The lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer are fast approaching, when the sun reaches its zenith and the days are at their longest. Kitchen Garden magazine looks ahead to great times outdoors on the plot.
KG editor Steve Ott, pictured below, writes in his monthly ‘welcome’ to the issue: “As weather conditions improve and summer draws near we can at last start thinking about sowing those tender crops that make growing your own so special.
“You may already have tomatoes, peppers and aubergines growing apace and many will have first batches of runner and dwarf French beans on the go inside to fill the freezer come the summer. The time to sow squashes, pumpkins and sweetcorn is also here and we have features on both in this issue packed with top growing tips and ideas to help you get the best from yours this season.
“Out on the veg patch space will soon be at a premium as early spring sowings start to make their presence felt. To help you get the most from the growing space you have, deputy editor Emma Rawlings has some great advice to help you cram in a few more rows, while also helping to confuse the pests.
“In the hope that flaming June lives up to its name staff writer Tony Flanagan brings you his top tips for growing that favourite of the summer border, the sunflower, and reminds us that not all the best varieties are towering giants. I’m encouraging you to look up however, in order to fit more veg into your plot by making use of valuable vertical space.
“One of the delights of growing your own tomatoes is that you can use them as an ingredient in home-made soups and sauces. Ben Vanheems explains how to grow these and all the other ingredients you need to make the tastiest pasta sauces – the starting point for so many delicious Mediterranean dishes. So even if you can’t travel abroad this summer, you can still get a flavour of warmer climes, courtesy of your back garden.”
In addition, resident chef Anna Cairns Pettigrew adds more culinary choices to her seasonal menu, with a selection of new dishes to delight family and friends this summer. Here’s one of them, this delicious ‘flower cake’… made with both flour and flowers! Find out how to bake it and delight your garden visitors.
As usual there are giveaways, reader offers and a host of other regular features, including news of what the Three Mudketeers – Steve, Emma and Tony – have been getting up to on their own plots over the past month.
If you’re a subscriber, you can visit the exclusive Mudketeers’ website which contains lots more offers, news and snippets that you won’t find elsewhere on this website or in the magazine. So why not subscribe today? You’ll receive your magazine earlier than it appears in the shops, and you’ll save money too!
