel and greenhouse in…

★ STAR ★ QUESTION WINS £25 VOUCHER RED ALERT! My ‘Juniper’ and ‘Rovada’ redcurrant bushes have developed nicely since I planted them, but this year I have noticed a deformation on many of the leaves. Paul Manning, Maidstone STEVE SAYS: The symptoms on your redcurrants suggest redcurrant blister aphids and if you turn over the leaves you may still see the yellow aphids feeding on the underside. These aphids will produce a winged generation which will migrate mainly to another plant, a pretty, wild plant called hedge woundwort, during July. They come back in the autumn to lay eggs which then overwinter on the currants. The aphids wouldn’t usually cause a great reduction in the crop unless perhaps the leaves are very badly infested. Plants can be treated with a…

ECONOMY RACK This useful rack, designed and manufactured by Two Wests & Elliott in the company’s Derbyshire workshop, is the perfect way to make the most of any compact space – whether it’s in a greenhouse, shed, spare room or outdoors! The Economy rack comes with nine full-size seed trays held within its sturdy, rustproof aluminium frame. Supplied for self-assembly, this three-tier rack is about 91cm (3ft) high, with each level 36cm (14in) apart. This Economy Seed Tray Rack can be purchased from Two Wests’ website: www.twowests.co.uk or call 01246 451077 to order or for a copy of the free 132-page catalogue. BUCKINGHAM BOOTS Also included in our prize package is a pair of Buckingham Wellington Boots from the Deluxe range of footwear from Town & Country. These have a…

On an unusually mild and sunny late autumn afternoon I had the chance to visit RHS Wisley and the new Hilltop area. My main point of interest for this visit to this RHS flagship garden is to see the new World Food Garden perched atop the aforementioned Hilltop. Designed by Ann-Marie Powell, in collaboration with the Wisley Edibles team, with inspiration from the likes of Charles Dowding, this new area has been split into three areas: The Edible Flower and Cafe area, Good to Grow beds and The World Maze. Let me lead you through the three areas that blend seamlessly together, with a rather tranquil water feature at the central point where you can sit and soak in all that is around you! CARPETS OF FLOWERS The Herb and…

October can be a sombre month in the kitchen garden – the weather starts to get colder, wetter and darker, while many of our favourite crops finally get consigned to the compost heap. That said, there are still seeds to sow, cloves/sets to plant and things to grow; plus we need to make the most of the good weather and get in the garden when we can. Runner beans have done really well for me this year, even though it has been hot and dry. I’ve only grown one variety named ‘Black Knight’, a purple flushed runner bean, which is delicious and cropped very well indeed. I’ve saved some seeds for next year. I’m also having a go at overwintering the plants as they are actually perennial in warmer countries.…

When it comes to flowers, chrysanthemums are not exactly ‘on trend.’ Over the years they appear to have fallen out of fashion, yet trends come round again and maybe, just maybe, their popularity will grow. For gardeners such as Eric Kendall, these early and late flowering blooms that can inject a riot of late summer colour will always have a place in his allotment – and rightly so as Eric is carrying on a family tradition. His uncle was a grower who also showed his chrysanthemums and his aunt was a show judge, but it was his father from whom Eric inherited his flair for cultivating them. Eric was 21 when his father passed away, leaving him to look after the family market garden business. Having helped his father after…

SAVE UP To £9.50 ALSO IN THE KG SHOP THIS MONTH GARLIC ‘RHAPSODY WIGHT’ (SOFTNECK) This superb softneck garlic develops into bright, large bulbs that lift themselves up out of the ground as they swell, exposing wonderful deep purple streaks and mottling. Historically originating from the village of Cadours in southwest France as ‘Violet de Cadours’, ‘Rhapsody Wight’ has been re-selected and developed over several years to ensure it performs well in our UK climate. This garlic has a fresh, zingy flavour, perfect for all your favourite recipes, and is also excellent harvested ‘green’. The earliest of all purple garlic – ready from June if planted at the ideal planting time of October or November. Garlic ‘Rhapsody Wight’ (two bulbs) £7.95 EXCLUSIVE: GARLIC ‘CZECHMATE’ (HARDNECK) A hardneck garlic originating from…