Strawberries are possibly the plant, or fruit that just about everybody wants to grow. And with the extortionate price of these fruits in the shops and the deliciousness of these rich red fruits, it’s no wonder that everyone wants to grow them. When a bowl of strawberries at Wimbledon contains a handful of fruit (usually […]
There are lots of different types of fruit you can grow in pots, says Jean Vernon I grow a lot of fruit in pots in my garden, even trees. The secret is to use BIG pots and make the very best of the planting area For example I’ve got an Apricot tree (from Thompson & […]
Protein is an important part of our diet, but many people rarely consider plants as a good source of protein. That’s a shame, because plants can be a great source of protein and if you grow a variety of plants for seed, grains, fruits and nuts you can actually grow a lot of protein in […]
I like to think that there are very few real pests in the garden and the greenhouse. Most of the issues the gardener faces are ephemeral, a passing phase and more a meal for a larger predator than a real problem. That to me is the secret in pest control; find the creature that feeds […]
Yes you can, they are easy to grow, something a little different and a great way to get the kids interested in gardening. Far from being a new super food, tiger nuts were actually a mainstay in the war and post war era, a slightly sweet treat that offered something a little different for the […]
I’ve not grown potatoes in my garden for a while. I’d been keeping my precious veg space for crops that I considered to use the space better. But over this autumn and winter for some reason I’ve struggled to find organic potatoes locally and when I have they have been tasteless. Coupled with some scary […]
Keep your planters close and your plants closer this winter, says Jean Vernon With the winter about to hit full force, I’ve been contemplating the fate of my many garden planters. The greenhouse is already packed out with overwintering plants and pots of my less than hardy garden beauties. From scented pellies and fabulous fuchsias, […]
Perhaps it’s the shorter hours of daylight making me appreciate the moments of sunshine that light up the garden and landscape in blasts of crisp autumn light. Or maybe it’s the fiery tones of the autumn leaves as they flutter ground wards in every breath of wind. But whatever it is, time spent outside in […]
Get to grips with plant labels now and be ready for your spring sowing spectacular says Jean Vernon Plant labels are the bane of my life, but maybe, just maybe I’ve found the solution We’ve all been there haven’t we?? You’ve taken the cuttings, sown the seeds, planted the plant and searched around for a […]
When you grow your own fruit, vegetables and greenhouse crops you fully understand the time and effort that is invested into every mouthful. The Grow Your Own fanatic is not going to waste a morsel; every tomato, bean and cucumber will be devoured with relish, or simply pickled, jammed or chutneyed, or just eaten fresh […]
I’ve always been a bit of a fan of weird and wonderful food plants. I love to forage in the woodland and hedgerows for ingredients to transform our diet and am fascinated by the food plants still used by native civilisations. Quinoa, amaranth, maize, potatoes, tomatoes, chillies and many more valuable crops were brought to […]
Growing your own produce is second nature to a united society of gardeners, most of whom have a greenhouse as the top tool in their gardening kit. There’s not much point in growing your own food if you can’t trial a few new things, try something different and grow what you want. Generally growing from […]
