Growing herbs at home Many of your home-grown herbs will be available from spring and right through the summer. A few, such as coriander, are short-lived and do need to be sown on a regular basis if they are to be picked at their best. Generally speaking the more often herbs are picked, the more […]
Most herbs need very little attention once planted. However, just a little care will pay dividends and ensure that your plants look great and produce plenty of fresh leaves and stems for you to use in the kitchen or on the barbecue whenever needed through the summer months. Pruning and trimming This is critical for […]
Herb wheel A traditional way of growing herbs was to place a cartwheel on the ground and plant up between the spokes. There are not so many cart wheels about now but you can use the principle and make your own round bed with terracotta edging and spokes of the wheel and then a centre […]
Herbs for windowsills Basil Parsley Coriander Herbs for hot spots Rosemary Sage Lavender Herbs to make low hedging Cotton lavender Hyssop Lavender Curry plant Rosemary Hanging over edge of walls Corsican blue rosemary Creeping thymes Dappled shade Angelica Bergamot Comfrey (symphytum) Feverfew Mustard garlic Wild garlic Mint Sorrel Rock garden herbs Corsican mint (Mentha requienii) […]
All the advice you need to grow herbs on the patio or veg plot Kitchen Garden magazine and Hartley Botanic brings you simple advice on easy-grow herbs. From practical advice on growing herbs in containers or pots or bags, using herbs in cooking, storing herbs and maintaining your herbs. Of course, you‘ll also get the […]
Tomatoes are fun to grow, nutritious and tasty. Follow our comprehensive guide to growing this essential crop Most people will have a bash at growing a few tomato plants at some stage; even those with no more than a balcony can plant up a growing-bag. And the wonderful thing about this crop is that providing […]
Taste sun-ripened home-grown sweetcorn and you’ll be hooked; shop-bought cobs will never have the same appeal. Children love mini corn and can even grow their own popcorn and this is the ideal time to sow. Follow our no-nonsense guide to sure-fire success Sweetcorn just oozes sweetness and flavour, but as soon as it is picked […]
The summer squashes, which include patty pan and winter squash, which include pumpkins, are easy and rewarding crops to grow. Squashes are members of the gourd family and include pumpkins, courgettes and marrows. Courgettes can be described as summer squashes but here we will concentrate on summer squashes other than courgettes and also look at […]
The hot peppery taste of radish can really spice up a salad and they are so easy to grow making them ideal for newcomers to veg growing This is one of the easiest vegetables you can grow and one of the fastest to mature. It can be grown between slower crops such as leeks or […]
Peppers are great fun and easy to grow. Follow our back to basics guide and you’ll be enjoying fiery pizzas and sauces or mild tasty dishes with the distinctive twang of sweet pepper by midsummer Chilli and sweet peppers are such a diverse bunch; they are colourful crops and the assortment of shapes and sizes […]
Sow some peas and enjoy them stripped straight from their pods This is one crop that rarely makes it as far as the kitchen. The taste of newly plucked peas slid straight from the pod on a warm summer‘s day is one of the highlights of the gardening year. And peas are packed with nutrients […]
Site and soil Onions need a well-drained, fertile soil in full sun to grow well. Some shelter from the wind helps prevent the tops from being bent over prematurely and this can bring growth to a halt. On exposed sites they may benefit from a short stake to provide a little support. If you are […]
