Kitchen Garden June 2022

GET GROWING Grass clippings can make a good mulch. Joyce adds a layer here between a pea and bean crop GREAT FOR BEGINNERS It’s a cover-up Covering bare soil with a material such as cardboard or manure between crop plants is called mulching and it has many benefits, as Joyce Russell explains If you are new to gardening it can seem Aluminium foil can help like there’s a lot to understand and keep peppers to ripen on top of. Weeding can feel like an endless task and watering can feel the www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine same in hot, dry weather. Take a breath and pause. Nobody learns gardening overnight, but the process should be enjoyable. Step back from the rush of everything growing fast and take time to discover something that can make your gardening life much easier. And that is mulching. Mulch isn’t really a miracle but it comes close. Covering your beds with a layer of material that cuts down on weeding, watering and feeding all in one go, can save hours of frustration. If used over years, some mulch materials will improve the quality of your soil and the number of weeds will decrease to minimal. Mulch comes in loose forms like bark chips or sheet material like cardboard or recycled black polythene, which is less attractive but can be a cheap way to cover a large bed. 52 | www.kitchengarden.co.uk

MULCHING Strawberries benefit from a pine needle mulch Black polythene helps repel winter rains and absorbs heat to warm the soil MULCH CAN BE USED TO... ■ Weed the ground as best you can. Dig out soil’s surface. These break down to improve the roots of problem weeds like docks, thistles the depth of soil every year and there is no ■ Suppress weeds. Mulches will reduce the and dandelions. In extreme situations, you need to dig or turn the bed over. Think about amount of time you spend weeding. They can cover the ground with a light-resistant what mulch to use so you get a good balance cut down light and restrict growth of weeds sheet mulch for a few months to kill the weeds of soil building ingredients – bark chips underneath. Weeds that do grow through often underneath it. improve drainage but offer fewer nutrients root into a loose mulch and are easy to remove. ■ Water the ground if needed. Make sure than manure or compost. ■ Help keep soil warm. Thick mulches act the soil is wet when you put a mulch on a ■ Pests such as slugs and snails love to live like an insulating blanket. Black sheet material vegetable bed. Most mulches shed some water under some mulches. Scatter a few organic absorbs heat and warms the soil on sunny days. so it can take a while for rain to soak down to approved pellets underneath, clear a small Put mulch on to warm ground and it will help reach dry earth underneath. circle of mulch away from stems, and be hold heat in. Don’t cover cold ground with a ■ Feed if needed. You can put a layer of vigilant while plants are small. thick mulch or it may trap the cold in. compost or manure underneath a layer of ■ Keep moisture in the ground. Mulch can sheet material. Or scatter a dried organic feed CHOICE OF MULCHES: reduce evaporation, either through a physical over the soil before covering. Greedy feeders GRASS CLIPPINGS vapour barrier such as polythene, or by like potatoes, sweetcorn and pumpkins usually insulating to reduce exposure to wind and sun. need added feed. Less greedy crops like salad These should be free of seeds so don’t let grass ■ Add nutrients to the soil. They help build and carrots can do well on what’s left from a grow too long before cutting. Spread a thin a good soil structure. Organic materials previous crop. layer (2-5cm/1-2in) between rows of peas and will break down to add bulk to the soil. ■ Consider a no-dig system. You may choose beans and top up each time you mow. Spread Nutrient-rich mulches like weed-free manure, to build up layers of organic material on the around fruit bushes and raspberry canes, or compost and seaweed, add plant food to the use a thicker layer to ‘earth up’ potatoes. ➤ soil as they are washed in by rain and pulled down by earthworms. ■ Protect empty beds. Winter rains can wash many nutrients out of the soil in an exposed bed. Cover with a mulch to shed water and you can add less feed in the spring. ■ Make beds look neat and tidy. Bark chips can look lovely on your garden paths and chopped straw-based mulch looks great on the vegetable patch. You can always put a layer of an attractive material on top of a less attractive one. ■ Provide different growing conditions for different crops. Pine needles make an acidic mulch that is perfect for the strawberry bed. Aluminium foil reflects light and increases heat around pepper plants. WHAT TO DO BEFORE Use grass clippings to ‘earth APPLYING A MULCH up’ along potato rows ■ Think where to get your mulch. Some things like grass clippings are free and readily available if you mow a lawn. Bought bags of compost will be weed and disease free, whereas stuff from the garden heap may not have heated enough to remove these problems. www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine www.kitchengarden.co.uk | 53

GET GROWING Onions are easy to grow Weigh cardboard down well through a black plastic sheet so it doesn’t blow away Bark chips make a useful topping for paths BARK CHIPS A seaweed mulch adds nutrients to the PEBBLES OR CHIPPINGS soil and enhances plant growth These make good paths and they look These make an attractive mulch over the top attractive in herb borders or around fruit Pebbles make a decorative of a container. They help keep compost damp trees. They don’t add much nutrition to the mulch for containers and prevent pets from disturbing the compost. soil so don’t use them on vegetable beds unless you have a layer of feed material underneath. SEAWEED A 2-5cm (1-2in) layer should help suppress weeds – the larger the chunks, the deeper the Another excellent mulch full of lots of plant layer you will need to exclude light. growth-enhancing microbes and nutrients. Only gather broken seaweed from above the SHEET POLYTHENE tide line. It breaks down quickly so you need a thick layer to act as a weed suppressant. Use Recycle building or farm polythene if you can around tomatoes for the best crops ever. get hold of it. Be sure to weigh edges down well against wind and a large piece may need LEAVES weights up the middle. Onion sets can be planted through holes cut in the polythene You can gather leaves as they fall in autumn and they grow very well. You may need to run and use them to cover empty beds. They do a a hose underneath if bulbs are swelling in hot, reasonable job of shedding water if used in dry weather. an 8cm (3in) layer and won’t blow around when they are thoroughly wetted. They CARDBOARD SHEETS improve soil structure even if they don’t add much nutrition. Cardboard is good at suppressing weeds but does break down over a few months of wet MANURE AND COMPOST weather. Weight the sheets down and cut holes to plant through. Remove any tape or be These provide a good nutrient boost to any prepared to gather it up as it comes loose. bed. Use under polythene through the winter and on the rhubarb and blackcurrant beds SAWDUST/WOOD in spring. ■ CHIPS Cover empty beds with autumn leaves These should be left to rot down www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine before use around plants. Use over the top of a potash-rich feed along the raspberry row. Sawdust also works to keep down weeds between onion and garlic rows. This mulch can be used fresh to make paths. STRAW Straw can make a good mulch provided the crop it comes from hasn’t been sprayed with anything that will affect the growth of your vegetables. Cover empty beds through the winter if you can get a bale of straw. Otherwise buy bags of a mulch such as Strulch (made from wheat straw). 54 | www.kitchengarden.co.uk



GET GROWING TWO CAULIS One of your packets of seeds free with KG this month is a colourful Romanesco. Here are our top tips to help you get the best from it, and its cauliflower cousins Romanesco is a striking and GROWING CAULIFLOWERS Seeds can be sown unmistakable veg with its indoors or out exotic-looking green pointed By carefully selecting varieties you can harvest florets resembling a miniature cauliflowers for much of the year. Romanesco www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine pine forest or geometric ice formation. Strictly can be harvested over a long period from speaking it isn’t a cauliflower or a broccoli, July to December, especially if it is sown in despite its resemblance to both. It probably succession every few weeks from April to early owes its heritage to these veggies however, as it June. By combining it with other summer, is thought to be the result of selective breeding autumn and winter-harvesting types you’ll be by Italian farmers some 500 years ago. pretty much covered for cauliflower cheese year-round. Yum. It does require very similar growing conditions to cauliflower, so we’ve taken SOWING the liberty of putting it with them for the purposes of our feature and including a You can choose to sow in trays for planting selection of our other favourite cauliflower out later or direct into the soil, usually in varieties, too. nursery beds for lifting and planting out into final spacings later. Both have advantages – 56 | www.kitchengarden.co.uk

CAULIS TO EXTEND THE HARVEST CAULIFLOWERS CAULIFLOWER SOW PLANT HARVEST TYPE JUNE-SEPTEMBER MARCH-APRIL SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER SUMMER JANUARY JUNE FEBRUARY-MAY JULY JULY-DECEMBER AUTUMN APRIL-MAY MAY-JULY Sowing in cell trays prevents WINTER MAY the need for pricking out ROMANESCO APRIL-JULY Purple caulis are high in vitamins and antioxidants Any veg with colour such as this and other PLANTING Plant firmly and water well caulis with colourful curds (flowerheads) are likely to be very good for you. They are Plant once your seedlings are about 10cm Curds may need some protection from bright usually rich in antioxidants and vitamins. (4in) tall with a few proper leaves. Those sunshine as they mature Romanesco is no exception; it contains lots grown inside will need to be acclimatised of vitamin C, but also vitamins K and B6, as to outdoor temperatures for a week before particularly those with white heads. Folding well as useful amounts of dietary fibre. planting by taking them outside during the over the ‘guard leaves’ which surround day and returning under cover at night. Those the curd acts as a sunshade and prevents All cauliflowers are delicious and grown direct in the soil should be watered well discolouration. Winter harvesting types can versatile, whether eaten raw with a salad, the evening before lifting. be protected from the worst of the weather lightly steamed or stir-fried to retain once they’re almost ready to harvest by natural crunch, baked or covered in rich Plant your young cauliflowers into firm soil covering with some fleece. ➤ cheesy sauce. Romanesco is known for its in a sunny site. Make a hole with a dibber and distinctive nutty flavour and firm texture bury so that the lowest leaves are just above and can be used in all the same ways as the soil surface. Firm well. standard cauliflower, but like its cousin should not be overcooked to retain its Your ‘Romanesco Natalino’ plants should texture and nutrients. be spaced 45cm (18in) apart with 60cm (2ft) between rows; however, for baby heads they planting in trays is good for earlier sowings can be planted 30cm (1ft) each way. In the and keeps the plants safe from pests in the case of standard cauliflowers, summer and early stages. Sowing direct outside saves on the autumn types should be planted 60cm (2ft) need for compost and trays. apart and winter types 75cm (2½ft) apart. As with Romanesco, cauliflowers bred to provide If sowing in trays you can scatter the seeds small heads can be planted 30cm (1ft) apart. thinly over the compost in a seed tray, but these will need to be pricked out once large AFTERCARE enough. To save having to do this, simply sow one or two seeds per cell in a cell tray and thin Water well during dry spells as any checks in to the smallest later (thinnings can be eaten growth may cause the plants to bolt (flower in salads). Use any good peat-free sowing prematurely) or to produce ‘loose’ curds. compost and cover the seeds with 6mm (¼in) of sieved compost or fine vermiculite. Feeding with another light dressing of Label and water well before covering with a general fertiliser four to six weeks after propagator lid and placing on the greenhouse planting will help to maintain vigour and bench or a sunny windowsill where they boost yields, but don’t apply too much should germinate within 14 days. nitrogen or the plants may produce lots of leaves, but small curds. If sowing outdoors prepare the soil by adding some general fertiliser such as blood, Crops which mature in the summer months fish and bone or Growmore a week prior to may need some protection from the sun, sowing. Rake to incorporate and to form a nice fine seed bed, then make a drill 13mm (½in) deep. Water the base of the drill and sow the seeds thinly, before covering carefully with fine soil. Take precautions against slugs immediately using your preferred slug control. As they emerge, direct sown seedlings may require some thinning until there is about 7cm (3in) between plants. www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine www.kitchengarden.co.uk | 57

GET GROWING HARVESTING Cut caulis while they are still tight and firm Cauliflowers should be cut while the heads are still tight and before the individual florets start to push up in preparation for flowering. Simply cut beneath the cauliflower head with a sharp knife and trim away the guard leaves or any damaged foliage. The heads will store well in the fridge for up to a week or can be cut up into portions and frozen after blanching lightly. WATCH OUT FOR Unfortunately, like all brassicas, cauliflowers do attract several pests such as whitefly, aphids (greenfly), slugs and caterpillars. The latter two are the most damaging and can be controlled with organic treatments or by picking off by hand. All but slugs are best deterred by covering with fine insect mesh soon after planting and maintaining the cover for the life of the crop. For more information on controlling slugs, see page 60 or visit our website via: tinyurl.com/43svdf2w ■ ‘Sunset Orange F1’ ‘Autumn Giant’ ‘Candid Charm F1’ Photo: Mr Fothergill’s Photo: Mr Fothergill’s ‘All The Year Round’ Photo: Kings Seeds Photo: Suttons OVERWINTERING TYPES Photo: Mr Fothergill’s ‘Clapton F1’ Photo: Mr Fothergill’s ‘SUNSET ORANGE F1’: A colourful variety with pale ‘AALSMEER’: Very resistant SUMMER TYPES ‘Romanesco Natalino’ orange curds. Looks and tastes to weather damage and early great when eaten raw in a salad to crop, producing large, ‘CANDID CHARM F1’: A mini ‘DE PURPLE F1’: A purple- but can also be cooked as other deep heads. (March-April) Mr cauli which is ideal for close headed variety with good types. (Sept-Oct) Suttons Seeds Fothergill’s spacings, raised beds or even a flavour. High in antioxidants. ‘AUTUMN GIANT’: A popular ‘TRIOMPHANT F1’: An award- large container. (July-August) Mr (June to October) Mr Fothergill’s variety producing large, dense winning early maturing variety Fothergill’s ‘ROMANESCO NATALINO’: heads with good flavour. (Sept- which can be ready for cutting ‘ALL THE YEAR ROUND’: A A long harvest season which Nov) Kings Seeds at Christmas and into the New reliable old variety. This white- stretches through into autumn Year. (Dec-Jan) Mr Fothergill’s curded type can be sown from and winter. Can also be used as ‘Moby Dick F1’ ‘AUREO F1’: A new hybrid with January to March indoors or baby heads at closer spacings. upright foliage which helps to March to June outside to give (July-December) Mr Fothergill’s Photo: Mr Fothergill’s protect the curds through the harvests for seven months of the Photo: Mr Fothergill’swinter months. (February-May) year. (June-December) Widely AUTUMN TYPES King’s Seeds available ‘CLAPTON F1’: This one is bred ‘MOBY DICK F1’: Natural frost ‘Triomphant F1’ ‘ to have good resistance to club protection from the leaves helps root, a long-term soil disease make this one ideal for autumn/ which can wipe out brassica winter harvests. (September- crops. Mr Fothergill’s December) Mr Fothergill’s 58 | www.kitchengarden.co.uk www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine

www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine www.kitchengarden.co.uk | 59

GET GROWING MOLLUSCS Nicola Hope, professional organic consultant horticulturalist, outlines her methods for controlling slugs and snails in her garden When I take the time to think Spring and summer 2021 were challenging Nicola works her garden according about my approach to organic for those of us who follow organic principles in to organic principles gardening my head starts to our gardens. Prolonged spells of rain and cool swim with concepts, ideas, ground and air conditions were ideal for slugs methods and experience but what it all boils and snails and the damage has been significant down to is very simple: organic gardening is in the gardens that I manage. In my small no different from conventional gardening. garden at home, I have had to admit defeat Some tasks might take a little longer; others with runner beans. My busy schedule meant will definitely be easier; the results may be that I just could not spend the time required marginally different but what I hope to convey to keep on top of the (so-called) pests in my is that organic gardening is a mindset and a garden. The runner beans at work, on the other way of life rather than a leaflet of methods or a hand, were magnificent. It was the complete book of how-to techniques. opposite of the 2020 runner bean situation. 60 | www.kitchengarden.co.uk www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine

SLUGS AND SNAILS Copper bands around Copper bands ready for use – young plants will help note the serrated edges Runner beans did better when Nicola had time to be vigilant GARDENING ORGANICALLY www.kitchengarden.co.uk | 61 The lockdown spring of 2020 was exceptional because I experienced the ultimate luxury of spending huge amounts of time in my own garden. I removed slugs and snails manually, made collars out of copper tape for young plants and sank several beer traps into the ground near vulnerable crops. Needless to say, my runner beans were stronger and more productive than ever while the ones at work suffered in my absence. The gardens I manage sing out with health and nature because I embrace the life that gardening organically encourages. My small garden at home is alive with birdsong most days of the year because I plant for pollinators and refuse to use slug pellets, even those approved for organic use. I used to use ferrous phosphate-based organic slug pellets with abandon but there is evidence that suggests that these pellets can also harm earthworms. This is worrying and until further research is done, I will only use them under glass very, very sparingly. BEER TRAPS There are many ‘natural’ mollusc deterrents, repellents and trapping devices on the market but I have found that very few actually work. An exception is the beer trap. I have been a fan of beer traps for a long time. Twenty years ago, I was at Pershore College studying for my Organic Horticulture HND and my final project involved trialling a number of different slug and snail damage prevention methods. ➤ www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine

GET GROWING Beer traps are a really effective method of controlling slugs and snails The beer trap was the clear winner and I have method of manual mollusc removal. He used eating plant detritus and should therefore be been using them ever since. a long-handled litter picker so that even the treated with a well-deserved respect. If you see most intrepid of snails at the top of a bean them destroying your prize-winning lettuces Beer traps are wonderful things. All you pole could be picked off. then do dispose of them organically, by your need is a receptacle that you can sink into the preferred method. If they are quietly going soil close to your valuable crops and the very Early in the morning or last thing in the about their business as valued constituents of cheapest lager you can find. I found that the evening can be a squeamish time of day to your garden makeup, then leave them to do cheaper the beer the higher the sugar content handle molluscs depending on how much/ their vital job. ■ and therefore the more attractive it is to the little you have had to eat. Using litter pickers mollusc. During the first Covid-19 lockdown to grab the slug or snail takes away the If you’re a bit I happened to have a lot of leftover lager immediacy of using your hands. You are then squeamish use gloves from a new year party that I hosted (who left to dispatch the mollusc in any way knew then that it was going to be the last you see fit. Again, for me this depends on to pick up slugs or hurrah for a while?). how sensitive I am feeling at that even a litter picker very moment. www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine I have plastic beer traps bought online which have a raised cover on the top to keep If I am feeling sympathetic, I out the rain and any other garden debris. The might lob it as far as I can in the trap has a small gap where slugs and snails least tasty direction. I have even enter, fall into the beer and are then unable been known to turn a blind to escape. You can easily make DIY versions eye if I am feeling totally and there are some good tutorials on the at one with nature and internet. The traps should be cleaned out and there has been no recent replenished with fresh beer regularly. It is significant damage… but surprising just how smelly a handful of very this is rare! drunk, very dead molluscs can get if you leave it too long. On the whole I have a pragmatic view of slugs LITTER PICKERS and snails and their role in our gardens. They are a Next to beer traps the best method is to vital part of the food chain get up early and stay up late to catch the and without them we pesky critters as they start their out-of-hours would see far fewer birds, munching. When I was a student gardener at insects, earthworms and slow the popstar Sting’s organic Wiltshire garden worms. They help the organic the head gardener introduced me to a great breakdown of garden waste by 62 | www.kitchengarden.co.uk

www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine www.kitchengarden.co.uk | 63

GET GROWING FOR BEGIGREATNNERS tgrsaourodppeeenrrs Avoid pesticides by attracting natural helpers to your garden, says Dr Anton Rosenfeld, knowledge officer of Garden Organic 64 | www.kitchengarden.co.uk www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine

PHOTO: Shaun Fellows Shine Pix Ltd It is well established that a growing area XXX full of diverse life will actually support rather than hinder your plants. This Ladybird larva natural web of life which includes insects, fungi, small mammals and birds, pincer-like mouth parts which they use to grab interacts to create a healthy environment for on to aphids and suck out their insides. As plants to function and flourish. A garden with hoverfly, a pollen and nectar source will devoid of biodiversity is akin to a dark and bring in the adults. They also need a place to deserted town at night: pest and disease overwinter: a plastic bottle cut in half with a trouble moves into the void and there is piece of rolled-up corrugated cardboard and nothing around to help. some straw inserted provides a good place for hibernation. So how do we encourage our friendly, HOVERFLY LARVAE are also the natural, vigilante garden helpers? gardener’s natural pest controller. The adults feed on pollen and nectar. Their small grubs Two important ways: first, avoid using have a distinct pointed head and are voracious pesticides. Spraying will often affect ‘off aphid feeders, eating large numbers each target species’; if you kill an aphid, you day. The best way to attract hoverflies is to threaten a ladybird. Second, provide a good provide a pollen and nectar source to feed the range of diverse habitats for shelter and food adults over the summer. They only have short throughout the year. Choose plants which mouthparts, so they appreciate short flowers flower, provide pollen and fruit throughout – anything in the carrot family left to flower, the year, plus leaf and shrub cover for shelter such as coriander or parsley, or perennial and hibernation. fennel. Other flowers such as buckwheat and poached egg plants are also favourites. ➤ Parasitised aphids www.kitchengarden.co.uk | 65 Lacewings have Hoverflies feed on particularly vicious larvae pollen and nectar MOST COMMON HELPERS There are many natural helpers in the garden. Many, such as hoverflies and ladybirds are widely recognised, but others such as birds, frogs and beetles deserve more attention. LADYBIRDS are perhaps the best known and well-loved natural helpers in the garden. We all recognise the red and black spotted adults but may be less familiar with the larvae which are thin segmented bugs with purple and yellow markings. Both consume considerable numbers of aphids throughout their lifespan. An easy way to make sure they arrive in your garden is to leave some areas of long tufted grass. This provides a habitat for the adult ladybirds to spend the winter and produce larvae ready to control your pests in the early spring next year. LACEWINGS, those appropriately named delicate transparent-looking insects, also have particularly vicious larvae. They have evil www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine

GET GROWING Beetles are natural predators Parasitic wasps inject their eggs into aphids PARASITIC WASPS are one of the BEETLES are often overlooked as natural BIRDS also make a valuable contribution. lesser known and undervalued natural helpers. predators. The ground beetle, the shiny black The blue tit, in particular, feeds its young large Most look nothing like the familiar common round beetle that often lives under logs, quantities of the caterpillar of the winter moth, wasp, as they are black and only a few feeds on a range of pests including aphids, which often damages the leaves, flowers and millimetres long. Despite their unassuming caterpillars and slugs. Bringing them into developing fruits of a wide range of trees. Blue appearance, they lead a particularly gruesome your growing area is easy – just don’t be too tits feed on a wide range of foods, but you can life, spending their time injecting eggs into tidy! Leave a few log piles and twigs around give them a helping hand by leaving a supply unsuspecting aphids. We often see the results the place and you will soon build up of seeds and nuts out during the winter, when as empty swollen shells of aphids where larvae healthy populations. there is generally less to feed on, and a supply have devoured the insides, pupated, then the of fresh water to drink and bathe in. adult has bitten its way out. FROGS will make a large dent in the slug population of an average-sized garden. Blue tits feed their Although a pond is a great contribution to young with caterpillars biodiversity in the garden, frogs seem happy to reside in all sorts of quite crude contraptions containing open water: even a washing up bowl sunk into the earth. Be sure to fill with rain water rather than tap water, and include a step or some sticks to make sure it doesn’t become a watery trap for other wildlife. ■ 66 | www.kitchengarden.co.uk www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine

www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine www.kitchengarden.co.uk | 67

GET GROWING FPOLWOUERR! Taking on an allotment during lockdown, Jacob Shooter embarked on the amazing adventure of growing his own wheat. Here he explains how he went about it Making your own bread at home I expect you’re wondering how this idea varieties suitable for amateur growers and can be an exciting and tasty came about? Well, over lockdown in 2020, allotment-sized plots. I soon noticed that experience. But have you ever I decided to take on an allotment as a project many crops grown on allotments were being wondered if it is possible to to keep myself busy when I would have used as toppings on home-made pizzas, and make your own flour from home-grown wheat, otherwise been stuck indoors. this got me thinking. for use in breads and pizzas? Over the past year, I’ve been finding out exactly how achievable My excitement for growing my own I wondered if I could grow everything this is on my allotment in South London. produce quickly grew and, like many, I took needed to make the entire pizza, including the to the internet for inspiration on crops and dough, on my allotment. 68 | www.kitchengarden.co.uk www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine

GROW YOUR OWN WHEAT The overgrown allotment at the start It’s October, drills ready for laying down seed October time, harvested in July/August, and is generally higher yielding as it is in the ground THE ALLOTMENT SEED SEARCH longer than spring wheat, which is drilled in March and harvested at the end of summer. When I took on my allotment, it was So, with this aim for the year, I started looking Winter wheat is therefore more useful to my completely covered with tall grass, brambles, for seed. Now, wheat seed isn’t something I’ve growing as I was trying to grow enough wheat nettles and fruit trees. I’d managed to clear ever seen for sale at the local garden centre, to make flour in a small allotment scale space. all this down to the ground, and had an area unless it’s for bird food. So again, I took to the around 120m (half a full allotment plot) dug internet, and found seed breeders who provide TIME TO DRILL over, which I wanted to use for the wheat. The seed for farms. A quick phone call and I had a other half of the plot would then be used for few kilograms of seed on the way as part of a At this point it was now early October, and the pizza toppings! seed trial for a small postage fee. it was time to drill the wheat. From looking at farmers’ fields I knew that crops like this To prepare the ground, I dug over the area From their website, I learnt that there are were grown in rows. I also wanted to grow this by hand at one spit’s depth, shaking the spade two types of wheat grown – winter wheat way, not only because it would look fantastic at each lift to bring weed roots to the top of and spring wheat. Winter wheat is sown when I sit and eat my lunch at the allotment, the soil, which I could pick out and add to the (drilled) in the autumn around September/ but also because it would allow me to walk compost heap. I then left the prepared ground between each row of the crop and pull up any for a month, using a hoe to kill any young weeds that might grow! weeds once or twice a week. This created what is called a stale seed bed where the grower Now, the next problem was how to create tries to germinate as many unwanted seeds in the long drills in the soil in order to sow the the soil as possible, and then kill the growing seed. I didn’t have much to hand, being new weeds so that once the desired crop is in the to the site, nor any experience on the best way ground, fewer weeds germinate. This worked of drilling wheat. So, for this year, I dragged a extremely well and meant that there were very rake on end through the soil to create the long few weeds in the growing crop. channels. I then sprinkled seed into each row and kicked the soil back into place. To finish, It’s November and green I walked over each row to consolidate the soil shoots are springing up around the seed to ensure good seed-to-soil contact to help germination. Luckily, the rain held off for this process to complete, and there was already plenty of moisture in the soil for the seeds to germinate. GREEN SHOOTS A week or two later I had rows of little green shoots pushing through the ground. To my excitement, the wheat had germinated! All I had to do now was keep the plants alive and growing until harvest time. Over the coming months the wheat began to tiller out where, much like grass, more stems/leaves appear from the single growing point to produce multiple heads of wheat ➤ www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine www.kitchengarden.co.uk | 69

GET GROWING The plot in March... ...and now July for each grain planted. The wheat then started By the summer healthy heads of Ready for harvesting its stem extension process, where each stem grain were much in evidence of the plant grows taller, before the flag leaf minutes, the mill had ground some of the emerged, and the head of grain pushed out Next, I used a large fan to blow the grain into 600g fine wholemeal flour ready from each stem and started to fill. lightweight chaff away, as the heavier grain for baking. fell into a large pot. This process is called It was amazing seeing the transformation winnowing, and is the same process used I then set about making a loaf of wholemeal from a crop that looked much like thick by large combine harvesters. This worked bread ready for sandwiches as a test. The pizza tall grass, to a crop looking like wheat, as extremely well and left me with many would come later when the rest of my crops the heads of grain appeared in the height of kilograms of clean grain ready for milling! were ripe. I was still waiting on my sweetcorn, summer. Unfortunately at this time, my crop chillies, peppers and tomatoes to finish. I also acquired a disease called rust, where It turns out that electric and manual grain used a no-knead bread recipe, which I found little orange spots grow on the leaves, and mills are available for purchase online and are worked best with my flour. You can see the sometimes the stems of living plants. This can small enough to fit on to a kitchen worktop. results here, with a filling of cheese, bacon and reduce yield quite substantially. I purchased an electric mill, as I had a lot barbecue sauce. ■ of grain to grind into flour. In less than five However, luckily, this didn’t affect the growing too much. RIPENING By mid-August, the wheat had changed colour from lush green to a ripe grey colour, the heads of grain had flopped over to face the floor, and the pigeons were flapping into the crop in an attempt to steal the ripe grains. It was ready to harvest! As a combine harvester wouldn’t fit through the gates to the allotment, I convinced a friend to use his hedge trimmer to chop down the rows of standing crop and help pile the produce into a large sack. This was the easy bit done. I now had to get the grain separated from the chaff. Again, without machinery this had to be achieved by hand. So, I spent the next two weeks with my gloves on, rubbing each head until the grain fell away from the chaff. Electric mill Flour Wholemeal bread A tasty sandwich Harvested grain www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine 70 | www.kitchengarden.co.uk



ADVERTISING FEATURE Growing your own fruit and vegetables is so rewarding but to achieve healthy and bountiful harvests we sometimes need to protect our crops from pests. Plant protection comes in different forms, including barriers to keep pests off our crops or products to kill or deter the pests. Here we feature some great products to keep your fruit and veg problem free. TOP QUALITY GARDEN NETTING POLYECO GREENHOUSES AT AFFORDABLE PRICES The long-lasting polycarbonate cover is also shatter resistant, making it safe to use in a busy Flexible Garden Cloches are the biggest, garden. No errant football or fallen tree branch is going to cause damage. the best and the cheapest. With them you can make the cloche fit the garden. Excellent heat retention properties will provide perfect conditions for any fruits or EXCLUSIVE TO EASYNETS vegetables you want to grow. UV filtering and superb light diffusion prevent scorching. www.easynets.co.uk Visit www.polyecogreenhouses.com PROTECT YOUR SEEDLINGS YOUR ONE-STOP SHOP AND PLANTS FROM SLUGS! Are you looking for an aluminium or Nemaslug is an organic pest control steel fruit cage to protect your plants, solution. Just one application gives around vegetables and fruit bushes? With 60+ six weeks’ slug control and you can even years of experience in manufacturing get programmes to cover the entire fruit cages, fruit cage netting and garden growing season. netting, William James & Co is your one-stop shop for all of your vegetable It’s also eco-friendly and is 100% safe gardening needs! Order online at www. for children, cats, dogs, other pets wmjames.co.uk Quote KG2022 to receive and wildlife. 10% off all cages and netting. Read more about Nemaslug at nematodesdirect.co.uk/slugs SUPPORT YOUR PLANTS The Dome Plant Support provides all-round protection, literally. Our small dome is great for smaller clumps of perennials and bulbs, while the medium dome is perfect for cossetting larger perennials such as lupins, achilleas and poppies. Also cover your tender perennials: fill the dome with straw or fleece to protect the plants from frost. Order online at www.plantsupports.co.uk or call 01584 781578



GET GROWING A HIDDEN GEM Kathryn Clover is swept off her feet as she visits Green Broom co-operative farm in Berkshire and finds plenty to write home about 74 | www.kitchengarden.co.uk www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine

OUT AND ABOUT Emily picking the pungent herb Robert ‘Crystal Lemon’ cucumbers sunflowers and herbs. Andrew Brackenborough arrives At the newly self-built barn I meet co-op from finishing a delivery to show me his Green Broom Farm has been hügelkultur beds. Andrew is one of the hidden in the woods of the member Tom, who shows me his Japanese founding members of the farm and built Hardwicke Estate, at Crays Pond wineberry and Viking aronia bushes. We much of the infrastructure. near Reading, since 2015. It is a fill a small bramble basket with luscious red low impact vegetable and fruit farm which wineberries which are already fermenting “Hügelkultur is an organic farming has nine members. It is also a co-operative (hence the suitability for wine!). Tom’s partner technique where the soil is removed to at least community with a shared communal barn Emily gives me some lovage and pungent herb one spade’s depth, then this space is infilled and workshops on basketry, natural dyes and Robert to taste, which she adds to the farm’s with rotting wood mulch. Then we replace the permaculture, to name but a few! mixed salad bags. soil in a thick layer of one spade’s depth on top of this,” explains Andrew. “It’s a lot of work On arriving, there is the farm shop (run on initially but has given me good results with honesty) selling rare and heritage vegetables my cabbages growing bigger and healthier ➤ such as ‘Crystal Lemon’ cucumbers and cut flowers. I follow the track through the woods until I stop under the hand-painted wooden sign and survey the patchwork of texture and colour that is the growing beds. There is a joyous mix of wildflowers, brassicas, beans, Tom and his Japanese wineberries www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine www.kitchengarden.co.uk | 75

GET GROWING Andrew’s beds are a mix of flowers and vegetables on the hügelkultur bed side. These beds can and harvesting using only hand tools, Viking aronias last for 10 to 15 years!” Andrew also says it is following their strict low impact policy. www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine important to use only deciduous wood, not Andrew obliges by demonstrating his pine or conifer as these are too acidic. He finds tilling, grading and harrowing tools made birch to be good as it breaks down easily. It out of a broken wheelbarrow, to which can be sown into straight away, and as the he has attached varying widths of pegs wood breaks down it feeds the soil. attached to wood! He also demonstrates using the scythe to cut down the ryegrass. GREEN MANURES There is an electric lawnmower and chainsaw on site, charged solely by The co-op members use no chemical fertilisers solar power. at all, preferring techniques such as the ‘compost tractor’ and green manures. Andrew “We got planning permission for the shows me the metre-wide, 45cm (18in) high barn and two houses last year,” Andrew bar of veg scraps and straw running across his says, “but I’m still living in a polytunnel – beds that is the compost tractor. my house is still only half finished!” “We slowly turn over the line of compost We head back to the barn, where a down the sloping beds each growing season, constantly burning AGA is the heart of and each time I use the newly uncovered the community. enriched soil as a new vegetable bed,” he says. “Though my favourites are the green manures – “We had to use a heavy horse to get that I use alfalfa, phacelia, ryegrass, clover...” thing up here!” laughs Andrew. Andrew’s beds are often intermixed with PERENNIAL VEG wildflowers to encourage biodiversity and distract pests from the produce. It also makes I chat to co-op members Lisa White and the farm a beautiful place to be. Sam Ferguson, who have very different methods of growing. It is Lisa’s second I ask to see how the farm copes with sowing year at the farm. 76 | www.kitchengarden.co.uk

Andrew, the trim reaper OUT AND ABOUT A broken barrow transformed into a tiller “Perennial veg is what I most enjoy... I’ve foccacia, with fruit crumble for dessert. For more information, go to been growing globe artichoke and rhubarb This is accompanied by Andrew and Lisa’s www.greenbroom.co.uk or from seed mostly, and growing flowers home-brewed beers. email [email protected] for selling as cut bunches,” Lisa tells me as she bags up salad leaves into the farm’s Green Broom is currently open to the www.kitchengarden.co.uk | 77 biodegradable cellulose bags. “My least possibility of new members. So what would favourite thing? Couch grass! It’s a nightmare!” they suggest to a prospective member? What qualities would this member need to have? Sam, in contrast, prefers a quick yield. I wait for him to load up several crates of salad on “You need to be self motivated, enthusiastic, the back of his bike to take to the wholesalers. and it helps if you don’t like being told what All the co-op deliveries are done by bicycle, in to do,” grins Andrew. line with their ethos of low carbon living. “Also, you need to be hardy, out in all “My speciality is bio-intensive spin farming – weathers. Prepare to be tethered to your crop!” quick crops such as microgreens and peas. chips in Sam. I mix three or four different crops in one bed, sown as close together as possible to crowd “And prepare to live on a small income, out the weeds. You can potentially increase you won’t get rich quick!” Lisa finishes, and from the yield of conventional agriculture 200 everyone nods and laughs. ■ times on one quarter of an acre.” Sam’s influences include Canadian growers Curtis Stone and Jean-Martin Fortier. He has also been working on Food Hub, an online marketplace for all the organic producers on the Hardwicke Estate, this year; beef, pasta, natural deodorants, eggs, and of course vegetables and fruit from Green Broom Co-operative. PEST CONTROL As for pest control, what do the growers of Green Broom use? “Not much,” admits Sam. “Enviromesh to protect against flea beetle and cabbage white. We hadn’t had many problems with slugs and snails until this year, with all the rain.” Everyone helps with dinner, and we tuck into a delicious creamed greens soup, local venison stew and freshly baked rosemary www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine



Fruit-growing expert These flowers are of the alpine strawberry David Patch offers some ‘Yellow Wonder’ – smaller and more delicate top advice on growing strawberries in containers than traditional strawberry blossom www.kitchengarden.co.uk | 79 Growing fruit in a container is a bit of a faff. You are responsible for all the watering, constantly checking to make sure the compost is neither too wet nor bone dry. You’ll need to feed the plants regularly, and also turn the container occasionally so all the fruit ripens. The crop is never going to be anywhere near as large as with plants growing in open ground. And if the plant needs to produce constant new growth to fruit, such as blackcurrants, raspberries or blackberries, it’s twice as hard. Luckily, some fruit responds well to growing in a container, and this allows us to fit extra plants into our gardens if they are already full, or make temporary use of a sunny patio to extend the fruit garden. Strawberries are one such fruit, and this month we will look at how to use pots and troughs to grow this quintessential taste of the British summer. ➤ www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine

GET GROWING A wall-mounted basket makes a good container for strawberries CHOICE OF CONTAINER Go for a reputable brand when choosing compost A plastic liner will help retain moisture Any container, pot or hanging basket will work to a degree, but some will be better than www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine others. Terracotta pots look lovely but have a tendency to dry out quickly as moisture evaporates through the pot walls, so line with a collar of plastic if necessary. Adequate drainage is the other main consideration – strawberries hate to be in waterlogged soil – so drill extra holes if necessary, use crocks in the bottom of the pot and raise the pot up on pot feet or bricks so excess water can drain away. Otherwise, the choice is up to you, you can go as quirky or as practical and utilitarian as you like! GROWING MEDIUM The choice offered at most garden centres can be bewildering, and it is easy to think that all composts are the same – but they aren’t! The quality can vary enormously, so I’d always recommend going for a reputable brand. As with most things in life, quality costs a little more, Strawberries produce two sets of so beware of opting for the cheapest you leaves each year. One in spring to support can find as plants will fruit, and then a new set in autumn to bulk struggle and crops up the crown for the following year. So, will be poor – it’s a after fruiting and again in late winter, snip false economy. off old foliage to let in light and air for the Peat-free compost has new leaves. With everbearing types you improved considerably only need to tidy up in late winter – leave in the past 10 years, and the summer foliage alone to results can be extremely get as much fruit as possible. good, but maintaining even moisture levels can be tricky, so for strawberries I’d recommend including at least some loam-based compost, such as John Innes No.2. It stops the compost from drying out too quickly and contains the necessary fertiliser for the first 8-10 weeks after planting. After this time, look to apply a high-potash feed such as a liquid tomato fertiliser every two weeks as the plants flower and fruit. This will increase yields and also helps improve the flavour. Fill basket with compost, about three-quarters full 80 | www.kitchengarden.co.uk

CONTAINER STRAWBERRIES Lift plants from their pots Bed in, adding extra compost PLANTING UP A 3: Fill with compost to about ¾ full. Violas added for colour and WALL-MOUNTED BASKET 4: Take the plants out of their containers their edible flowers and space as desired. I used a combination of 1: You need to use some sort of liner. You can ‘Gariguette’ and ‘Yellow Wonder’. buy them pre-shaped or by lengths and shape 5: Fill with compost to the correct level – the to suit (most garden centres sell it on a roll, a crown (the growing point where the stems bit like carpet underlay). emerged) needs to be at soil level, not buried 2: I have an old liner which has been in for or planted too high so roots are exposed. Firm several seasons, and I top it up using a hemp in well. product. It makes a fantastic liner for hanging 6: For some spring and early summer colour, baskets and the colour weathers down to a I’ve planted some violas in too – the edible lovely straw brown. Be warned, the birds love flowers make superb garnishes. it for nesting material, so I do have to make 7: Water in. running repairs! If you are growing strawberries in pots, the ‘Gariguette’ Alpine strawberries with their smaller fruit number one criterion for me is flavour. I’m not interested in yield – there is never going ■ ALPINE/ WOODLAND: These strawberries ■ EVERBEARERS: My other favourite to be a huge quantity anyway – and if I’m can be found listed under ‘alpine strawberry’, strawberries for growing in pots are the going to water, feed and generally cosset ‘woodland strawberry’ or ‘wild strawberry’, everbearing types. Most strawberries these plants, I want the fruit to be out of this but they are all forms of the species Fragaria respond to day length when producing world. Here are my top recommendations for vesca. The plants are generally less vigorous flowers and fruit and stop production as soon the tastiest berries. than modern hybrids – vesca is the Latin for as the days start to shorten. Some, however, ■ ‘GARIGUETTE’: A super variety from the thin or feeble – and the fruits are much smaller, will produce crops continuously from June to Provence area of France, originally bred in but the huge flavour belies their diminutive September, and are known as ‘day neutral’ or the 1970s, and with all the ‘old-fashioned’ size. ‘Mara de Bois’ is one of the most popular ’everbearers’. You’ll never get a huge amount strawberry flavour that is often claimed but varieties but also look out for ‘Yellow Wonder’, of fruit all in one go, so not a good choice if sadly rarely present in some of the modern which produces pale yellow fruit, pretty as a you are looking to produce a vat of jam to varieties. It remains the most widely grown picture and absolutely delicious. Perfect for win the local village show with, but ideal if variety in France, and for good reason – the containers and hanging baskets, the fruit spill you need a few fresh fruits every few days. characteristically slim, tapered fruit of a over the edge to make picking easy. ‘Flamenco’ is one of the best. ■ bright orange-red harbour the sweetest of flesh, with a hint of acidity to balance. The scent is divine when the fruit are warmed by the summer sun. Early to crop. ■ ‘ROYAL SOVEREIGN’: Just about the only ‘heritage’ variety still available, as modern varieties are far superior in terms of yield and disease resistance. ‘Royal Sovereign’, however, manages to keep a loyal following due to the superb flavour. Originally bred in 1892 by Thomas Laxton, the large conical dark-red fruit taste absolutely delicious, making shop-bought fruit seem insipid in comparison. www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine www.kitchengarden.co.uk | 81

82 | www.kitchengarden.co.uk www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine

XXX Gardening can give so A garden gives children the opportunity much to children. Well- to experience space and movement being expert Annabelle www.kitchengarden.co.uk | 83 Padwick offers advice to those thinking of setting up a school garden or allotment I’m regularly asked for advice by teachers and children’s club co-ordinators on how to set up a successful school gardening programme – one that can work all year round, be suitable and manageable within the limited time they have and be affordable. I usually find that one teacher really champions the idea but getting it going and gaining the support of other staff can sometimes be tricky. ➤ www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine

GET GROWING So I thought it might be good to share Potato planting. A garden can help educate children some of the ideas I provide in my consultancy on where their food comes from and how it grows work with you here, as well as explaining why having a garden or allotment area in every MAKING TIME AND SPACE x 2.5m (about 8 x 8ft) per year group. Ideally, school is so important! you will want this space per class if you have I think the next two most important factors to the room. WHY IS HAVING A GARDEN start with are time and space. OR ALLOTMENT AREA SO This area will give each year group space to IMPORTANT? How much time will it take to maintain a grow most things, including runner beans, school garden or allotment? I usually suggest peas, carrots, salad leaves and much more, Teachers, feel free to use this in your pitches providing one hour a week per class. Of course, plus have enough room to grow things all year for support and funding – I know how tricky this may change depending on the number of round and keep the excitement going. it can be. classes and size of the garden. But if you take two of the schools I work with they now have You could get raised beds like these from Now, more than ever, children are glued 6-12 classes, so if each of those did one lesson WoodblocX, make your own using scaffold to devices and spend more hours inside than in the garden each week, that’s the 6-12 hours boards, or simply dig straight into the school they have ever done, getting instant reactions in total spent maintaining the garden, easily field. Keep it as simple and cheap as possible and entertainment without having to move enough time to grow lots of amazing produce to begin with. Reach out to local businesses or worry about interacting with others. They and keep it looking tidy, all in lesson time and and parents too to see if they have tools, seeds can disappear into a super-exciting world full hugely benefiting all involved. and plants that they would like to donate. of adrenaline at the click of a button. This can be good for children who are really struggling You could also set up a gardening Gloves for every child, two watering cans – perhaps with bullying, for example – but it after-school or lunchtime club! (minimum), children’s hand tools and seeds doesn’t fix the problem. Although to some are the most important things. As well as, of it can make the real world seem scary or How much space do you need? I always course, soil! boring, if we use our imaginations we can find recommend an allotment bed of at least 2.5 excitement in trees, plants, wildlife and so much of the great outdoors. I truly believe we think bigger when we are outside too. I know I do! Each interaction I have and each view I see generates new ideas and thoughts in my brain. Being outside in an open space helps our bodies and minds feel less restrained too, in turn boosting our endorphins and creative thinking. Lastly, before we move on to getting started, having a garden or allotment area provides an incredible outside classroom – not only for learning the science of plants, wildlife and how to protect the planet but also when teaching counting, colours, shapes, textures and sounds, as well as how to nurture ourselves, the importance and benefits of diversity, and why it’s good to work together. We can make musical instruments using natural materials: that’s music. We can use materials collected outside to make incredible nature art and paints: that’s art. Many elements of the curriculum can be taught safely and creatively in a garden. Raised beds can be purchased or made from recycled materials You can simply lift turf from the 84 | www.kitchengarden.co.uk school field to form your beds www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine

SCHOOL GARDENING Gloves for every child are a good idea! Outdoor space can help bring classroom lessons to life NOW, HOW TO GET THE going by using storytelling. Make fairy WHAT OTHER ACTIVITIES CHILDREN INTERESTED! gardens, talk to the fairies and create a story. CAN YOU DO IN THE Alternatively, imagine dragons or dinosaurs are GARDEN, OTHER THAN Give them as much ownership and control taking over the garden, what are you going to GROWING? as possible. As a lesson idea, ask them to do? Let them decide. Do they need to tiptoe design the garden area. Supply them with seed or hide quietly? Can you link the books you Make bug hotels, seed tapes, wildflower seed catalogues which you can usually get for free, are reading in class to an activity in the garden, balls and nature art. Instructions for all of pens and paper, and allow their imaginations perhaps bringing it even more to life? While these can be found in the Growing for to run wild. While some of their ideas will story-making in the garden or allotments may Well-being resource pack, designed by Life be impossible to achieve, perhaps like the not be technically gardening, it associates at No.27. underground bunker, waterfall or lake, many the outside space with happy, creative time. will be possible and using some of them will Maybe do a bit of imaginative play, then Play games! Gather a mixture of different enable the children to see their input being some gardening and repeat throughout the natural materials before the session starts – used, feel a sense of pride and help feel part of time outside, or integrate the gardening into things like leaves, flowers, twigs, bark, feathers. something bigger than themselves. the story. For example, do you need to grow Task the children to see if they can work out particular plants for the dragon and fairy where each one came from and match them up. Once the garden or allotment area is built friends that will come visiting? (which can be done with the children too), Another idea which I have been using keep their imaginations and engagement recently is about bringing the classroom curriculum to life outside. In a school I work in, their focus currently is mountains and rivers. So, in my intervention sessions, we spent two lessons building an actual river. A very small version of one, but they built it, named it and also tried making and testing different styles of dams – a great way to help children show their knowledge learnt inside, but also feel more connected to the subject. So what about the summer holidays? This is where watering systems can be really useful. You can now get watering systems which you can control by your phone, such as those by Hozelock, so even on your holidays, you can keep the plants happy and growing. Perhaps you could also have a couple of hours, one day a week when the school is open in the holidays, for children and parents of the school to harvest their produce.■ Nature art is always popular FIND OUT MORE You can find Annabelle on Instagram @lifeatno27_org Life at No.27 provides year-round school gardening programmes and intervention sessions for children in the UK. Based across Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire and also North Wales in the near future. www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine www.kitchengarden.co.uk | 85

WHAT TO BUY | BRUSHES Give your garden a good brush up – literally! Here’s a selection of brushes for different purposes that we have been trying out this month SWOP TOP CLEANING SYSTEM 2022 2021 Designed for cleaning conservatory and greenhouse windows and roofs, this Darlac Swop Top Soft Cleaning Brush has side bristles and a triple surface face for maximum cleaning coverage. The bristles on the sides and edges make it easy to clean hard-to-reach areas. The Spiral Flow hosepipe will take water to the top of any Swop Top telescopic poles and has an on/off valve at the base. It wraps around the outside of the pole for leak- free operation and is held in place with two Velcro straps. HARROD HORTICULTURAL * Prices www.harrodhorticultural.com correct at TEL: 0333 400 1500 PRODUCT CODE: GGT-261 time of PRICE GUIDE: £84.95 publication KG VERDICT This is a complete system and takes seconds to slot together the brush, the Spiral Flow Hose, the telescopic pole and your own hosepipe. With its triple surface face you get plenty of brush for your buck. The spiral hose provides a steady stream of water and with the pole extending from 1.8m (6ft) to 5m (almost 16½ft) it gives you plenty of reach for your greenhouse, conservatory or polytunnel. An excellent, labour-saving all-round system. 86 | www.kitchengarden.co.uk www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine

SWOP TOP PRODUCT REVIEW CLEANSWEEP BRUSH 2022 This Darlac bristle brush can be used for dry sweeping or combined with the Spiral MIRACLE BLOCK Flow Hose for wet sweeping, with water PAVING BRUSH flowing from 14 holes along the front edge of the brush. The hose and pole need to be This wire brush is for cleaning debris, purchased in addition to the brush. weeds and moss from the grooves of block paving. The FSC©-certified GARDENING NATURALLY hardwood head consists of three rows of converging, steel wire bristles and www.gardening-naturally.com has an extra-long handle 148cm (58in) to prevent unnecessary bending. TEL: 01285 760505 BURGON & BALL www.burgonandball.com PRODUCT CODE: SWT20 TEL: 0114 233 8262 PRODUCT CODE: N/A PRICE: Brush £12.99 The Spiral PRICE: £10.99 Flow Hose costs KG VERDICT KG VERDICT £24.99 (SWT10) TOP PICK: BEST FOR WEEDING PAVING TOP PICK: BEST FOR YARD The Swop Top Pole A very useful tool for clearing AND PATIO CLEANING costs from £23.99 moss and small weeds from (SWOPTOPPOLE) between crazy paving, block paving and slabs. The wire bristles The brush is light and perfect are strong and with a gentle scrubbing movement will clear for the yard, though you will need unwanted growth in between slabs. It is light and with the extra- to buy a Swop Top Pole if you don’t long handle it prevents the need for bending. ➤ have one already. If you go the extra www.kitchengarden.co.uk | 87 mile with the Spiral Flow Hose you can sweep and clean pathways and yards at the same time without fine dust and debris rising in the air. Easy to put together, this is a very useful bit of equipment to have in the yard. 2022 www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine

WHAT TO BUY | BRUSHES QUIKFITTM GUTTER CLEANER GARDEN BRUSH This QuikFit™ Gutter Cleaner is a multi With a hard-wearing beech head tool head which combines as a brush and (27.5cm/11in width) and hardwood a scraper for clearing leaves and other handle (144.5cm/57in length), this extraneous matter from your house, shed garden brush has combined bristles, or greenhouse gutters. It needs to be polypropylene (length: 7.5cm/3in) used with a Fiskars telescopic shaft and wire (length: 7cm/2¾in). It also (sold separately). . has a metal bracket at the neck for extra strength. FISKARS SPEAR & JACKSON www.fiskars.com www.spear-and-jackson.com TEL: Go online for stockists TEL: Go online for stockists PRODUCT CODE: 1001414 PRODUCT CODE: 4864GB PRICE GUIDE: Cleaner £27.95 PRICE GUIDE: £18.99 (Shafts from £51.80) KG VERDICT KG VERDICT A sturdy brush that you can use This is an excellent tool for keeping about the garden, sweeping your gutters clean. Both scraper and pathways and patios. While brush are adjustable so you can get the brush overall is light, the the angle just right. This is simply a bristles are strong and resilient matter of unscrewing either brush and will serve you well. The or scraper and adjusting the angle. metal bracket makes the The tool head fits securely into the shaft-to-brush connection telescopic shaft, with two extended strong and secure, just where it lengths available M (1.4-2.4m/ approx is most needed. 4-8ft) and L (2.28-4m/ approx 7½- 13ft). The shaft extends very easily 88 | www.kitchengarden.co.uk and locks into place securely. ■ www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine



WHAT TO BUY | OFFERS (AGM is the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Under RHS garden trials these varieties performed particularly well) EXCLUSIVE SAVINGS TO HELP MAKE YOUR MONEY GO FURTHER FREE BROAD BEAN PLANT COLLECTION – SAVE £5 WITH EVERY ORDER HARVEST FROM JULY The flavour of freshly picked broad beans is quite simply delicious! Enjoy harvesting your own with this great value collection. You will receive 30 plants, 10 each of the following varieties: Runner beans have always been a plot ■ ‘THE SUTTON’ (WHITE quicker than any other century and still popular. SEEDED): Perfect for variety. Has about six white Expect up to eight delicious staple. They are easy to grow, very exposed sites or small seeds per pod. Also has beans from this reliable gardens, this is the lowest a superb flavour. Quite performer. A great one for rewarding and can make an attractive growing broad bean and a breakthrough in broad freezing or the show bench. rarely needs supporting. beans. 1.4m (4½ft). feature in your growing space. This Gives a good crop of fine ■ ‘BUNYARD’S Buy the collection (30 flavoured beans. EXHIBITION’ (WHITE plants, 10 of each variety) collection contains 20 plants, 10 each ■ ‘DE MONICA’: This SEEDED): The gardener’s for only £15.85 – saving £5 variety produces a crop favourite for more than a on individual pack prices. of ‘Firestorm’ and ‘Moonlight’, some of the best self-pollinating varieties around. ‘Firestorm’ was the first red-flowered, self-pollinating runner bean, producing S£AV5E masses of stringless, tender beans. ‘Moonlight’ was the first (and we think the best!) self-pollinating runner bean. This vigorous climber produces masses of attractive white flowers that set well to give a bumper harvest. ‘The Sutton’ ‘De Monica’ ‘Bunyard’s Exhibition’ These self-pollinating runner beans are sure to give a great yield this summer as both varieties are reliable performers, setting even in unpredictable weather DWARF FRENCH BEAN PLANT COLLECTION conditions with no help from pollinators! HARVEST FROM JULY Dwarf beans are highly rewarding to grow and are the perfect solution for those gardeners who Supplied as 20 young vegetable plants. don’t wish to build a support frame for climbing varieties. This customer favourite collection consists of 30 plants, 10 plants each of the following dwarf French bean varieties: **You can claim this item FREE when ordering at least one additional product off the page. WORTH £10.90 ■ ‘AMETHYST’: These vegetable plot. summer salads but are also enjoyable lightly cooked as a compact plants produce an ■ ‘PRIMAVERA’: Heavy vegetable. Another stringless variety on neat and compact excellent crop of stringless, cropper; easy-to-pick, pencil- plants. Buy the collection (30 quick-maturing beans over podded beans which are plants, 10 of each variety) for only £15.85 – saving £5 a long picking season. The full of flavour. Weather and on individual pack prices. 15cm (6in) long pods turn disease resistant. green once cooked. It ■ ‘SONESTA’ AGM: The *FREE WITH EVERY ORDER – T&Cs apply makes an attractive waxy yellow pods make addition to any S£AV5E a great addition to ‘Amethyst’ ‘Primavera’ ‘Sonesta’ www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine 90 | www.kitchengarden.co.uk

READER OFFERS CLIMBING FRENCH BEAN PLANT COLLECTION HARVEST FROM JULY will grow up to 25cm (10in) long. Harvested Bring a little colour to your life with our when young the beans make a delicious selection of beautiful climbing beans. addition to salads. Very resistant to bean Code Offer Price Qty Total Selected not just for their colour, they all mosaic virus. Climbing French Bean Plant Collection also taste superb and are reliable garden Buy the collection (30 plants, 10 of each 55064 (30 Plants) £15.85 49225 Dwarf French Bean £15.85 performers. The collection includes 30 variety) for only £15.85 – saving £5 on 49227 Plant Collection £15.85 (30 Plants) plants,10 each of the following varieties: individual pack prices. 47782 Broad Bean Plant £0.00 Collection ■ ‘BORLOTTO’: Attractive enough to (30 Plants) *FREE* when be grown at the back of flower borders. ordering at least one of the above They can be used fresh, when steaming products Self Pollinating them helps to retain the colour, or more Runner Bean Collection traditionally shell the beans, dry them and (20 Plants) WORTH £10.90 use during autumn and winter in a wide 1 £0.00 range of warming dishes. ■ ‘COBRA’: Definitely one of our favourite varieties! As easy to grow as runner beans, ‘Cobra’ is really heavy cropping with P&P £4.95 masses of dark green, stringless beans KG22JUN with outstanding flavour. A real taste TOTAL £ of summer. ■ ‘MONTE GUSTO’: The best I enclose my cheque payable to D.T. Brown yellow pods we have seen on a S£AV5E ‘Borlotto’ OR please debit my climbing bean, the slender pods Mastercard/Visa account (delete as applicable) ❑ Visa ❑ Mastercard Name Address ‘Cobra’ ‘Monte Gusto’ Postcode Telephone Email address *Calls cost 3p per minute Business Park, Newmarket, If you would prefer not tthoisrebcoexiv❑e nWeweswoilfl special offers or email plus your phone company’s CB8 7DT. promotions please tick never share your access charge. Please Orders will be despatched address with third parties. Call the credit card and contact your phone provider from mid to late May. debit card order hotline on for confirmation of your Offer subject to availability, Please fill in Card No below 0845 3710532* (Monday agreement. only one FREE collection to Friday – 8am to 6pm; Or send a cheque made per household. Expiry date weekends – 9am to 5pm payable to D.T. Brown D.T. Brown reserves the Security No (subject to change). To Seeds to: Kitchen Garden right to substitute with qualify for the free item JUNE Offers (KG22JUN), a product of equal or Signature at least one item must be D.T. Brown Seeds, Unit 8, greater value. ordered. Only orders above St Leger Drive, Newmarket We think you’d enjoy some of the latest products and offers by £10 by phone please. post from other trusted retailers and organisations. If you would ORDERING ONLINE? VISIT WWW.KITCHENGARDENSHOP.CO.UK prefer not to receive these by post, please tick this box ❑ ADD ALL ITEMS TO YOUR BASKET (INCLUDING FREE ITEM) AND ENTER CODE KG22JUN WHEN PROMPTED TO RECEIVE YOUR DISCOUNT. NEVER MISS £20 AN ISSUE... ON PAGE 20 www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine www.kitchengarden.co.uk | 91

1 WHAT TO BUY | GIVEAWAYS TO ENTER OUR GIVEAWAYS SEE PAGE 95 OR VISIT THE KG WEBSITE ASULLMSMEETRFOR 2 To complete our prize packs, there’s the versatile Kent & Stowe Capability Trowel Two lucky readers will be set up for summer BUNDLES (£14.99), a Gardman Aura Bird Bath and 1kg with a bumper bundle of top products from TO GIVE of Peckish Complete Bird Feed. Westland gardening brands. AWAY Find out more at www.gardenhealth.com Achieve four times more blooms versus watering alone and an abundance of has been designed with a unique setting We have two Westland prize bundles, each healthy fruit and veg with new Westland that mixes water with air to create a gentle worth £224.89, to give away. Boost All Purpose Liquid Plant Feed. Its water flow. Connect it to the Flopro Smartflo unique PlantSense Technology will feed No Kink Hose System (40m £69.99), the first all ornamental, ericaceous and cropping hose that unkinks itself, to make watering a plants, and it is also the first feed tailored breeze. Our lucky winners will also get a Kent for both peat and peat-free composts. Our & Stowe Metal Watering Can in Midnight prize packs will also contain Westland Rose Blue (£24.99). High Performance Plant Feed, child- and pet-friendly Westland SafeLawn Liquid Lawn Feed and Westland Big Tom Super Tomato Food. The new Kent & Stowe Eversharp Bypass Secateurs (£34.99) harness aerospace technology to achieve a carbon steel blade 100 times harder than the average blade. Their chassis is lightweight aluminium, while the ergonomic handles are made from FSC-certified ash. The Flopro Softflo Spray Gun (£19.99) BORDERS MADE EASY Garden on a Roll borders are created by 3 Border, Sunny Border, Wildlife designer Antony Henn, enabling anyone TO GIVE Border, English Cottage Border, to create the perfect garden border AWAY without the need for specialist garden Mediterranean Border, Evergreen Easy design services. Care Shady Border, Evergreen Easy Care It’s as easy as planting by numbers. You simply order online, choosing Sunny Border and Sensory Border – and our your style, width and length of border, and everything you need arrives at three winners will be able to pick their style. your door, ready to plant. Garden on a Roll grows its own beautiful plants Find out more at www.gardenonaroll.com and sends them out nationwide from its Hertfordshire nursery, with the aim of plan, and plant them through the paper. encouraging a new generation to get into gardening. The kits also include a trowel, pegs, gloves We have three prizes of a 3m by 60cm “Designing and creating beautiful and fertiliser. Prices start at £75. Garden on a Roll border, each worth £160, gardens is great fun and very satisfying, but I had this ambition to share my passion There are eight border styles – Shady to give away. for plants and gardening with people who had little or no experience,” says Antony. His complete border-in-a-box kits include biodegradable paper plans and all the plants required. You just peg down the plan, match the ‘lettered’ plants with the markers on the 92 | www.kitchengarden.co.uk www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine

GIVEAWAYS 6 Bring the bees and butterflies to your garden with COLLECTIONS Hetty’s Pollinator Herb Collection. This selection of TO GIVE 20 x 9cm potted plants have been specially picked AWAY for their appeal to pollinators, and can be used in a wide range of recipes and culinary styles. The herbs included in the selection vary each week, as the team pick out the best-looking plants on the day to make up each pack. A family-owned online business based in the fens near Spalding in Lincolnshire, Hetty’s Herbs sells 200 varieties of herbs and plants over the season, including potted plants and seeds of both popular and unusual herbs, lavenders, strawberries, wild flowers and more. The plants are carefully packed by hand and wrapped individually in paper, using straw as packaging and recycled boxes where possible, and sent via a 24-hour delivery service. Find out more at www.hettysherbs.co.uk We have six Hetty’s Pollinator Herb Collections, each worth £55, to give away. SGAAFREDGEUNAWRDOYOODUR Keep your outdoor wood looking its best for longer with the Roxil Wood Protection range from Safeguard Europe. Roxil Wood Protection Cream provides 10-year protection in a single-coat application. A colourless weatherproofer for softwoods and weathered 3 hardwoods, its advanced silicone cream formula is absorbed into the wood to prevent 4 the ingress of water. Roxil Wood Preserver BUNDLES is a powerful pre-treatment with a water- TO GIVE based odourless formulation that prevents AWAY BUNDLES discolouration, fungal rot and decay, and wood- TO GIVE boring beetle infestation. AWAY CoirProducts.co.uk offers Roxil Coloured Wood Preserver is a fast-drying dual-purpose an extensive range of wood stain and preserver suitable for both outdoor and indoor biodegradable coir-based wood. It prevents deterioration and breathes new life into wood gardening products. A natural with UV-resistant fade-free colour that lasts up to five years. There and sustainable waste are six rich, vibrant colours to choose from. product from the To find out more, visit www.safeguardeurope.com/products/roxil coconut industry, We have three prize bundles to give away. One winner will receive the Roxil Coloured Wood Preserver range (one of each coir fibre has high shade in six five-litre packs) plus Roxil Wood Protection Cream (five litres), worth a total of £234.93. Two winners will receive water- and air- Roxil Wood Preserver (five litres) plus Roxil Wood Protection Cream (three litres), each worth a total of £84.98. holding capacities, benefiting plant growth, and it biodegrades into the soil over time, adding texture. Ethically produced and sourced, the range is ideal for the eco-conscious grower, providing a sustainable, practical and economical alternative to both plastic and peat. With more than 155 product varieties on offer, the range includes coir pots in sizes ranging from 5cm (2in) to 40cm (16in), coir discs and coir coins, each in a choice of four sizes, coir potting mixes (blocks, bricks and bags in various sizes), mulch mats, growbags, grow poles, grow cubes and more. Our four lucky winners will each receive a bumper selection of products handpicked from across the range. For more information, visit www.CoirProducts.co.uk We have four Coir Products prize bundles, each worth about £75, to give away. www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine www.kitchengarden.co.uk | 93

94 | www.kitchengarden.co.uk www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine

SEED COMPANY CONTACTS KG JUNE GIVEAWAYS DT BROWN & CO MOREVEG SEEDS OF ITALY Simply fill in the details below and return to us at: tel 0845 371 0532 tel 01823 681302 tel 0208 427 5020 Kitchen Garden June-22 Giveaways, Mortons Media Group Ltd, www.dtbrownseeds. www.moreveg.co.uk www.seedsofitaly.com PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ. You can also enter co.uk THE ORGANIC SHELLEY SEEDS online for free at: www.kitchengarden.co.uk DOBIES SEEDS GARDENING tel 01244 317165 Closing date for entries: Friday, May 27, 2022 tel 0844 701 7625 CATALOGUE www.shelleyseeds.co.uk www.dobies.co.uk tel 01932 878570 SIMPSON’S SEEDS Name MR FOTHERGILL’S www.organiccatalogue. tel 01985 845004 Address SEEDS com simpsonsseeds.co.uk tel 0845 371 0518 PLANTS OF SUFFOLK HERBS Postcode www.mr-fothergills. DISTINCTION tel 01376 572456 Telephone co.uk tel 01449 721720 www.suffolkherbs.com Email Address JUNGLE SEEDS www.plantsofdistinction. SUTTONS tel 01491 614765 co.uk tel 0844 922 0606 To enter: Once you have supplied your details, cut out and send www.jungleseeds.co.uk THE REAL SEED www.suttons.co.uk this coupon to the address above and you will automatically be KINGS SEEDS CATALOGUE THOMPSON entered into the following competitions: tel 01376 570000 tel 01239 821107 & MORGAN www.kingsseeds.com www.realseeds.co.uk tel 0844 573 1818 www. All set for summer (p92) ✔ Sustainable coir growing (p93) ✔ MARSHALLS SEEDS thompson-morgan.com tel 0844 557 6700 W ROBINSON UNWINS SEEDS Borders made easy (p92) ✔ Safeguard your garden wood www.marshallsgarden. & SON LTD tel 0844 573 8400 com tel 01524 791210 www.unwins.co.uk Aroma, flavour and nature (p93) ✔ (p93) ✔ MEDWYN’S SEEDS www.mammothonion. PENNARD PLANTS tel 01248 714851 co.uk tel: 01749 860039 There are no cash alternatives available. The winners will be the first names drawn at random. www.medwynsof SARAH RAVEN www.pennardplants.com Terms and conditions apply. To view the privacy policy of MMG Ltd (publisher of Kitchen Garden anglesey.co.uk tel 0845 092 0283 magazine) please visit www.mortons.co.uk/privacy www.sarahraven.com www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine www.kitchengarden.co.uk | 95

WHAT TO BUY COVER WITH CLASS  Harrod Horticultural’s market-leading steel and aluminium walk-in fruit cages are available in a wide range of sizes to suit all gardens, and will protect your precious fruit and vegetables from birds and other animals in style. The steel fruit cages are also available in a range of decorative versions including a peaked roof, dome roof and SUBSCRIBER even a pavilion-style cage, SAVING:  making a real statement in the 10% off all steel and kitchen garden. aluminium walk-in www.harrodhorticultural.com fruit cages until Tel: 0333 400 1500 May 28, 2022 Are you a subscriber to Kitchen Garden magazine? Then visit www.mudketeers.co.uk for details of how you can take advantage of the exclusive subscriber-only deals on these pages! NO MORE WATER WOES With elho’s greensense aqua care collection, watering is taken care of. Thanks to the built-in reservoir and handy water meter, the pot regulates the water for the plant itself. A plug makes these pots suitable for indoor use, and the handy wheels make them easy to move around. For the 2022 season, the collection is available in two new shades, light concrete and charcoal grey, with the round design available in sizes ranging from 30-43cm (12-17in), and the square design from 30-38cm (12-15in). Prices: from £32.99 www.elho.com Tel: +31 (0)13 751 57 50 96 | www.kitchengarden.co.uk FOOD AL FRESCO é Masterbuilt’s new Portable Charcoal Grill is not only simple to use but also lightweight and sturdy – perfect for summer meals in the garden or on the allotment. This suitcase-sized grill comes with an easy-to-transport collapsible cart, with a tough shell built to withstand being hauled into the back of a car or wheeled across rough ground. As simple as cooking on gas, you simply light a firelighter under your charcoal, then turn a dial to control a fan for a consistent temperature. The charcoal hopper can burn briquettes or lump wood for up to four hours from 130C-260C. Price: £399 uk.masterbuilt.com www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine

SUBSCRIBER GARDEN STORE  SAVING: GREENER WATERING é 10% off bulk orders Established in 1886, Haws is the oldest manufacturer of watering cans in the world of Vegetable & Fruit ç START WITH – but its new Langley Sprinkler Recycled topsoil from www. THE SOIL! is looking to the future. Engineered from gardentopsoildirect. durable recycled and recyclable plastic, this one-pint-capacity can is ideal for all co.uk until New peat-free, vegan Vegetable indoor watering jobs. The fine-spray rose is May 26, 2022 & Fruit topsoil from The Real perfect for gently watering seedlings and young plants, and can be easily removed for Soil Company has been specially general watering duties. Price: £7.99 formulated to help your crops get the www.haws.co.uk Tel: 0121 420 2494 best possible start without harm to the environment. While the average bag of topsoil can contain up to 80% of sand, wood fibre, peat, plastic and even glass, nutrient-dense and organic Vegetable & Fruit contains nothing but enriched soil. Its formulation is high in phosphorous, potassium, magnesium and organic matter, and tests found it to retain 94% more water than a market-leading competitor. Price: £5.99 for a 25-litre bag www.therealsoilcompany.co.uk Tel: 01536 510517 Price from £101.44 for 25x25 litre bags www.gardentopsoildirect.co.uk Tel: 01536 520274 CLEANER CUTS é SUBSCRIBER SAVING: é The stylish new Shumatsu Secateurs from Niwaki pair 55mm 10% off all Niwaki (2¼in) carbon steel blades with pleasingly dimpled aluminium products, excluding handles. Early adopters are reporting how well they handle vouchers, trees and and how cleanly they cut, say the Niwaki team. They’re great workshops, until for general pruning outdoors, as well as for use indoors for May 28, 2022 houseplants and cut flowers. SUPERIOR SIEVING é Price: £49 plus £4 p&p www.niwaki.com The Clarke CRS400 Rotary Soil Sieve from Tel: 01747 445059 Machine Mart takes sowing and potting operations to the next level, sieving larger POUCH THAT PACKS A PUNCH è batches of soil and compost efficiently to give you smooth, fine results. The Ronseal has launched a new product that spells spring-loaded handle applies pressure to an end to the days of lugging paint tins around: the soil or compost, forcing it through the Ultimate Fence Life Concentrate does exactly 10mm (3⁄8in) by 17mm (5⁄8in) diamond mesh. what it says on the pouch! You just need to add Boasting durable mild steel construction, it water to the 950ml pouch to make five litres has a large 400mm (16in) sieve area. of paint – enough to cover three fence panels. Ultimate Fence Life Concentrate comes in six Price: £44.39 plus £5.99 p&p colours – Dark Oak, Medium Oak, Charcoal Grey, www.machinemart.co.uk Red Cedar, Forest Green and Sage, and the Tel: 0115 956 5555 easy-to-use formula claims to provide Ronseal’s longest-lasting protection yet. * REMEMBER: To claim your exclusive discounts you MUST first go to www.mudketeers.co.uk Price: £17 and log in using your subscriber number to www.ronseal.com discover the voucher codes required. Terms and Tel: 0114 240 9469 conditions may apply. www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine www.kitchengarden.co.uk | 97

GET COOKING SEASONAL RECIPES 98 | www.kitchengarden.co.uk www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine

XXX With strawberries, sweet peppers and garlic on the menu, there’s plenty to tantalise the tastebuds this month with Anna Cairns Pettigrew’s latest servings A good friend of mine made these as appetisers for my wedding a few years ago. They look so beautiful on a serving platter, and they are loved by kids and adults alike. SERVES 6 Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes ■ 400g (14oz) strawberries You can make this in one big bowl, or pop into individual glasses for an easy but heavenly ■ 200g (7oz) dark chocolate tasting early summer dessert. ■ 200g (7oz) white chocolate ■ Toppings of choice, such as chopped SERVES 6 4. Spread the remaining half of the mixture nuts, coconut, sprinkles or crushed into a round on to a second parchment-lined biscuit. Preparation time: 20 minutes baking tray. Cooking time: 1½ hours 1. Wash and dry the strawberries, then 5. Place both trays in the oven and bake for lay them on a paper towel-lined baking FOR THE MERINGUE one hour 30 minutes, then cool completely on sheet and leave at room temperature for ■ 3 egg whites a wire rack. one hour. ■ 85g (3oz) sugar ■ 75g (2½oz) icing sugar 6. Meanwhile, make the filling. Slice half of the 2. Melt the chocolate. Place the strawberries in two, and lightly crush the other chocolate in a medium-sized glass bowl FOR THE FILLING half with a fork. that can rest on top of a pan without ■ 500g (17oz) strawberries, washed and falling in. Pour a couple of inches of hulled 7. Scrape out the vanilla seeds from the pod and water into the pan, place the bowl ■ 500ml (17fl oz) whipping cream place in a large bowl together with the whipping of chocolate over the top, and bring ■ ½ vanilla pod cream, and whip until soft peaks form. the water to a boil. Use a spatula to ■ Mint or lemon balm leaves for decoration constantly stir the chocolate until it's 8. Crush the meringue base and mix into melted and smooth. 1. Preheat oven to 120C/fan 100C/gas 1 the cream, together with half of the crushed strawberries. 3. Swirl the strawberries in the chocolate, then let the excess drip off. Roll the 2. Whisk the egg whites, and slowly add the 9. Put a layer of cream mixture into six glasses strawberries in the toppings of your sugar. Whisk till the mixture forms firm peaks. followed by a layer of crushed strawberries choice, or sprinkle them on, then place Then sift in the icing sugar, carefully mixing it in. and sliced strawberries. Repeat until all the the strawberries on a parchment paper- mixture is used up. lined baking sheet. 3. Put half of the mixture into a piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe little meringue 10. Decorate with meringue kisses and a few 4. Further decorate with melted white kisses on to a parchment-lined baking tray. lemon balm leaves, then serve. ➤ chocolate, let the berries sit for one hour at room temperature, then serve. www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine www.kitchengarden.co.uk | 99

GET COOKING A delicious use of a glut of peppers, this Southern Italian side dish is great as a casual snack in summertime. SERVES 6 Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour ■ 180ml (6fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil This north Spanish dish traditionally uses minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to ■ 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced piquillo peppers as they are sweet with no a bowl. ■ 2 medium yellow onions, sliced heat, and the name means 'little beak'. But ■ 1.5kg (31⁄3lb) red, yellow or orange bell you can just as easily use any red sweet bell 2. Add the chorizo to the pan and fry, peppers, stemmed, seeded and sliced pepper you have growing. turning as needed, until crisp and golden, lengthwise 1cm (½in) thick about four minutes, adding more oil if ■ 1 tin tomatoes SERVES 4-6 needed. Using tongs, transfer the chorizo ■ 2 sprigs basil or oregano to a cutting board. When cool enough to ■ Salt and black pepper Preparation time: 10 minutes handle, cut into half-inch pieces. ■ 1 tbsp white wine vinegar or red wine Cooking time: 45 minutes vinegar 3. Add the onion to the pan and sauté over ■ 3 tbsp olive oil, or as needed medium heat, stirring occasionally, until 1. In a large pot with a lid, heat three-quarters ■ 1kg (2lb) new potatoes, halved golden, about 15 minutes. Add the bell of the olive oil over medium heat until ■ 250g (8oz) Spanish chorizo sausage pepper, garlic, pimentón/paprika and chilli shimmering. Stir in onions, and cook for five ■ 1 onion, chopped and sauté until the onion has absorbed all minutes, then add the garlic and cook for two ■ 1 red bell or piquillo pepper, seeded and the spices, about five minutes. minutes. Turn up the heat slightly and add in chopped peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until ■ 2 to 4 garlic cloves, minced 4. Return the potatoes and chorizo to the starting to soften, about 20 minutes. ■ 2 tsp pimentón dulce, or smoked paprika pan and pour in 250ml (8½fl oz) water. Bring ■ 1 small fresh red chilli, seeded and minced to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover 2. Add the tinned tomatoes and basil/oregano ■ Sea salt and freshly ground pepper tightly and simmer until the potatoes are sprigs and stir to combine. Bring to a gentle ■ 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley tender, about 15 minutes. simmer, then lower heat to maintain simmer. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until 1. In a large frying pan over medium heat, 5. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to peppers are very soft, about one hour. warm the olive oil. Add the potatoes and a serving dish, sprinkle with the parsley and sauté, stirring often, until pale gold, 10 to 15 serve warm. 3. Stir in the remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Stir in vinegar and discard the herb sprigs. 4. Serve right away or refrigerate and serve at room temperature with crusty bread. 100 | www.kitchengarden.co.uk www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine