The Last Word

Meet gardener Sarah Purser, who is joining the Kitchen Garden team - and she couldn't be more excited about sharing her thoughts and growing journey with you throughout 2026

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The start of a new year always stirs reflection, doesn’t it? Last year was a whirlwind of personal highs and lows, but a huge high for me came at the end of May 2025, when I took on my very first allotment plot. The joy it has brought me in such a short time has been immeasurable.

If you were to ask a gardener their favourite month of the year, I suspect few would choose the dark and often sombre month of January. Yet, while my plot and garden may seem to slumber, there is far more happening than meets the eye - quiet, hopeful beginnings beneath the surface. January is a month full of promise, and I am learning to embrace its stillness and potential.

IT’S TIME FOR PLANNING, PLOTTING AND DREAMING

I like to make the most of this quieter period to plan for the year ahead. January is the perfect time to sketch out this year's layout for my growing spaces (though I rarely stick to it!), to order seeds - especially those intriguing new varieties – and to prepare the soil for the growing season to come. There's something wonderfully optimistic about standing in the cold, steaming mug in hand, visualising where each crop will go. This is also when I promise myself that this will be the year I stay on top of the weeds and pests, that my beds will be perfectly mulched and that my aubergines, though often elusive, will finally perform.