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GROWING FOR BEGINNERS
CALABRESE SIMPLE, TASTY & NUTRITIOUS
No. 214 July 2015
£4.99
DOWN-TO-EARTH ADVICE FOR GROWING FRUIT & VEG | KITCHENGARDEN.CO.UK | JULY 2015
ENJOY BETTER FRUIT
WITH OUR SUMMER PRUNING GUIDE
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PRIZES WORTH £3740
PLANTS BY POST TRIED & TESTED
❮❮ MAKE SLUG-FREE SALAD TRAYS
How to ATTRACT TRACT BUTTERFLIES TERFLIES GALORE
BLUEBERRIES & ORIENTAL VEG MADE EASY EXPERT ADVICE
20 WAYS TO SAVE CASH IN THE GARDEN ★
CONTENTS EXPERT ADVICE TO HELP YOU GROW GREAT FRUIT AND VEGETABLES
52 YOU ✪ ON THE COVER FOLLOW US AT facebook. com/KitchenGardenMag FOR OUR CONTACT DETAILS TURN TO Page 18
SUBSCRIBERS’ CORNER See page 32 for details
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YOUR PLOT
22 GROW STRAWBERRIES IN WATER!
Feed your crops, harvest garlic, watch for blight, sow spinach, peas, and herbs
Nurseryman, John Fitzgerald, reports on his successful experiments with growing crops without soil, especially strawberries
10 IN THE GREENHOUSE Tend to sweetcorn, harvest basil, support tall crops, pick French beans, sow spring onions, trim and pollinate tomatoes
12 HOT TOPICS The latest news and comment from the world of kitchen gardening
16 YOUR LETTERS AND TIPS Learn what other KG readers have been up to and get some great first-hand advice. Plus enter our Spot The Difference competition
20 QUESTION TIME Regular Gardeners’ Question Time panellists Bob Flowerdew and Anne Swithinbank answer your fruit and veg growing conundrums
Some highlights to be found in your August issue, plus details of great free gifts
Just Ask your local newsagent to reserve you a copy each month
4 | JULY 2015
GET GROWING
JOBS THIS MONTH: 6 ON THE VEG PATCH
102 NEXT MONTH
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26 BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO CALABRESE ✪ Get back to basics with Andrew Tokely as he explains how to get the best from this most nutritious of veg
30 VEG AT A GLANCE: ORIENTAL VEG ✪ Star of BBC TV’s Big Allotment Challenge, Jo Jo Yee, joins the team to offer some tips for growing these flavoursome crops
34 PLUGGING THE GAP ✪ Gardening guru, Joe Maiden, sings the praises of plug plants as a way of extending the season, saving time and filling gaps on the plot
38 PETAL ATTRACTION ✪ KG’s Tony Flanagan explores the ways we can attract delightful butterflies into the garden without sacrificing our crops
106 LAST WORD
42 RUDDING PARK’S NEW KITCHEN GARDEN
This month KG reader Lisa Spooner of Penzance, Cornwall explains how she grew her chamomile lawn
Join gardening writer and broadcaster, Martin Fish, on a tour of a new kitchen garden in the beautiful North Yorkshire countryside www.kitchengarden.co.uk
JULY 2015
RECIPES This month tasty recipes for tomatoes, redcurrants and chicory
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48 KG PASSIONATE PLOTTER COMPETITION 2015
Our selection of the best new websites, apps, blogs and books for those who love to grow their own
84 READER SAVERS ✪ This month claim your free summer brassica plant collection, plus save on runner and dwarf French bean plant collections, broad bean, blight-resistant tomato, courgette and cucumber plug plants
52 FRUIT AT A GLANCE: BLUEBERRIES ✪ A KG mini guide to growing this delicious patio fruit
56 DON’T GET DRY THIS SUMMER
60 TIME FOR A FRUITY HAIRCUT ✪ Gardening writer, Sue Stickland, visits the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales to pick up some top summer-fruit pruning tips
64 20 WAYS TO STRETCH YOUR CASH ✪ Thrifty gardener, Kim Stoddart, has some simple but effective ideas to make your gardening pound go further
68 TOP 10 EDIBLE FLOWERS Gardening writer and broadcaster, Anne Swithinbank, lists her favourite blooms for flavour, including some surprising choices www.kitchengarden.co.uk
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74 GROWING GUIDES
We launch our annual competition to discover the keenest fruit and veg gardeners in Britain and explain how you could win part of the £3266 prize package we have on offer
We reveal some ways to make the best use of water on the plot and take a look at a selection of irrigation kits available to gardeners
WHAT TO BUY
76 70 MAKE A SLUG-PROOF SALAD CONTAINER ✪ DIY-loving gardener, Joyce Russell, has some plans to help you keep your salads slug-free
76 THE LOST GARDENS OF HELIGAN Gardening journalist, Liz Boden, travels to Cornwall to talk to the garden’s modern-day mentor, Sir Tim Smit, and new head gardener, Iain Davies, to check on progress 25 years after the garden’s rediscovery
96 DIARY DATES Details of seed and young plant suppliers plus giveaways coupon
86 TRIED AND TESTED The KG team puts a selection of mulching materials through their paces
90 GARDEN STORE News of the best new products and services to reach the KG offices this month
92 GIVEAWAYS WORTH £3740 ✪ This month you could win these great prizes: plant protection kit, fertilisers, a handy garden trolley, wooden raised beds, trendy wellies, garden furniture paint, and stylish herb boxes JULY 2015 | 5
YOU
&
YOUR PLOT
HOT TOPICS NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF GROWING YOUR OWN FRUIT AND VEG
DIGGING FOR VICTORY AT HARROGATE FLOWER SHOW One of the highlights of the spring Harrogate Flower show from a veg growers’ point of view was the Victory Allotment created by Leeds and District Allotment Gardeners’ Federation (LDGF). This was a tribute to the Dig for Victory campaign of the Second World War which saw the whole country galvanised into growing their own veg wherever they could – back gardens, parks, school fields, football pitches and so on. This was necessary as imports were severely affected by the war and the nation faced starvation if something wasn’t done. The response was amazing. At the midway point of the war there were more than 1.5 million allotment holders producing 10% of Britain’s food. The allotment at Harrogate really captured the flavour of the time, replete with Anderson shelter, poultry ark and some fantastic-looking veg. For more information on the LDFG visit www.ldgf.org.uk
AVERAGE BRITISH GARDEN HAS ONLY FOUR TYPES OF FLOWERS While England was once famous for its traditional English country gardens, new research has found that the average British garden contains just four different species of flowers. The study by garden and conservatory retailer www.alfresia.co.uk found that the average garden is dominated by daffodils, crocuses, roses, lavender and tulips. What’s more, only 19% of British gardens contain some kind of vegetable, while 26% contain a type of edible fruit; 39% of respondents admitted they spend more time enjoying their garden than they do tending to it.
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Craig Corbett, marketing manager at Alfresia said: “It’s clear to see that, while England was once famous for very picturesque gardens, as our lifestyles have got much busier, younger generations are increasingly living in rented accommodation and feel like they have less ownership of the soil outside their homes. Strawberries, blackberries, tomatoes, rhubarb and raspberries are the most common fruits grown by UK consumers. Meanwhile, salad leaves, onions, potatoes, beans and courgettes are the vegetables that appear the most commonly in British gardens.
HOT TOPICS
GROW LONDON RETURNS GROW London, the contemporary garden fair, will return to Hampstead Heath June 19-21 for the second year, presenting more than 100 exhibitors with a selection of plants, pots, outdoor furniture and everything else needed to create a beautiful garden or outdoor space. The show will feature cutting-edge furniture and the latest accessories and planters. Those
SURVEY SHOWS INCREASED POPULARITY FOR GROW-YOUR-OWN Bakker Spalding gardening company (www.bakker.co.uk) has recently published the first set of results from Europe’s largest garden survey, conducted in 17 countries with 26,760 people. The results show that 95% of people in the UK think that growing your own fruit and vegetables is a modern pastime, consigning to history the notion that gardening is outmoded and old-fashioned; 70% of the 3100 people surveyed in the UK preferred their own home-grown produce to the fruit and vegetables they buy in the supermarket; 60% of people said that they would most like to grow their own strawberries, tomatoes and herbs.
With the price of food having soared over the last decade, it’s no surprise that people have responded to times of austerity by turning to cheaper and more sustainable alternatives such as growing their own. This is coupled with a growing demand for seasonable vegetables and consumers being more discerning about food sources. Adrian Nind, managing director, said: “No longer content with ‘pick your own’, we are seeing more and more people turning their hands to growing their own fruit and vegetables. This has resulted in an increase in our sales of kitchen garden products over the past year. Healthy eating and living and a new emphasis on sustainability are certainly behind the trend.”
without gardens will find plenty of inspiration too – with of-the-moment terrariums and hanging planters – and a selection of indoor plants and succulents to put in them. There will be more traditional elements too, showcasing everything from antique furniture to vintage pots, planters and garden ornaments. The show will also feature a range of prints inspired by an eclectic mix of
Victoriana, Mrs Beeton and Beatrix Potter’s Mr McGregor’s garden, plus imaginatively designed deckchairs, hammocks and cushions. A selection of artists and craftsmen will be presenting a wide range of original pieces in a variety of materials, from stone and wire to stained glass. ■ Tickets are just £10 in advance, and can be bought online at www.growlondon.com
CULTIVATION STREET IS NOW OPEN The successful UK gardening campaign, Cultivation Street, is back for its third year in a row. David Domoney, from ITV1’s Love Your Garden, plus a team of expert judges, is looking for the most inspirational community, street and school gardens across the UK. With £20,000 worth of National Garden Gift Vouchers up for grabs, streets, schools and communities can work hard to make a better looking Britain. Included in that is the amazing top prize of £10,000 for the winner of Cultivation Street 2015. For more information visit: www.daviddomoney.com/cultivation-street
HELPING BRITAIN BLOSSOM Helping Britain Blossom is a charity that is encouraging communities across Britain to create and restore 100 community orchards by 2017 for local people to maintain, enjoy and use. There are already four Helping Britain Blossom orchards in existence in London, Birmingham, Hereford and Scotland (and expanding to other urban areas in 2016). According to Helping Britian Blossom, research shows that green spaces and orcharding in local areas can bring a wealth of environmental, education, community health and well-being benefits. Around 10 million people do not have access to usable green space, despite a quarter wanting to ‘grow their own’, so there is clearly an ongoing need for community green spaces that help to upskill locals and help them to get back in touch with nature. By 2017, up to 90,000 people will have benefited from Helping Britain Blossom orchards and around 4000 will gain new skills in areas such as horticulture and cooking. For more information visit: www.helpingbritainblossom.org.uk
DO YOU HAVE SOME HOT STORIES FOR OUR NEWS PAGES? SEND THEM TO TFLANAGAN@MORTONS.CO.UK www.kitchengarden.co.uk
JULY 2015 | 13
KG Beginner’s Guide
Calabrese This month veg-growing expert Andrew Tokely turns his attention to one of our most nutritious crops, calabrese
CALABRESE
CALABRESE AT A GLANCE Sow
Harvest
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Andrew sows his calabrese in small pots
R
ecent trials have shown that calabrese and its close relative sprouting broccoli are not only nutritionally very good for us, but they also contain several natural cancerfighting constituents. Perhaps this explains in part why it is one of the most popular vegetables sold in the shops – unfortunately, it is also the one most often sold under the wrong name. Supermarkets frequently offer the large, single heads as broccoli or increasingly as ‘green broccoli’. Since it is so good for us, it’s a happy coincidence that it is also one of the few green vegetables children can be persuaded to eat (I wonder how many parents reading this, like me, describe it as eating little trees on a plate?).
WHEN TO SOW
The seedlings are transplanted into cell trays
Alternatively, calabrese can be sown direct outside in a seed bed from mid-April, then once the plants are large enough these can be transplanted to their final positions as bare-root plants. This method has been used for many years by gardeners but I find that sowing under glass and growing on in cell trays gives me better control and the cell-grown plants will get away quicker without any check to their growth, unlike bare-root plants. If you didn’t get around to sowing your calabrese you can often buy plug plants from specialists or from the seed companies, so all is not lost.
GROWING FROM SEED
If using my preferred method of sowing under glass, sow into 7.5cm (3in) pots which have been filled with seed-sowing compost, gently firmed, watered with a fine
rose and left to stand. Then the seeds are sown on to the surface of each pot and lightly covered with fine vermiculite. Pots sown in February or March are placed into a heated propagator at 18ºC (65ºF) but are not covered with glass and this gives them warm bottoms and cool tops. This helps stop the seedlings from becoming leggy (stretched) before they are ready for planting out. If sowing in late April-May, a propagator is not necessary as the greenhouse temperature is usually warm enough and germination will be good if the pots are simply stood on the benching. Once the seedlings are large enough to handle, they are pricked out into individual cell trays and are grown on in the greenhouse. After about three or four weeks these are moved into a cold frame to gradually harden off before planting out. ➤
Thankfully, this member of the brassica (cabbage) family is no more difficult to grow than Cell-raised plants get away any other and is best sown in quicker than bare root succession, for harvesting plants which can often lie throughout the summer and on the ground wilting for continuing into the autumn. days before they recover, For a summer harvest, the first especially if there is sowings are made in February hot weather at or March under glass. Once large planting time enough, the seedlings are pricked out into cell trays and grown on for transplanting outdoors in April for the first harvest of the season. If you want a crop in late summer or autumn, then the best time to sow is from late April to mid-May, again in pots under glass and these are pricked out into pots or cell trays and grown on ready for transplanting outside on the plot as space becomes available. It is essential to harden plants off thoroughly before planting outside
TOP TIP
www.kitchengarden.co.uk
JULY 2015 | 27
20
WAYS TO STRETCH YOUR CASH
20 WAYS TO STRETCH YOUR CASH
Enthusiastic thrifty gardener Kim Stoddart offers an assortment of money-saving tips, advice and ideas
2.THEWONDER OF LEAFMOULD
F
or me, gardening for free (as I do) is less about saving money and more to do with the enjoyment I get from making better use of what I already have around me. It’s about finding a creative use for much of which we’d normally pop in the recycling or chuck in the bin. About learning to make, mend and ‘do’ in place of buying everything in; and what started out as a challenge has become simply the way that I garden…
Kim carefully collects ready-made leaf mould from beneath trees and shrubs
Use the many leaves that your trees bountifully shed each year to make a highly effective (and free) potting compost. If you haven’t started a pile, don’t worry – you can collect it naturally from shaded areas under the trees where it has fallen and rotted, but take care not to damage shallow roots.
Quick Tip
Got a glut, then why not barter with a friend?
Join your local Freecycle group for a fantastic source of free materials (www.freecycle.org)
3. MAKE YOUR OWN UNHEATED PROPAGATOR Old glass on top of a drawer or round a makeshift frame does the job nicely.
1. FIND A FEW BARTERING BUDDIES One of the easiest (and most fun) things you can do is to find yourself some fellow gardeners to do ‘swapsies’ with. Allotment holders have long been privy to the joys of good old-fashioned barter and exchange but there’s no reason why we can’t all benefit.
Kim’s home-made propagator works as well as ready-made models
4.THRIFTY RAISED BEDS Pallets from builders’ yards (which they will often give away free if you ask nicely) can be cut to make edging for raised beds. You can also use old or salvaged wood, and tyres are rather fun to work with and look (perhaps surprisingly) really rather great. Pallets and the wood from which they are made have dozens of uses around the garden, including ‘thrifty’ raised beds
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JULY 2015 | 65
SAVE YOUR OWN VEG SEEDS WITH CHARLES DOWDING
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