Gardening
Kitchen Garden
TRIED, TESTED AND STAYING
With so many tempting varieties to choose from, it can be hard to know which vegetables truly earn their space. Rob Smith shares 10 standout crops he'll be growing again next season – reliable performers packed with flavour, colour and character
6 min |
December 2025
Kitchen Garden
THE ART of GROWING
Rachel Graham meets Chi Chi Tseng, head kitchen gardener at Sculpture by the Lakes near Dorchester, an internationally accredited botanic garden. She joined the team in 2022 and now manages the quarter-acre biodynamic kitchen garden, which supplies the on-site café and restaurant with seasonal fruit, vegetables, herbs and edible flowers
5 min |
December 2025
Kitchen Garden
SHAPING A SUSSEX CLASSIC
From cleaving chestnut poles by hand to fastening wafer-thin plywood, every Sussex trug at the Thomas Smith Trug Company is made with heritage and human touch. Rachel Graham meets Robin Tuppen to see how this humble, sustainable basket became a national treasure - and how a new heritage centre hopes to secure its future
5 min |
December 2025
Kitchen Garden
DIGGING THE DIRT THE ALLOTMENT: WHAT'S THE POINT?
Growing your own offers a heady combination of tough challenges and sheer joy in the ongoing battle with nature. This month John Holloway is busy pondering the ongoing question: just why do we do it?
3 min |
December 2025
Kitchen Garden
THE RIGHT START WITH RASPBERRIES
There's nothing quite like the taste of home-grown raspberries. David Patch shows how to prepare the soil, plant new canes, and carry out the first pruning to set them up for a long, productive life
4 min |
December 2025
Kitchen Garden
HERB OF THE MONTH CHIVES
Allium schoenoprasum
1 min |
December 2025
Kitchen Garden
PUTTING OFF-GRID GREENHOUSE HEATERS TO TEST
As the days get colder keeping your precious plants warm within the greenhouse becomes more of a challenge. But what can you do if there's no power on your plot? Here KG takes a look at four heaters that could help to keep things growing through the winter days...
4 min |
December 2025
Kitchen Garden
FROM SEED TO SIZZLE
From fiery habaneros to fruity new hybrids chillis offer great possibilities. Becky Searle meets RHS Gold Medal winner Amrit Madhoo at South Devon Chilli Farm to hear about growing and caring for these heat-loving plants
4 min |
December 2025
Kitchen Garden
OUR TOP PLOTTERS
Last summer we launched a competition to find our Top Plotters, with the top three winning some great prizes and all being featured in Kitchen Garden magazine this year. Here we feature one of our runners-up...
7 min |
December 2025
Kitchen Garden
MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE ABOUT SEEDS
Dr Anton Rosenfeld, of sustainable gardening charity Garden Organic, shares some tips for choosing seeds this winter
4 min |
December 2025
Kitchen Garden
PLAN FOR PERFECTION
All the best veg gardens start with a well-crafted plan. Invest a little time now for bountiful harvests later, says Benedict Vanheems, as he takes us back to basics - step by step - with his guide to laying out your perfect plot
8 min |
December 2025
Kitchen Garden
TOP JOBS FOR DECEMBER
Stephanie Hafferty outlines the key tasks needed to keep your veg beds and under-cover crops productive through the quietest weeks of the year
6 min |
December 2025
Kitchen Garden
WINTER LEAVES AND PEARS
Anna Cairns Pettigrew brings a touch of freshness to the winter table with vibrant leaf salads, seasonal pears and simple festive dishes that are as beautiful as they are delicious
3 min |
December 2025
Kitchen Garden
Welcome Days for dreaming
As I write this, the rain is hammering on the windows - those sideways sheets that soak into everything and makes even the hardiest gardener think twice about heading outside.
1 min |
December 2025
Kitchen Garden
FRUIT BUSHES: THE WINTER CUT-BACK
Now's the time to shape up your soft fruit. Martin Fish shares his simple guide to pruning blackcurrants, currants and gooseberries ready for bumper crops
4 min |
December 2025
Kitchen Garden
GIVEAWAYS
TO ENTER OUR GIVEAWAYS SEE PAGE 65 OR VISIT THE KG WEBSITE
1 min |
December 2025
Kitchen Garden
PRESERVING THE POWER OF HERBS
Rob Smith shares his favourite ways to make your herbs last, from fragrant oils and butters to pesto, salts and freezer cubes – easy, thrifty methods that keep flavour at your fingertips all year round
5 min |
December 2025
Kitchen Garden
WHAT'S NEW?
ALL THE LATEST NEWS, PRODUCTS & FACTS FROM THE WORLD OF KITCHEN GARDENING
3 min |
December 2025
Kitchen Garden
QUESTION TIME
GOT A FRUIT OR VEG PROBLEM? ASK KG FOR HELP
2 min |
December 2025
Kitchen Garden
DIGGING THE DIRT THE CYCLE OF LIFE
As another year draws to a close, John Holloway reflects on a season of contrasts – from droughts to deluges – and what changing weather patterns mean for life on the allotment
2 min |
November 2025
Kitchen Garden
GROW YOUR OWN NUTS
From hazels and walnuts to almonds, nut trees can be beautiful and productive additions to your garden. David Patch shares his expert advice on choosing the right varieties, planting, pruning and protecting your crop - and explains why squirrels may become your biggest rival!
7 min |
November 2025
Kitchen Garden
QUESTION TIME
GOT A FRUIT OR VEG PROBLEM? ASK KG FOR HELP
3 min |
November 2025
Kitchen Garden
LATE-SEASON APPLES
At this time of year, many orchards still have plenty to offer. Late-season apples are often overlooked but these varieties ripen slowly, developing rich flavours, and have excellent keeping qualities. Some are sharp and refreshing, perfect for cooking or balancing cider blends, while others mellow in storage to become sweet, aromatic and complex. Choose carefully, and you can enjoy your own harvest well into the new year
1 min |
November 2025
Kitchen Garden
COSY UP WITH COMFORT FOOD
Anna Cairns Pettigrew shares warming recipes for the late-season harvest. Sweet apples and vibrant cabbages take centre stage, bringing colour and comfort to chilly autumn days
2 min |
November 2025
Kitchen Garden
GIVE NATURE A HAND THIS WINTER
Our gardens teem with unsung allies, all working to keep pests in check. Garden Organic's Anton Rogers shares simple ways to ensure these helpers survive winter so they're ready for next spring
2 min |
November 2025
Kitchen Garden
HERB OF THE MONTH ROSEMARY
Rosemary is one of the most useful evergreen herbs for the winter garden.
2 min |
November 2025
Kitchen Garden
TURNING PROBLEM RHODODENDRONS INTO 'BLACK GOLD'
How the National Trust garden at Inverewe is making biochar - and better soil - from invasive shrubs in the wet, acidic West Highlands. Charlotte Sterling finds out more
5 min |
November 2025
Kitchen Garden
APPLES FOR EVERY SEASON
From crisp eating varieties to sharp cookers, apples are the fruit that truly bridges the gap between garden and kitchen. Rob Smith shares ways to enjoy them long after harvest – from festive mincemeat to bottled slices, dried snacks and even homemade pectin
5 min |
November 2025
Kitchen Garden
PICKLE PERFECTION
I wondered if our family recipe, Auntie Annie's piccalilli, might be of interest. It's a delicious way to use surplus marrows and courgettes. Many people think they dislike piccalilli because they've only tried the shop stuff - this changes minds! Auntie Annie made hers for decades. The recipe likely dates to the 1890s and keeps well at room temperature — our current jar was made in 2018!
1 min |
November 2025
Kitchen Garden
WHAT'S NEW?
ALL THE LATEST NEWS, PRODUCTS & FACTS FROM THE WORLD OF KITCHEN GARDENING
2 min |