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Top herbs for delicious dishes

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This is a super month in the fruit and veg garden (and not just because my birthday falls in May). For most of us spring has well d and truly sprung and there are vibrant green shoots all around. The garden always seems to be bursting with pentup energy; drop a seed into the soil and you feel it’s bound to grow!

When I think of spring I think of the wonderful fresh salads that improving conditions allow us to grow with relative ease now and in this issue KG regular Ben Vanheems brings you bags of advice to help you grow your own plentiful supplies.

This is also a time when our thoughts turn to tender crops and although it may still be a little early for some, gardeners in the south might be thinking about sowing runner beans. Allotment enthusiast Rob Smith offers his top tips for a bumper harvest and also reveals his favourite varieties.

Cucumbers are another summer favourite and one I love to grow. This year has been designated Year of the Cucumber by the Fleuroselect Home Garden Association and starting on page 46 I reveal how I like to grow my greenhouse crop. We also have some great growing guides on other diverse and delicious crops, including Florence fennel, yams, herbs and mulberries and if you turn to page 86, KG staff writer Tony Flanagan gives you his verdict on new and distinctive cherry tomato, ‘Shimmer F1’.

Steve Ott, editor

Get the buzz from beekeeping (pages 60-62) www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine

Contact me at: sott@mortons.co.uk | 01507 529396 Find us at www.kitchengarden.co.uk Contact subscriptions: 01507 529529

CHECK OUT OUR GREAT GIVEAWAYS AT WWW.KITCHENGARDEN.CO.UK www.kitchengarden.co.uk | 3

EXPERT ADVICE TO HELP YOU GROW GREAT FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

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YOUR PLOT

6 ON THE VEG PATCH

More timely reminders and top jobs for the veg patch from KG regular Joyce Russell.

This month Joyce is tending to peas, sowing radishes and dividing basil

10 IN THE GREENHOUSE

Greenhouse gardener Martin Fish is planting tomatoes, feeding strawberries and dealing with vine weevils

12 WHAT’S NEW?

The latest news, comment and advice from the world of kitchen gardening

14 YOUR LETTERS AND TIPS

Learn what other KG readers have been up to and pick up some great first-hand advice

NEVER MISS AN ISSUE...

£20

ON PAGE 24 HAVING TROUBLE FINDING A COPY OF THIS MAGAZINE? Just Ask your local newsagent to reserve you a copy each month

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18 CONNECT WITH YOUR KG SUBSCRIBERS’ CLUB

This month KG subscribers can save up to 10% on fruit – plus win a trowel and fork set from Greenhouse Sensation worth £22.50!

20 KG PROBLEM SOLVER

Our top experts help solve your gardening problems; this month including pollinating melons, dealing with carrot fly and moving asparagus

102 22 BOOK REVIEWS

Some great new titles reviewed by guest writer Rebecca Garbutt

50 GROWING ONLINE

Our roundup of the best websites, blogs, vlogs and gardening socials

58 NEXT MONTH

Some of the highlights to be found in your June issue plus news of more great free gifts

110 LAST WORD

KG reader Stephen Nightingale takes us back to simpler times and what we can learn from the past www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine

MAY 2020

69 Scan this, and we’ll tell you!

88

KG regular Anna Cairns Pettigrew brings you delicious recipes based on freshly harvested fare ✪

Pg 106

GET GROWING 16 ON THE PLOT WITH THE THREE MUDKETEERS

This month the KG team are sowing runner beans, planting salads and evicting slugs

26 TOP TIPS FOR PERFECT PODS ✪

Veg expert Rob Smith has some great advice to help you grow your best ever runner beans

26 64 FRILLY AND FULSOME

How to grow that tasty and decorative salad crop, endive

66 FROM COUCH GRASS TO COURGETTES

Meet ace plotters and Instagram diarists Marie and Jim Darlow from West Yorkshire

31 ENJOYING THE PLOT

We reveal some more of the wonderful entries in our recent KG Plotter Competition

69 LITTLE GREEN FINGERS ✪

91 FLYING THE FLAG FOR ALLOTMENTS

Plaudits and new plots for the Derby-based Potty Plotters

94 GROWING ONLINE AND ON THE PLOT

We chat to online plotter Rachel Wilkinson, winner in our search for the best gardening blogger

Ben Vanheems explains how you can harvest fresh salads all year round

Garden writer and mum of two Janice Hopper reveals her secrets for getting the kids out into the garden and having some green-fingered fun

40 SIX OF THE BEST CULINARY HERBS ✪

74 HERE WE GO ROUND THE MULBERRY TREE ✪

96 PRODUCT REVIEW – GARDEN HOES

46 CUES TO CELEBRATE ✪

78 FOR EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON ✪

100 GREAT READER OFFERS – SAVE OVER £22! ✪

36 GROW A SALAD BAR

✪

Deputy editor Emma Rawlings reveals her favourite half-dozen herbs for the kitchen

It’s the year of the cucumber and time to sow those greenhouse varieties says KG editor, Steve Ott

52 ANISEED DELIGHTS

Discover the unique flavour of Florence fennel with our top sowing tips

55 MARVELLOUS MAY!

It’s planting time on organic gardener Stephanie Hafferty’s plot as she fills the veg patch and polytunnel with growing goodies

60 GET THE BUZZ FROM BEEKEEPING

So you want to keep bees? Gardening journalist Emily Collins researches the essentials www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine

Nurseryman David Patch extols the virtues of this beautiful tree fruit

Biodynamic gardener Julie Moore investigates the true cost of our demand for seasonal food

84 YOMPING YAMS ✪

Yams are a mainstay in hotter climes, but Sally Cunningham reveals one that can thrive in the chilly UK

86 ONE TO TRY – TOMATO ‘SHIMMER’

KG staff writer Tony Flanagan reveals his thoughts on a unique new cherry tom

88 MAKE YOUR OWN CROP COVERS ✪

KG regular Joyce Russell brings you her latest money-saving weekend project

WHAT TO BUY

The KG team look at a range of hoes to help you win the war on weeds

Claim 20 free kale 'Nero di Toscana' plants worth £10.90 when you order any of our bargain collections

102 GREAT GIVEAWAYS WORTH OVER £2642 ✪

Our prizes in this issue include raised bed kits, hand tools, online courses, organic plant feeds and show tickets

104 GARDEN STORE PLUS SUBSCRIBER SAVERS

News of some great new products and services and a chance for KG subscribers to save up to 10% on big-name products!

114 GIVEAWAYS ENTRY FORM www.kitchengarden.co.uk | 5

GET GROWING

TASKS FOR YOUR VEGETABLE PATCH IN MAY BY JOYCE RUSSELL Piictures: Ben Russell

TAKE A WALK AROUND

A daily garden tour will help you spot problems before they really get started. Add a support or replace ties where needed; nip off discoloured leaves; watch out for pest damage; and enjoy the beauty of the May garden while you are wandering.

MAKE SUCCESSIONAL SOWINGS

Sow rows of salad leaves and lettuce every three or four weeks until the end of September. This will ensure there’s a continuous supply of tasty fresh leaves. Remove large, bitter plants in the knowledge that more rows of young ones are ready to replace them.

THIN OUT CROWDED SEEDLINGS

Carrot, parsnip and beetroot seedlings will be a few centimetres tall at this stage and they are probably crowded in the rows.

Pull weaker seedlings to leave carrots and beetroot at 8cm (3in) apart and parsnips around 15cm (6in) apart if you want to grow decent-sized roots.

DIVIDE HERBS

Herbs can grow well in pots, but old plants become crowded and grow fewer new shoots. Empty the pot and split the herb clump in half. Put each half in a large pot of fresh compost and you will soon have lots of fresh herbs.

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JOBS FOR THE MONTH XXX

QUICK AND EASY BASIL

STEP 1: Buy a pot of fresh basil from the vegetable section of the supermarket. Plants may be crowded and tall, so look for the shortest and strongest ones that you can.

Empty the plant from the pot and divide up the rootball into eight parts. Each section should have three or four stems.

STEP 2: Put each section into a 12cm (5in) pot filled with damp compost. Grow on at 15-20C (59-68F) don’t go hotter until plants are established. If you want more plants, then repeat with another pot of fresh herbs. Some plants grow stronger than others, but most grow better in clumps than as singletons.

STEP 3: When plants have established and are growing well in the pots then they can be planted out. Wait until the last frost is passed before planting the clumps at 30cm (12in) apart in a soil that is enriched with potash and phosphorous. Basil does best in a sunny well-drained bed.

SOW NOW

SOW SUMMER RADISHES

TEND TO PEAS

Early sowings of mangetout varieties are in full flower and it’s only a couple of weeks between flowers and pods. Keep an eye on things and harvest the pods while they are small and crisp – they are tasty and stringless at this stage. There will be lots more pods over the next month or so, and if you keep picking then more pods will grow. Keep the roots watered in dry weather if you want the best crops.

Sow more mangetout in May for a late summer harvest – you can sow later, but plants are often less productive in the autumn.

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Radishes are easy to grow and they don’t take up much space, but they are only worth trying if you like the taste.

Grow a mixed pack of colours and strengths to find out what suits the best. Some are more peppery than others but all tend to be less hot when they are small and young. Sow every three weeks if you want a supply through the summer to add zing to your salads.

Note: if you want to introduce children to gardening then it’s worth growing things that they look forward to eating and love to taste. Leave aside the radishes and try peas, strawberries or carrots instead.

Pumpkins and squash, early carrots, kohlrabi, cabbages, cauliflowers, turnips, swedes, runner beans, climbing French beans, Florence fennel, peas, salad leaves, lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, sweetcorn, parsley, basil.

PLANT NOW

Cabbages, celery, celeriac, Brussels sprouts, beans, swedes, beetroot, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc, raised in pots, or bought as small plants.

HARVEST

Asparagus, mangetout and early peas, broad beans, rhubarb, cauliflower, spring cabbage, kale, lettuce, salad leaves, spinach, Swiss chard, first courgettes and strawberries. www.kitchengarden.co.uk | 7

GET GROWING

TACKLE A PLANT PROBLEM

■ EARTH UP POTATOES Pile plenty of soil around the stems of maincrop varieties – potatoes turn green if exposed to light. You can get away with not earthing up early and salad varieties if tubers are used small and before they poke through the soil.

If you dig up a 3-4cm (1¼-1½in) long white grub with six legs and a brown head, it is probably the larva of a cockchafer (also known as a May bug). The larvae live in the soil for two to three years and they eat the roots of some plants. Dig around any small plant that suddenly flops and remove any of these grubs that you find when digging.

If you sowed seeds in pots last month then they should have produced some strong green shoots by now. Sweetcorn grows fast and you need deep pots to keep plants moving. Roots soon start to twist around if they can’t keep going down and growth will be inhibited. Get them into the ground as soon as you are sure the last frost is passed, or pot on plants into larger and deeper containers if frost is still an issue.

You can sow seed directly into the ground this month, provided soil temperature is over 12C (53F). Sow two seeds per station at 40cm (16in) apart and dig plenty of rotted manure into the plot before sowing. Grow plants in blocks, rather than rows, to help achieve good pollination. Mark each sowing point with a stick and protect against slugs when small. Remove the weakest plant when they are around 15cm (6in) tall and leave the strongest one to grow on. Sweetcorn is thirsty and won’t do well in dry soil.

■ HARVEST ASPARAGUS Cut spears at ground level when they are around 20cm (8in) tall and before the tips open. Use a knife to make a clean cut.

■ HARVEST EARLY BEANS The first broad beans are delicious and they should be picked small.

The taste is so much better than large starchy monsters, so enjoy the babies and try to keep up with the harvest as more pods swell.

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May can be a dry month and you may need to prioritise what you can water in the garden. All plants in containers are high on the list and any small plants that haven’t yet grown a good root system.

Onions and garlic need plenty of water if they are to reach a good size and rhubarb won’t grow great stems in dry soil. Peas and beans need lots of water when in flower and squash of all kinds are notoriously thirsty.

START YOUR SWEETCORN

■ SOW RUNNER BEANS You can get earliest harvests by sowing seed in pots in April and planting out as soon as last frosts are passed.

For later crops sow seed directly in the soil around a support frame in May.

■ PLANT BRUSSELS SPROUTS Seed sown in February or early March will have produced plants big enough to be planted out into their final home.

Harden plants off over a week before planting and allow 60cm (2ft) between each one in firm ground.

WATER THIRSTY CROPS

PROTECT FRUIT BUSHES

If you have a permanent fruit cage to protect soft fruit bushes, then you are lucky. More gardeners have a temporary approach to netting, where structures are put up as needed to ensure that birds don’t eat all the ripe fruits.

It is a good idea to net fruit bushes before they flower, but failing that, then before they set fruit.

Bullfinches will eat fruit blossom if they can reach it and you can easily pull off open flowers and small berries as you drag a net over. You lose less by covering bushes early than by doing this late – just make sure that the mesh size is big enough to allow access for pollinating insects.

Poles with jam jars on the top are a good way to raise the net above the bushes and a soft broom is a good way to lift net into position over the top of a tall bush. Make sure there are no gaps where net is weighted down to the ground. If there’s a hole in the netting, then a bird will find its way in. Check around and repair as needed so your net is as effective as it can be. www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine

■ Sow tender vegetables such as courgette and sweetcorn in cell trays in the greenhouse to produce strong plants for the garden.

WITH MARTIN FISH

HARVESTING AND PLANTING

■ Thin rows of seedlings such as carrots and beetroot when the seedlings are large enough to handle.

■ Earth up rows of potatoes little and often to encourage more tubers to develop in the ridges.

■ To have a continuous supply of lettuce and salad crops all summer long, sow little and often.

■ Keep young cucumber plants warm at all times because if subjected to cold or wet conditions they soon start to rot off at soil level.

10 | www.kitchengarden.co.uk

It is easier to harvest something year round if you grow in a polytunnel

One of the great joys of growing edible crops undercover is being able to harvest a fresh selection of tasty fruit and veg through much of the year. Because you can start sowing and planting earlier than outside in the garden, by May you should have plenty of crops growing. The secret of successful polytunnel growing is to grow what you like and to make the most of the growing space available.

This means keeping an eye on your plants as they grow and harvesting little and often, especially with fast-growing crops such as salads and spinach. As one crops comes to an end, remove it and be ready to sow or plant the next crop to fill the gap. www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine

JOBS FOR THE MONTH

TRY GRAFTED PLANTS Over recent years grafted vegetables have become more and more popular with amateur growers, although they have long been used by commercial growers.

For the amateur gardener, grafted tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and melons have made a big difference, especially where people have experienced problems with soil-borne diseases as a result of growing in the same soil for several years. The rootstocks used for grafted plants have good resistance to common root diseases, enabling you to carry on growing where seedraised plants struggle. The rootstock also has more vigour to give stronger plants and a heavier crop. Although more expensive than seed-raised plants, the higher yield and extra disease resistance make them worth growing in many situations.

Grafted pepper, cucumbers and melons ready for planting

FEED AND WATER STRAWBERRIES Although strawberry plants are totally hardy and can be grown outside, they can also be grown undercover to get an early crop that’s protected from birds and extremes of weather. So that the plants don’t take up growing space in the borders, they can easily be grown in hanging pots or containers of compost where they will happily live out their useful cropping life of two or three years. As the weather warms up and the plants start to make more growth, make sure they are watered regularly to keep the compost moist, but avoid over-watering as strawberries dislike wet roots. When flowering starts give a weekly high potash liquid-feed and continue this while the fruits develop and ripen.

PLANT UP TOMATOES By late April or early May it should be safe in most districts to plant tomato plants out in a cold (unheated) polytunnel, especially if they have been hardened off from a warm greenhouse. However, before planting, check the forecast for the next few days ahead to make sure no night frosts are forecast. A polytunnel will give some protection on cold nights, but ideally try and plant during a mild spell to help the plants to settle in. Because of disease problems, I’m growing less in the soil and more in pots and self-watering growing systems. These are being planted in a compost and perlite mix to make sure the compost drains well and doesn’t become waterlogged.

CHECK FOR VINE WEEVILS

At this time of the year adult vine weevil beetles are starting to emerge and looking for host plants to lay their eggs.

As vine weevil beetles don’t fly, they can often be spotted crawling up the sides of a greenhouse or polytunnel and are easy to recognise with their dark grey/black body and long nose. A tell-tale sign you have vine weevils is notches eaten around the edge of leaves, but it’s the cream-coloured grubs that do the most damage by eating the roots off many plants, especially those grown in pots, such as strawberries. Keep an eye open for the beetles over the next few months and if found, the best way to deal with them is to squash them!

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Grow veg in small pots ready to fill in the gaps

■ To keep your greenhouse or polytunnel well stocked with a mixture of your favourite vegetables through the growing season, it’s a good idea to start a selection of young plants off in small pots. As soon as you clear one crop, you can pop these plants in to fill any gaps and maximise your growing space.

■ Although we want warm weather to help plants grow, under glass or polythene it can get hot on sunny days, so make sure you ventilate to prevent plants from overheating.

■ Check fruit and veg plants on a regular basis for pests and diseases, such as aphids, slugs and snails and fungal diseases that can soon appear at this time of the year. As soon as spotted, take action to prevent them spreading to more plants.

■ If you planted some early tomatoes that are now developing small sideshoots, these can be removed and rooted in small pots to produce new plants that can be grown on to produce fruits in late summer and early autumn.

■ Gradually increase the amount of water you give to your crops as the plants grow and the days get warmer and ideally carry out the watering in the morning.

www.kitchengarden.co.uk | 11

YOU

YOUR PLOT

ALL THE LATEST NEWS, PRODUCTS & FACTS FROM THE WORLD OF KITCHEN GARDENING

SCOTLAND TO SHOWCASE HEALTHY GARDENS

Scotland’s Garden Scheme schedule for 2020 will celebrate the country’s native wildlife and unique biodiversity.

Established almost 90 years ago, the charity encourages private owners to open up their gardens to help raise money for a number of local and national causes. This year’s selection features more than 500 gardens, 89 of which will be accessible to the public for the first time.

Among the sites opening this year is Baile Gaemhraidh, a biodynamic farm on the island of Lismore, as well as Bruckills Croft in Aberdeenshire – home

of award-winning wildlife gardener Helen Rushton.

Terrill Dobson, National Organiser for Scotland’s Garden Scheme, wants this year’s events to focus on the importance of healthy gardens and the ecosystems they foster.

“It’s wonderful to offer the public so many fantastic naturefriendly gardens to visit. We’re hoping lots of people will walk away inspired by what they’ve seen,” said Terrill.

For more information on garden openings, ticket prices and the scheme schedule, visit https://scotlandsgardens.org Story by Rebecca Garbutt

SLUG SPOTTERS FOR MAJOR STUDY The Royal Horticultu ural Society (RHS) has been recruiting volunteers to join them on a yearlong slug hunt.

The charity, in collaboration with Newcastle University, is hoping to learn more ore about the species that live in the UK today, as well as investigating their abundance across the country and the features that attract them. This study will be the largest of its kind in 70 years, with its findings being used to aid research into the spread of new species and how to control them.

Around 60 slug-spotters have been recruited; each tasked with performing a monthly 30-minute survey in their garden.

Participants will be sending their findings and a selection of the slugs they find to a team of RHS scientists for closer examination.

Story by Rebecca Garbutt

CHANGING SEASONS – PROBLEM FOR WILDLIFE

The Woodland Trust says blackbirds, newts and butterflies aare among the species that are struggling to adapt to Britain’s shifting seasons.

B The charity, which works on conservation projects across tthe country, has warned that milder winters and unfamiliar weather patterns are having a negative impact on the lives off w llocal wildlife.

Nature’s Calendar, the campaign responsible for investigatting the eeffects of climate change on nature, has reported that only one ne of 50 sspringtime events arrived on time in 2019, with the rest happening prematurely.

They claim that Britain’s merging seasons are confusing wildlife, subjecting them to uninhabitable weather conditions, early hibernations and interruptions to their food chain.

For more information visit: https://naturescalendar.woodlandtrust.org.uk Story by Rebecca Garbutt

NEW SWEET POTATO VARIETIES

‘Erato Violet’

Fruit and Vegetable specialists D.T. Brown are offering three new varieties of sweet potato, which will bring colour and flavour to your kitchen table. They can be planted out in ridges, or grown in large containers.

The varieties are 'Erato Deep Orange', 'Erato Gusto' and 'Erato Violet', available as packs of 5 young plants priced at £9.95 or as a collection of 15 young plants (5 of each) for £19.90, saving £9.95.

For more information visit: www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk

DO YOU HAVE SOME HOT STORIES FOR OUR NEWS PAGES? SEND THEM TO TFLANAGAN@MORTONS.CO.UK 12 | www.kitchengarden.co.uk

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WHAT’S NEW?

SEEDS OF FRIENDSHIP FOR NATIONAL GARDENING WEEK The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has announced that the theme for this spring’s National Gardening Week (April 27 – May 3) will be Sowing the Seeds of Friendship. The RHS is calling for gardeners up and down the country to join in events, check out their local gardening clubs, organise gardening gatherings and conquer loneliness by making friends through horticulture.

A recent OnePoll Survey commissioned by the RHS showed that 52 per cent of people in Britain had experienced feeling alone. More than half of adults enjoyed being surrounded by greenery and a further 53 per cent said it boosted their mood. As a result, 59 per cent agreed being a member of a community group would make them feel less lonely and a quarter said it would boost their confidence.

More than a sixth of those polled wished there

were more social groups in their community.

In 2020, the RHS hopes even more people will get involved in National Gardening Week and register their events at www.rhs.org.uk/ nationalgardeningweek Story by Rebecca Garbutt

SWEETCORN HARVESTER You may have read our short piece in the last issue on Chipper, a dog from Dorset that has developed an uncanny knack of harvesting sweetcorn when the cobs are ripe. “A hop, skip and a jump and, before you know it, Chipper is off to the kitchen with a juicy cob locked firmly between his jaws.” As this appeared in the April issue, the story – sadly – was an April Fool, though we could all do with a dog like Chipper, couldn’t we?

SPONGE HARVEST FOR NATIONAL TRUST The National Trust’s Knighthayes Estate in Devon is swapping plastic for plants, as they finish harvesting their first crop of home-grown kitchen luffas.

Grown in their very own Victorian kitchen garden, the luffas sprout as the fruits of the Luffa cylindrica – a long marrow-shaped fruit – that once matured, works perfectly for scrubbing dirty dishes. Gardeners at the National Trust site began the eco-friendly initiative in an attempt to cut back on plastic waste.

With plans for another crop later this year, kitchen garden supervisor Bev Todd is encouraging more people to try and grow sponges for themselves.

“With the growing awareness of single-use plastics and their impact on the environment, we wanted to find a more sustainable alternative to the disposable sponges we had been using,” she said.

Story by Rebecca Garbutt

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NO MOW MAY British conversation charity Plantlife is urging garden-lovers to leave their mowers in the shed for May and let their grass grow.

On May 25-27 the charity will hold a national bank holiday weekend count, inviting everyone to count the flowers in a random square in their lawn.

Plantlife’s botanical expert Dr Trevor Dines explains: “We’re calling on gardeners all over the UK to help us take the pulse of our nation’s lawns. By leaving our mowers in the shed for ‘No Mow May’, we’ll give billions of plants a chance to flower. Then during the late May bank holiday weekend our brand new Every Flower Counts activity will tell us which flowers take poll position on our lawns and how much nectar they’re producing."

To find out more go to: www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/about-us/ news/plantlife-launches-no-mow-may

BARNSDALE AFTER GEOFF Nick Hamilton, owner of Barnsdale Gardens, is to speak at Thorpe Hall Hospice in Peterborough in aid of the Sue Ryder charity.

The fundraiser, which takes place on May 7, will explore his time running ning the gardens since they were passed over to him by his father – former presenter of Gardeners’ World, Geoff Hamilton. Nick will share his knowledge of the evolution of the gardens, as well as the stories, photographs and memories he has gathered since taking over the site nearly 25 years ago.

Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start. For tickets go to: www.barnsdalegardens.co.uk/mayevents.html Story by Rebecca Garbutt www.kitchengarden.co.uk | 13

YOU

YOUR PLOT

GARDENING AND WELL-BEING G I know the benefits of gardening for mental well-being are well documented, but I just wanted to thank Kitchen Garden for its part in keeping me motivated to garden for my health. I have a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and also get seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in the winter. Reading Kitchen Garden and planning the season ahead gives me something to look forward to. I don't think it is understating it to say gardening is a lifesaver for me.

Alison Brumfitt, Bedford

WHY BOTHER? No, these are not my seed potatoes, but the remains of a bag of ‘Maris Piper’ bought one week ago from a large supermarket. I reckon they have been kept in cold storage for at least six months or more. When I am asked: “Why bother with an allotment?” – this is why!

Colin Smith, Folkestone

TONY SAYS: And thank you to you too, Alison. Good to know that gardening is having such a positive impact on your life.

CONTACT US WITH YOUR LETTERS AND TIPS: TFLANAGAN@MORTONS.CO.UK

RAISED BEDS THE HUGEL WAY Four years ago when I turned 70 I decided to change my vegetable garden from 6in raised beds to 18-20in raised beds to make gardening easier.

Making them with dimension lumber was fairly easy, not much sawing involved. I was surprised, however, at the tremendous amount of soil needed to fill 15, 3 x 8ft beds.

That would have been very costly and a lot of work since I garden on a hill and would have had to bring up the soil barrow by barrow.

At the same time I learned about Hugel beds during a permaculture seminar. Hugel beds mimic the forest floor – big tree trunks and branches under smaller branches overlaid with leaves and plant debris. Since I had

Send us your tips and pictures and if your letter is published you will get a £10 Dobies voucher. If you are lucky enough to have yours chosen as our Star Letter you will get a £25 voucher. Your voucher will be sent out with a Dobies catalogue and you can choose to spend your winnings on a fabulous range of seeds,

14 | www.kitchengarden.co.uk

a lot of material from clearing space for gardening – cutting down some old fruit trees and pruning trees and shrubs – I used it, and some compost, to fill the beds in layers. The only cost was some chicken manure and a two-inch layer of bagged soil for the top. After four years, the level of soil has gone down so I have now topped the beds up with my compost, more chicken manure and a thin layer of bagged soil to keep out weeds.

These beds make gardening easy and the harvests are great.

Anne Cashion, WA, USA TONY SAYS: For more on the Hugel method visit: www.wildhomesteading. com/hugelkultur-beds

young plants and gardening sundries. You can get hold of a copy of the catalogue now by phoning 0844 701 7625 or go online to www.dobies.co.uk You can reach us by letter, email or via our Facebook page: FACEBOOK.COM/ KITCHENGARDENMAG

Email E il your letters l tt to tflanagan@mortons. co.uk or post to Letters, Kitchen Garden, Mortons Media Group, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR

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CONTACT US:

EMMA RAWLINGS erawlings@mortons.co.uk

STEVE OTT sott@mortons.co.uk

TONY FLANAGAN tflanagan@mortons.co.uk

YOUR VIEWS XXX

LABELS – TOP TIP In your product review of labels (March issue) under the heading Top Tip you mention the use of a bleach solution to clean indelible ink off labels. Indelible ink or permanent ink can be removed more safely using a ‘whiteboard spray cleaner’ and a cloth.

However, I personally prefer a chinagraph pencil (any dark colour pencil on white labels and white pencils on dark colour labels). The wax, being weatherproof, is long lasting, easy to erase and much cheaper than permanent markers.

Tom Marlow, Skegness

EDITORIAL Tel 01507 529396, Fax 01507 371075 EDITOR: Steve Ott, sott@mortons.co.uk DEPUTY EDITOR: Emma Rawlings,

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STAFF WRITER: Tony Flanagan,

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PRODUCTION: Pauline Hawkins,

Sarah Spencer

PUBLISHER: Tim Hartley DESIGNER: Charlotte Turnbull

WHAT GARDENING MEANS TO ME! I have just received my first copy of Kitchen Garden and I have to say I have enjoyed every bit of it. I thought I would drop readers a note to just say what it means to me. I have had my allotment now since September 2011 and it just continues to enrich my life but one of the most important things I have learned is that it’s best to take your time with everything. Since I got the keys all those years ago I have met new friends, grown some good and some not-so-good veg, it has kept me healthy and has inspired my love of photography. I have even started to write some poetry and have recently completed my first draft of a children’s book. You never stop developing and learning and there is something different to do or try every year. It’s great fun and an adventure each year just planning what you are going to grow or change and deciding on what’s going to be your ‘guest’ vegetable or fruit.

Susan Weedy, Northumberland

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UK subscriptions are zero-rated for the purposes of Value Added Tax.

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HOW LATE CAN I SOW TOMATOES? VIVIENZ: I have just found two packets of tomato seeds that I forgot to sow when I did most of them. Is it too late to be worthwhile sowing any of these (May)?

TIGERBURNIE: I would think it’s a bit late now, lack of light and warmth later on in the year could be a problem for ripening. If you like green tomato chutney, then fire ahead.

GEOFF: Unless they are very expensive seed and you have space, why not? If they grow fast enough stop them at three trusses and hope for a good autumn.

The Professional Publishers Association Member

KG AND THE ENVIRONMENT Once you have read and enjoyed your copy of Kitchen Garden magazine, why not recycle it? Remove the glossy cover and shred the rest before adding to your compost heap or bean trench. Subscriber copies now come in recyclable paper, while the polythene sleeves in which KG is supplied in shops are recyclable. Look for the label printed on yours and follow the instructions.

OLD HERBACEOUS: Another one of those topics where some of us have different thoughts but that’s why gardening still excites me....

TO HAVE YOUR SAY ON THE FORUM VISIT: HTTP://FORUM.KITCHENGARDEN.CO.UK www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine

www.kitchengarden.co.uk | 15

Illustrations: Let’ss Face It

Give plants in pots a fresh covering of compost to cover any bare roots and to replenish with nutrients

“Have you viewed us on YouTube yet?”

The KG team offer chat, tips and gardening gossip

3 Mudketeers

DRIPS!

No, I don’t mean the Muddies, of course, that would be unkind, wouldn’t it? Here they are getting the polytunnel sorted for the summer with an irrigation kit. By the looks of them, it seems they’re having a bit of trouble working out how it all fits together. I suspect they’ll sort it before sunset.

Irrigation kits are great for summer watering and can save you a lot of

16 | www.kitchengarden.co.uk

work, especially during very dry spells.

Often it’s just a matter of laying down the pipes which will drip-feed water into your pots or directly into the soil.

This can be connected to an outside pipe, a hose or a water butt, and if you want even more control over your watering, you can attach a timer.

Come on chaps, hurry up, it’ll be time for supper at this rate!

DEFINING MOMENT IN THE POLYTUNNEL You might say it’ll never happen to you.

It happened to me when I was planting outt in the polytunnel. My octogenarian mum recently gave me a kneeler – the type with handles to help you lever yourself upright after weeding or planting and which can be flipped over to make a comfy seat. She bought it at the garden centre, got it home and decided, despite having dodgy knees, that she wasn’t at that stage yet. She gave it to me to find a home for – maybe a gardening friend or charity shop would find it useful?

Then, after planting a few lettuces recently and with my back complaining, I suddenly found myself thinking about the kneeler that was still hanging in my shed.

No one else was around so I sneaked it into the tunnel and tried it. The result? Let’s just say I haven’t given it away yet.

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