Raised beds for growing vegetables

I’ve been growing vegetables for years, but my passion really stepped up four years ago when we bought our family home.

My husband and I have four children, and as parents know, the struggle is real maintaining their interest in trying and happily eating an assortment of vegetables. However, children love to be involved. They watch us all the time and learn by mimicking us.

so the children helped sow seeds for radishes, lettuces, cucumbers, carrots, beetroots, kale, rocket and peas. We later decided to add a tomato plant, and whilst it wasn’t a bush variety (recommended) I snipped the top so I could still close the canopy. It produced a delightful crop which we ate fresh and later in homemade chutney. Fast forward and we were dashing out the back door to grab handfuls of lettuce, dozens of radishes, cucumbers, rainbow beetroot and pea. If the children (or I) haven’t snuck out and eaten them first! It’s hard to say no to a snack if it’s homegrown and healthy.

I treated myself to a Vegepod, which is a raised vegetable garden with a netted canopy, selfwatering wicking reservoirs and mist spray irrigators. The canopy helps create a micro climate and I have also found that with the soil being raised off the ground, it is much warmer.

The produce I have been able to grow has been fantastic: we’ve even grown carrots at the end of summer. I knew I wanted to grow a variety of fresh produce for our summer salads,

I believe you need to enjoy what you eat, and I want my meals look exciting. I want them to be colourful, full of different textures, contrast of flavours and homegrown. This year I’m hoping to grow a successful harvest of parsnips, so they can go into our soups!

@what_jess_grows

Jessica Crowden