Author Spotlight

Martyna Krol

From natural beekeeping, wildflowers, and allotment gardens to guerilla gardening, aquaponics, and avoiding troubles in the grow room, Garden Culture’s Martyna Krol covers it all! Let’s get to know this writer and gardener extraordinaire a little better, shall we?

What’s your growing motto?

Never give up! Sometimes the results aren’t as expected, the space too small, the weather too wet and so on, but they can be taken as lessons rather than disappointments. I try to observe and learn, read about it and assess, so when the conditions are better, I can implement what I’ve learned next time.

What is your favorite plant to grow?

Tricky question! I love them all for their different qualities, but one that’s been close to my heart recently is Achocha ‘Fat Baby’. It’s a small, cucumber that resembles a hedgehog from South America. It has a remarkable taste and is very easy to grow, even in wet England. Growing organic is simple; all of my ingredients come from nearby farms. It’s a marathon rather than a sprint; it takes some building and hard work at first, but long term results are easy to achieve.

Do you grow organically?

I do, however, I also used mineral nutrients in hydroponics and I don’t have anything against them. I primarily grow in soil, so I create a sustainable environment for soil animals and other little critters, as they do half the work for me. Growing organic is simple; all of my ingredients come from nearby farms. It’s a marathon rather than a sprint; it takes some building and hard work at first, but long term results are easy to achieve.

What is your favorite food?

All of it, I don’t discriminate! Mash can be eaten every day (Polish roots are hard to get rid of), homegrown roasted veg, fresh juices. It would be easier to say what’s my least favorite food: an aubergine.

What is on your playlist right now?

Oh, dear! Not up to everyone’s taste, but it’s my go-to playlist called ‘The Slaughterhouse,’ which contains equally energizing and relaxing death and black metal classics. Currently on ‘Cannibal Corpse - Make them suffer.’ I do listen to ‘normal’ music too, I promise. 3

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