Updated 28/12/24 If you’ve made gardening your way to better health, you’re on your way to exercise elation. Fitness is an important part of our weekly routine as it can improve your health and reduce the risk of developing serious diseases. So, for a New Year’s resolution you'll want to stick to, why [...]

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In week three you saw big veg, and now you’ve seen giant veg. There’s a world of growing crops the size of spacehoppers, and they’re seriously impressive, but you can still use whatever space you have available to grow veg. One of the most important things to do is prepare the soil. I [...]

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Olives are a very popular part of a Mediterranean diet. First cultivated around 7,000 years ago in Mediterranean regions, it has been a long-standing part of diets. As well as being important taste-wise, they are a rich source of oils, minerals and vitamins A, E, K and B. When turned into olive oil, [...]

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Rose bushes climbing up brick walls, trellises, arbours, or pergolas make beautiful features. At this time of year, you can see on some rose bushes that rosehips are starting to form after flowering. But what can you do with rosehips on rose bushes? As flowering tends to occur between May and September, rosehips [...]

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There’s always division when it comes to celery. Some people love the crunchy veg, but some think that the stringy texture and peppery flavour is unpalatable. Nevertheless, celery is a fantastic crop to grow in the grow-your-own area. Celebrating celery With its peppery flavour and [...]

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Tucking into a refreshing melon on a warm summer’s day is enough to quench our thirst with their high-water content. The melons we buy in supermarkets are from warmer climates, so you may be surprised to know that you can grow your own melons in the garden here in the UK. Fantastic [...]

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This month’s recipe is a filling, hearty, nutritious and colourful dish. The beef and quinoa stuffed aubergine combines many textures and flavours for an explosion of taste. It’s an easy combination of ingredients and is useful for a large dinner table, or to be made and frozen for future uses for midweek dinners. [...]

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When you want to enjoy the rewards of growing fresh fruit in your garden but don’t have the space to grow many trees as pollinating partners, you can look at self-fertile fruit trees. These fruit trees will give you a harvest without the need for a partner. However, it’s important to bear in mind [...]

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As we step further into spring and summer, we tend to crave lighter and fresher meals that are tasty and satisfying. This chickpea tabbouleh is a perfect addition to the dinner table as a main meal, side dish, or in a large serving bowl at a buffet or barbecue. Follow the easy steps on [...]

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Succession planting refers to staggering sowing of crops or by continuously sowing seeds to have an elongated harvest period. This maximises productivity to make the most out of the vegetable garden through growing season. Succession planting can be planting the same crop at different times, to stagger harvest times. For example, sowing lettuce one [...]

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If you’ve got a large harvest of parsnips and don’t want to save them all for Christmas, this lovely warming pasta dish will make good use of them. The mixture of flavours in this sage, parsnip and bacon linguine is sure to satisfy your taste buds without taking much time to prepare. Growing [...]

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Although October is the month when things start to slow down in the veg patch or on the allotment, there are still plenty of things to do and grow. One of the most important things to consider is your soil. Improve your soil If your soil is heavy clay, now is [...]

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September is a lovely time for fruit in the garden. Many different types of fruit start to ripen now. Also, it’s a good time to plant new fruit trees and shrubs because the soil is still relatively warm. Get out the books on preserving and pickling or have a go at making your own fruit infused [...]

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This is the month when things start to slow down in the garden. In September, the veg patch has crops needing to be harvested as they ripen and either stored, preserved, or eaten! It’s still possible to succession sow some crops such as lettuce and carrots. Simply, ensure you choose the correct variety to sow [...]

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The Three Sisters Gardening method is a Native American technique that has been used for over three centuries. The crops sustained them physically and spiritually. So, find out more about the Three Sisters Gardening method and how you can use these agricultural traditions in your own garden. What is it? It [...]

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August is a month when all sorts of veg start to ripen. If you let your crops get too big before you pick them the plant may stop producing. Plus, overlarge specimens aren’t generally as tasty as those picked when younger, so it really is a case of pick, pick, pick! It’s also a [...]

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This is a busy month in the garden, with plenty of crops to harvest as a reward for your care and nurturing in the garden. Whilst harvesting your runner beans and potatoes, it’s also time to think ahead to winter and what to start growing so you have harvests later in the year. Here [...]

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Salsify is a fascinating plant, versatile in the garden as well as the kitchen. Find out how to grow this plant and decide whether you want to grow them for the delightful flowers or the delicious roots in your meals. Tragopogon porrifolius is more commonly known as common salsify, or even oyster plant because [...]

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Plum trees are a fantastic and reliable tree to have in the garden.  Plums are grown on every continent except for Antarctica, so find out how to grow your own plums in your garden here. They are perfect for smaller gardens, and many types are self-fertile, so you don’t need huge amounts of space [...]

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Three major things happen in the gardening month of March; spring officially starts, the clocks go forward and it’s the month when most seed sowing is done. Most veg seeds can or should be sown this month, most inside or under cover, some outside, and here’s the top 10 grow your own picks for March: [...]

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