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Gooseberries are on the delights of summer as far as I am concerned. They have a delicious tart, tangy flavour that is oddly combined with sweet, particularly if you can leave them on the...

In the natural world, some plants command attention with vibrant colours and attractive shapes, while others subtly demand your respect with a sharp sting. Among the latter, there are few as well known or...

Introduction Garlic is a staple in many cuisines and grown by home gardeners across the world. One of the biggest problems we face when growing garlic is garlic rust, which is unsightly and far...

Introduction Broad bean rust is one of the most common and destructive diseases that affect broad beans (Vicia faba) and most of us will have seen it at one time or another. It is...

Garlic, Allium sativum, is a perennial plant that is grown as an annual for its bulbs. If the bulbs are left in place, the plant will slowly spread while the bulbs grow and flower...

Have your tomatoes got dark blotches on the end that are creeping across the fruit? Don’t panic, it is not the end of your crop, but something called blossom end rot, caused by lack...

Tomato blight, or late blight diseases (Phytophthora infestans), is a major issue for growers across the world. It can destroy crops and by the time it has infected your plants, it is too late...

Sprouting broccoli, Brassica oleracea var. italica, is an expensive to buy vegetable, known for its high levels of vitamins and anti-cancer agents. It is relatively easy to grow, though does have quite a long...

Broad beans, Vicia faba, are a popular crop with vegetable gardeners as the young beans are particularly sweet. Sow in the autumn to harvest from May or sow late winter/early spring for summer harvests....

We all grow broad beans, or fava beans as our American cousins refer to them as. They are a popular crop across the world and many gardeners, myself included, grow them because they are...

It is now getting quieter at the allotment as the harvest draws to a close and the days shorten, making it harder for many people to get time to work on their allotment. The...

In October, the allotment gets quieter, though you can find plenty to do. Sowing will be slowing down, but there is still lots of harvest and eat. Many of your plants will not survive...

The vegetable garden quietens down a little in August, surprisingly enough, giving you a bit of time to enjoy the weather and the fruits of your labour. Your main jobs will still be weeding...

July is another busy month in the vegetable garden. Planting will be slowing down, but harvesting is going to be occupying a lot of your time. Weeding and watering will be another time consuming...

June is all hands to the pump as it is one of the busiest months in the vegetable garden. The risk of frost has passed now for almost everyone, so all those tender plants...

May is a busy month in the vegetable garden. The days are getting longer, the weather warming and the risk of frost in most areas diminishing to close to zero. Many seedlings started in...

[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”] [et_pb_row admin_label=”row”] [et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”] When growing pumpkins you often end up with a glut of them at which point you are left wondering what on earth you are going to do...

April is a fun time in the allotment or vegetable garden. Things are starting to grow, but not just the things you want … the weeds start to grow including the dreaded mares or...

With all the worry about Covid-19, we all need to be careful. There is no reason you cannot go to your allotment during this time and plant, but you do need to take some...

As spring comes, so bees, and other pollinators, wake up from hibernation and emerge looking for food. At this time of year, food can be scarce for them, particularly if an unseasonably warm snap...

March is when it all starts to get busy in the vegetable garden as, hopefully, spring is on its way and the weather is warming. However, for many of us, March now means frosts...