Head gardener Lucy Chamberlain manages a walled kitchen garden within a 100-acre estate. Inspired by its success, she has followed the key design principles in her own, much smaller garden, to create a beautiful and highly productive fruit and vegetable plot.
The addition of any fruit or veg to a garden gets a huge tick in my book. My hope is that last month, fuelled by part one of this series, you put pen to paper and drew up a design a for your dream edible plot. Now it's time to take those plans, whether grand or modest and get started on building your kitchen garden. In this issue I'll explain how to start adding all the fundamental areas to your plot, including the all-important growing spaces, and why a greenhouse is an important investment for your plot.
Getting started
There are two options when it comes to clearing your site - blitz it in one hit or tackle it in bite-sized chunks. Usually the first route is associated with a price tag - clearing ground quickly often requires renting machinery, such as a mini-digger or stump grinder. Unless you have a willing army of friends, you may also want to hire in a skilled gardener or two, especially if your plot needs physically demanding work like the removal of tree stumps or perennial weeds. If you're carrying out the task in stages yourself, be sure to cover over or cultivate any cleared areas as you go, to maintain the upper hand with weeds. Also, make sure you know how to dispose of the waste-it's amazing how much material garden clearance can generate.
This story is from the February 2022 edition of Gardeners World.
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This story is from the February 2022 edition of Gardeners World.
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
Travel Ideas For Garden Lovers
Looking for green-fingered holiday inspiration? The GW team share recent destinations for garden getaways
Your wildlife month
December is a time for reflection in the garden. What worked for wildlife in 2023 and what didn't? How could you do more? Looking at the bones of the garden now, is there space for more plants? Are your fences bare? Are there enough berries and hips? You have until March to plant bare-root trees and shrubs. What would look good? What would better serve wildlife?
The Full Monty
I can, and occasionally do, manufacture jobs in a kind of gung-ho, boy-scout spirit
Expert's choice
Smaller variegated ivies still pack a big punch all year round, says Graham Rice
YOUR PRUNING MONTH
Frances Tophill explains what to cut back now, including grapevines and hardy shrubs
Hardwood cuttings
It's the zero-fuss way to make free new shrubs - just follow our guide from Nick Bailey
Hassle-free harvests
While veg-plot activities slow down in winter, there is still plenty to do, from planting fruit trees, and harvesting sprouts and salads to taking stock of your growing year so you can plan next year's crops, says Jack Wallington
The happy house plant guide
In the first of a seven-part series, Jane Perrone shares expert advice on how to give your house plants the best start to a long and healthy life in your home
The science of soil
Healthy soil is teeming with life - Becky Searle delves below the surface to explore how this fascinating system works and how it can benefit our plants
'It's like another lung - like having oxygen on tap. It makes you breathe in a different way'
Helen Maxwell's garden in rural Carmarthenshire surrounds the house that her husband (who's an architect) designed.
