How has your year gone, Pippa?
I’ve been so lucky, I’ve escaped the horrors of it really, just tucked myself away from a little more than usual. For me the worst downside personally so far has been not being able to see my friends as easily as before and, on the work front, so many talks I should have been giving have had to be cancelled or postponed… and I really love the proper eye-to-eye contact of a talk at a gardening club!
Who do you credit for giving you your enthusiasm for all things gardening?
I owe it all to my lovely mother. She’s sadly no longer with me in person, but she’s still there in my heart – she taught me so much, all from a very young age, mostly just by watching, talking and getting involved.
What is your favourite veg and your favourite fruit?
With veg, most of it! If I can’t say that, then freshly picked sweetcorn. For fruit, I am a total devotee of raspberries.
What is your veg plant hell?
Cauliflowers. I just cannot grow them, they simply don’t do what they should... the only good thing is that I’m not too keen on eating them either, but I still find it frustrating!
I see you were the gardening consultant on the gardening detective TV show Rosemary & Thyme. How did that come about? What did it involve you doing?
This story is from the October 2021 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 October 2021 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
