Things are looking up in the natural world… and the world in general! So with spring and summer thoughts in mind, let’s open the pages of the April KG for some well-deserved gardening therapy to see us through.
Steve writes: “April is a wonderful time in the garden, when conditions for many of us are perfect for sowing seeds. True, some of our northern readers may still have to be content with sowing indoors in seed trays for a little while yet, but many of us will sow the bulk of our hardy crops over the coming weeks.
“So as you’d expect this issue is packed with great advice to help you get the best from your seed sowing and as always we have lots of growing guides to help you along; this month for celery, cauliflowers, and courgettes, plus a lesser known, but worthwhile veg called celtuce or stem lettuce. Do give it a go if you can.
“Christmas may be a very long way off (do I hear sighs of relief?) but, as gardening expert Ben Vanheems reminds us, this is the time to start sowing and planting many festive staples such as potatoes, parsnips and of course Brussels sprouts. Starting on page 24 he offers all the advice you need to grow your own and to impress family and friends next winter.
“Not everyone reading this has a full-size allotment or vegetable garden in which to grow their crops and many of you might be experimenting with veg growing for the very first time. If this is you then turn to page 64 for our five-page guide to growing fruit and veg in pots. You might be surprised by just how much you can grow in a very small space.
“As we all know, pollinators such as bees are not just beautiful creatures to have around – they are essential to our very survival and certainly to the success of many of our most popular crops. In this issue we look at a few of the many plants you can grow in your garden to encourage and support them.”
Thre’s plenty more to keep you enthralled in the latest issue. Get a glimpse into the cabbage-growing fields of Cornwall where a family produces baby brassica plants to send out to kitchen gardeners and allotmenteers across the country so they can enjoy that home-grown taste later in the year.
As usual Anna Cairns Pettigrew is busy in the kitchen, cooking up a storm with home-grown produce including lovage, white cabbage and rocket. Send your tastebuds into orbit by checking out four pages of colourful and tasty treats! Here’s a picture of her smoked haddock and lovage mini gratins.
So do make sure you pop to the shops for your copy… or better still, why not subscribe and get Kitchen Garden delivered to your door? You’ll save money, get your copy before it goes on sale in the shops and receive free seeds every month! Can’t be bad. Plus as a subscriber you automatically qualify as a member of the Mudketeers’ Club, an online resource where you can pick up extra tips, special offers, discounts and prizes that aren’t available to non-subscribers.
