Kitchen +Garden TOP PICKS

It's time to get growing and you'll need the very best products for sure-fire success this spring. Check out this selection of must-have products from some of our trusted partners, which should be on your shopping list this month

MIND THE GAP

Garden Organic's Anton Rosenfeld shows you how to plug the 'hungry gap' in spring and have ready supplies of home-grown food all year round

MAKE YOUR OWN TOPSOIL

Becky Searle explains the complex nature of soil, its principal constituents and how it is structured. She also shows how easy it is to create your own

BEDS ON A BUDGET

Setting up and filling raised beds doesn't come cheap. But there are ways of keeping the cost relatively low, as Benedict Vanheems demonstrates

A BEAN FOR EVERY GARDEN

You'll be amazed at just how many varieties of French beans there are, both old and new. Rob Smith takes us on a tour of some of his favourites

OUR PLOTTER OF THE MONTH

Kitchen Garden readers really rose to the challenge when we asked for pictures of their plots to appear in the magazine this year. It’s time to meet another of our 12 creative and talented Plotter of the Month winners

A NEW Kitchen garden!

Having made a start on clearing the ground, Martin Fish now sets about creating the raised beds and placing his compost bin in the right spot. Meanwhile, Jill serves up something sweet and deliciously tangy

QUESTION TIME

GOT A FRUIT OR VEG PROBLEM? ASK KG FOR HELP

TOP JOBS FOR APRIL

ESSENTIAL TASKS FOR YOUR VEG PATCH AND PROTECTED CROPS

DAHLIAS

From being totally unenamoured with dahlias for many years, Jane Kelly had a road to Damascus moment and now she just adores them...or is it that she's just getting older?

One in a million

For many species, including wasps, lacewings and small birds, aphids are the bread and butter of survival; nutritious, defenceless and plentiful. Jack Edmonds takes a closer look at their amazing lifecycle

THE MAGIC

Not one to do things by halves, Instagrammer Helen Hutchings Cox has fully embraced the adventure of growing her own crops

A tuber full of potential!

Garden Organic's Anton Rosenfeld shares his advice for growing this unusual root vegetable, which can be eaten like a potato

GARDENING WITH MINIMAL DISTURBANCE

Gardening is about balance, says Huw Richards. This month he explains the underlying principles that inform his approach to gardening

PEAT

This month Becky Searle explains why peat and its preservation are so important and offers advice on peat-free composts

GO EARLY WITH PEAS

Home-grown peas are a taste sensation and they are so easy to grow. Early varieties can be sown from the middle of the month. Here are some of our favourites

CASH CROPS

Food prices remain inflated, with prices of staples - including fruits and vegetables rocketing over the past few years. So what's to be done? The solution, of course, lies in our own muddy hands, as Benedict Vanheems explains

POLYECO

THE ULTIMATE GROWING SPACE

TOMATOES

From garden classics to modern marvels, Rob Smith surveys the wonderful world of one of summer's most popular crops

OUR PLOTTER OF THE MONTH

Our annual competition to find 12 readers and their plots to appear in Kitchen Garden magazine had a great response. Meet another of this year's creative and talented winners

Kitchen garden!

This month Martin Fish begins a new series documenting the development of a kitchen garden at Ivy Cottage in Lincolnshire, his and Jill's new home. Plus another tasty recipe from Jill

OUR PLOTTER OF THE MONTH

Last year we launched a competition to find 12 readers and their plots that would appear in Kitchen Garden magazine this year. Meet another of our creative and talented winners

CAULIFLOWERS UNCOVERED

More expert advice from Martin Fish on one of the more difficult veg to grow, while Jill serves up a delicious cauliflower and mustard soup

THE VEG THAT KEEPS ON VEGGING

This month Becky Searle sings the praises of perennial vegetables and encourages you to find a space for them on your plot

CARROT GOLD

Rooted in tradition, bursting with flavour and with so many varieties to choose from, carrots are a must-grow veg in Rob Smith's garden

GROWN TO A FINE ART

Fibre artist Emma Davies tells Sally Clifford how growing her own inspires her creations

LIVING THE DREAM!

A summer temp job at a garden centre was the starting point for Steph Young's journey to veg growing enthusiast and avid Instagrammer

HERITAGE APPLES A growing legacy

Kirsty Williams visits the heritage fruit tree nursery of Tom Adams and finds a fascinating range of once-forgotten apple varieties now available for the home gardener

HANDLE WITH CARE

Garden Organic's Anton Rosenfeld shares his secrets for success with transplanting seedlings

LET'S GET SORTED!

This month Jane Kelly considers the range of resources you can call on when planning your garden and recording what you do in it