Make a new years resolution for 2014 to help our environment and follow in the footsteps of  a new breed of horticulturists who use what we would normally throw away to work with nature and not against it to help grow our own food. If you've never composted before, this is the perfect time of the year to start your own compost pile, as we tend to ( Read more... )

I always sow my tomatoes at the end of January because if I don’t they are so far behind that I have to purchase them from a garden centre which costs the same for a single plant as it does for 2 packets of quality seeds. But its not an easy task as you have to take care of your seedlings just as you would take care of anything so young and fragile ( Read more... )

This is the moment you are glad you grew that handful of peas and your own tomato plants. The moment when the pan is on the stove and you nip out to the kitchen garden, pick a few peapods and a few tomatoes and add them to your curry sauce just to add that tiny bit of sweetness and colour. You can't get any fresher than that. Pure genius.

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Last year I compiled a seed sowing chart that will help with your “ February seed sowing”. It was originally designed to be used in schools so it is child's play. It not only shows you which seeds you can sow, but also what kind of seed tray is best to use and it also allows for multiple sowings at different times of the month just in case one lot ( Read more... )

It’s the third week of February and most accomplished gardeners will have already sown their tomato seeds but, if you’ve never grown tomatoes from seed then here are my tips for successful sowing. I start my tomato seedlings off in cardboard rolls which allow me to lift them without much disturbance to the roots. This is also good procedure for ( Read more... )

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Three easy to grow vegetables can be sown in January and they each take up a minimum amount of space on the kitchen window sill or on a shelf in a cold greenhouse. To ensure a successful yield however, it is wise to do some simple preparation beforehand. Sowing leeks, peas and tomatoes directly into the ground in January is not an option for ( Read more... )

It’s fortunate that I grew most of my tomatoes outdoors as my greenhouse has suddenly been taken over by cucumber plants that I’ve had to let climb wherever possible.


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Tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini..just a few of the garden delights of August.


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Admittedly my tomatoes are a bit late compared to those that have been raised in greenhouses, but the great thing is that i do have tomatoes now and the F1 cucumber plants that I cursed about earlier in the season are coming along fantastically and are bearing more cucumbers than i can count (even though they are only 1inch long at the moment). ( Read more... )