Have you always had an interest in gardening?
I’ve always had an interest in gardening, and particularly growing food. Prior o getting an allotment I used to grow matoes, courgettes and chillies at home e garden. You don’t need masses of space w things, even small pots on a windowsill rk. I’d been on the allotment site waiting about six months before I got the keys and so had lots of ideas by the time it actually happened!
What prompted you to take on an allotment? Has it always been an ambition?
Some of my earliest memories are at my dad’s allotment, picking carrots straight from the ground and eating them there and then, as well as picking tubs upon tubs of raspberries! He doesn’t have his plot any more but the one I have now is on the same site, just a few plots down. I’ve always grown some bits of veg at home, but really wanted to be able to grow more varieties and ultimately work towards becoming more self-sufficient by learning how to properly store and preserve harvests. Growing your own also means you can control what has been put on the soil, it hasn’t travelled hundreds/thousands of miles, and is so much fresher as you can pick and eat pretty much straight away.
How easy have you found it to get started? Where or who do you look to for advice? Has social media been helpful to you as a beginner gardener?
This story is from the September 2020 edition of Kitchen Garden.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 2020 edition of Kitchen Garden.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
EASY DOES IT!
As the growing season gathers pace there's one thing often in short supply: time! Ever feel like you're chasing your tail? Benedict Vanheems offers some tips to save valuable time and effort
A NEW Kitchen garden!
It's time for sowing and planting in the new garden and while Martin is busy with that, Jill is making a tasty asparagus soup
OUR PLOTTER OF THE MONTH
Kitchen Garden readers 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 talented competition winners
MANAGING WEEDS, NATURALLY
Weeds are never far away but you can keep them at bay without recourse to weedkillers
Meet the apple doctor
KG editor Steve Ott chats to Glyn Smith, head gardener for the National Trust's Erddig estate in Wrexham, about his career and love of the garden he has tended for 38 years
A CORNUCOPIA OF COURGETTES
It's time to sow a first batch of tender crops such as courgettes for picking through the summer months. KG editor Steve Ott has some tips for a super harvest
FLAVOURSOME FRUIT CURRANTS
you If I want to plant some soft fruit that is easy to grow and will give you plenty of flavour, how about trying currants?
TRY AMARANTH! The dual-purpose veg
Garden Organic's research manager Anton Rosenfeld extols the virtues of amaranth and how to grow it
A SPACE APART
Instagrammer James Martin shares his love of gardening and how much it has helped him and his family both mentally and physically under very difficult circumstances
HITTING THE SWEET SPOT
Welcome to the wonderful world of sweetcorn as Rob Smith takes a look at both old and newer varieties, with some growing advice too