Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2023 i Kitchen Garden

It's summertime and we'll all be hoping for some lovely sunny weather so we can get out and enjoy our gardens and the fruits of our labours on the plot after a busy spring. One of the highlights and something that really shouts summer is picking your own ripe strawberries from beds, baskets and containers and our fruit expert David Patch has all the advice you need to get the party started with this easy-grow crop. It's not too late to plant now and we also have some great bargains on top-quality strawberry plants on page 44 for you. But if other summer fruits are more to your liking, Rob Smith looks at a range of berries just perfect for that delicious summer pudding, starting on page 66. There is…

ALLOTMENT TRANSFORMED My journey started last year when my name came up for an allotment through our local parish council. As you can see from the picture it was somewhat run down and overgrown, with concrete foundations from an old greenhouse and took some time to clear. Polytunnels have always been my favourite way to grow, so I set about finding a second-hand tunnel and installed this on a very large raised bed (scaffold boards). I also had some polystyrene insulation boards which I lined the inside with (keeps the soil temperature a few degrees higher). I fixed guttering to the outside to capture the rain and sunk in two old dustbins around two-thirds into the ground. To transfer water to the IBC I use a cheap 12v transfer pump…

GET GROWING Although courgettes have been grown on the continent for a long time, it wasn't until the 1960s that they started to be grown more widely in the UK. As a child of the 60s I remember marrows being grown in my grandma's garden but can't remember seeing courgettes! Nowadays they are a very popular summer vegetable (technically a fruit), whereas the poor old marrow has taken a back seat and is grown much less. Marrows and courgettes are in fact the same and the courgette is simply an immature marrow with soft skin. SOIL CONDITIONS To grow well, courgettes like a sunny position and a fertile soil. Whether your soil is light and sandy or heavy clay, it always pays to add in some organic matter in the…

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 91 cm (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…

STRAWBERRIES GET GROWING Strawberries are probably the most common ‘gateway drug' into the world of fruit growing. The plants are small, so don't take up a lot of space and can be very successfully grown in containers or pots. The plants themselves are relatively cheap, so the initial investment isn't as daunting as buying an apple or pear tree. As fruit goes, getting a usable crop is pretty straightforward and the fruit is utterly irresistible, whether picked warm, sweet and delicious, and eaten straight from the plant or cooked into jams, Coulis, sorbets or syrups and stored for later. SPRING Spring is an excellent time to plant new strawberry runners. In March and April you will find them in pots in any garden centre, and planting new means you take less…

BUILD A POND GET GROWING At a time where much of our countryside, and urban green spaces, are under continual threat, a garden pond offers a safe haven for nature. In the last 50 years, one-third of UK ponds are thought to have disappeared, which has had a huge impact on wildlife. But before I put myself forward as Mother Nature's saviour, I have a confession; building a wildlife pond in our garden wasn't my idea, it was my wife Sophie's. As a professional gardener I have several clients with ponds, so it's down to me to maintain them. This often leaves me slipping, sliding and, on occasion, coming away with half its contents swishing around in my boots. So to Say I wasn't keen on the idea was an understatement.…

TOTAL VALUE £818 CUTTING CLASS Renowned for innovation and quality, the professional Japanese pruning range includes shears, secateurs, handsaws, pole saws, telescopic pruners, loppers, and fruit and bonsai tools. The blades are made from highcarbon Japanese steel, with techniques such as impulse hardening increasing blade life by up to three times. The multi-award-winning ARS-KR-1000 Lightweight Garden Shear (RRP £105) features extremely sharp blades finished with a hard chrome layer to reduce the risk of rust, and of residue clinging to the blades. The heavy-duty ARS-VS-8XZ Secateurs (£56) feature an ergonomic design, high-carbon Japanese steel blades and a unique single-hand locking system. Extending to a maximum of 3m (10ft), the powerful, lightweight and beautifully balanced ARS-180ZF-3.0-5 Telescopic LongReach Pruner (£126) is perfect for reaching awkward pruning jobs. Its 180-degree swivel handle…

FULL SPEED AHEAD! As growth in the garden reaches full tilt - the result of super-long days and mild weather - it's time for those harvests to start coming through too. Now's the moment to pick, pluck and pull salads, beetroot, finger-sized carrots, peas, broad beans, and perhaps the first of many courgettes to come. Enjoy these tastes of spring but be sure to keep the momentum up by re-sowing as needed. This is also the time to sow follow-on vegetables, induding many winter staples such as sprouting broccoli, kale and winter varieties of cabbage. Keep on top of weeds before they get on top of your crops! The easiest way to do this is to head out with a sharpened hoe at least once a week to work between…

I love eating fresh peas! Peas are part of a family called legumes, which also includes runner beans and broad beans. Legumes are a group of plants that produce pods with seeds inside. Can you think of any other vegetables like this that you eat at home or school? You can grow tall climbing pea plants that grow up way above your head, or great short varieties too, which are perfect for containers. Let's start growing! YOU WILL NEED: Pea seeds Multipurpose compost A collection of 7-8cm pots or a long planter Water in a watering can WHAT TO DO:…

SNOOKY: Been given some celeriac plants. Last time I had a qo at these I could not qet them any biqqer than qolf ball size. WESTI: They can be tricky but I have had more success by feeding AND watering them regularly. They are much greedier than I anticipated and I give each one their own little hollow to grow in so easy to give them a good water direct. The only other thing is to remove the lower leaves as they swell. I still find along the row that some will be a good size but some just sulk and remain small. BREQ: I grow them every other year on my no-dig beds. I agree that they really don't like to dry out and I start removing the lowest…

Persillade is an ingredient often found in French and Greek dishes and quite simply it is the addition of parsley and garlic. When used at the end of cooking it adds a real kick to a dish. If added earlier, it has a milder effect. SERVES 4 Takes about 30 minutes 500g (17½oz), about 6 small courgettes 1 red onion, sliced finely 1 red pepper, chopped small 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium dessert apple 2 medium tomatoes 250g (9oz) cooked thick ham (smoked is good) Salt and pepper Medium bunch parsley 2 cloves garlic, crushed Good glug extra virgin olive oil…

These potato varieties were developed at the Savari trust (www.sarpo.co.uk) to minimise the chemical inputs that went into growing potatoes. The varieties show good blight resistance, compete vigorously against weeds and can be stored for a long time without sprouting. There are several varieties to choose from including the following three. 'SARPO AXONA' This red-skinned maincrop variety is suitable for baking, roasting and mashing. Both the tubers and the leaves show very good resistance to blight. 'SARPO BLUE DANUBE' This early maincrop variety has striking purple tubers and is very good for roasting and mashing. Unlike most Sarpo varieties, the leaves do not show good resistance to blight, but the tubers are very resistant so won't rot if the disease strikes. 'SARPO KIFLI' 'Sarpo Kifli' is a waxy salad variety.…

(AGM is the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Under RHS garden trials these varieties performed particularly well) SAVe UP To £18 ALSO IN THE KG SHOP THIS MONTH BROAD BEAN PLANT COLLECTION HARVEST FROM JULY The flavour of freshly picked broad beans is quite simply delicious! Enjoy harvesting your own with this great value collection. You will receive 20 plants, 10 each of the following varieties: Greenseeded- This very reliable, green seeded, high-yielding variety produces six or seven large beans per pod and has a great flavour. Thegardenersfavouritefor morethanacenturyand still popular. Expect up to eight delicious beans from this reliable performer. A great one for freezing or the show bench. 1.4m (4½ft). Buy the collection (20 plants, 10 of each variety) for only £12.90 - saving £5 on…

STEP OUT IN STYLE These garden shoes are certain to put a smile in your step! Forget the days of wet feet or soggy slippers: Backdoorshoes are perfect to slip on when you need to tend to the garden, walk the dog or even nip out to the garden office. The Men's Chunky Tread Slate (pictured) would make an ideal gift for the man in your life - or perhaps even your dad for Father's Day! With more than 30 fun designs, there's something to suit everybody. Price: £34.95 www.backdoorshoes.co.uk Tel: 01202 232357 SUBSCRIBER SAVING: Free Grass Design Insulated Lunch Bag, worth £6, with any order over £25, until June 30, 2023 GIFTS THAT GROW Green Fingered Gifts is a lovely new present idea, perfect for any occasion and uniquely…

YOU & YOUR PLOT Get in touch by post, email or via our Facebook page: Facebook.com/kitchengardenmag WHICH PEACH TREE? Could you give me some advice on growing peach trees in North Tyneside. Brian Diver, Wallsend DAVID SAYS: Tricky, All peaches, like apricots and nectarines, are pretty hardy. Although originally thought to be from China, they were grown in Western Asia from around 600BC (Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey area), which had hot summers, but very cold winters. The issue is that they blossom early and have very little tolerance to spring frosts so be ready to fleece if necessary once blossom is out, and you may need to have a soft brush or rabbit's tail just to try and ensure good fruit set. If the weather is cold and windy, the…

PLOTTER OF THE MONTH GET GROWING GERDA TRANT FROM WORCESTERSHIRE Gerda grows her fruit and veg mingled with flowers, for pollinators, in her back garden. Do you have an allotment or veg patch in your garden? When we first moved here it was all grass, but my husband dug it up to establish a garden and my herbs are grown in raised beds on the concrete driveway beside the building. How long have you been growing veg? I have only been able to grow vegetables since I retired and we moved to the bungalow 16 years ago. Why did you start growing your own produce? I just love picking and eating my own fresh vegetables and you can't get fresher than from your own garden. From plot to pot in minutes.…

LAID-BACK GARDENING Many of us can't help but stress about our hobby - when should we sow our seeds, will they come up, the weeds are getting out of hand, the grass needs cutting, will it ever stop raining? If this is you, and it probably applies to most reading this, then you should take a lesson from gardening writer Liz Zorab. Thanks to her gentle writing style and relaxed approach to growing, reading her books is like a course in garden meditation. They remind you to take a step back and to smell the roses… or rosemary. Her new book is part diary, part growing guide and Liz seems to take your hand and guide you through the pitfalls and the pleasures. Her humour may just help you take…

GROW YOUR OWN BERRY BOWL GET GROWING One of the simpler pleasures in life has to be growing your own fruit. From sweet strawberries and blueberries to juicy blackberries and raspberries, they are all expensive to buy in the shops but easy to grow at home, plus they crop for years! STRAWBERRY DELIGHT When it comes to growing your own fruit, you should not only grow what you eat, but what is expensive to buy; so if you love strawberries, grow a selection to keep you in fruit right until the first frost. Over the last few years there have been some great developments in strawberry breeding, resulting in day-neutral varieties which will crop from late May to the first frosts (usually October), constantly providing a stream of sweet, juicy fruit…

PINCHING OUT I slip on my gardening shoes and step out into the tepid morning air clutching a hot mug of coffee. I make my way directly to my greenhouse, where the sun pours in through the glass. The warm air greets me like a hug, and my shoulders relax. I start lifting propagator lids, letting the condensation flow into the corner and on to the floor. Little green shoots of life are boldly pushing through the soil or holding their leaves in upwards worship to the sun. I move to my chillies and peppers, still cosy on their heat mats. They have several leaves now, some dark purple, others bright green. One has exquisite white variegation on the leaves. It's a variety called ‘Fish' that will go on to…

No kitchen garden is complete without beans and here at D T Brown we offer some of the very best available. They are a great choice for both experienced and new vegetable gardeners. The plants of this dramatic purple podded climbing French bean are strong growing and will produce long purple pods over many weeks. Productive as well as an attractive feature - a really great addition to your garden or allotment plot. Whether you call them French beans, green beans, snap beans or string beans, they are a popular, versatile vegetable that is easy to grow in any home garden. Enjoy them steamed, pickled or boiled, as a side dish or main dish, in the hull or shelled - any way you choose to eat French beans, they are…

GET COOKING BAKED STRAWBERRIES WITH A CRISPY GRANOLA TOPPING A firm favourite of children, this is an excellent way to use up any strawberries that are about to go soft. And it's a great dish for little people to help put together too. SERVES 4-6 Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 35 minutes + 10 minutes cooling time FOR THE TOPPING 85g (3oz) oats 100g (3½oz) plain flour 60g (1oz) soft brown sugar 110g (4oz) fridge cold butter, grated FOR THE FILLING 500g (17oz) strawberries, halved 1 tbsp cornflower 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tbsp sugar ORZO WITH FRAGRANT DILL, OLIVES AND PINE NUTS Relatively hands off, aided by the use of a single pan, this is ideal if you aren't in the mood for a load of washing up!…