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summer displaysPrune rambling and climbing rosesFlowersKeep harvesting root veg such as beetroot and carrotsOrder fruit trees and bushesFinish picking beans, but leave a few pods to ripenFruit & vegPlant winter salads in growing bagsCheck heaters

My father tells a story of when he was in the army. A particularly pompous officer lifted the lid of a dish of vegetables and snorted "carrots are not an officer's vegetable" before storming off.I mention this in light of a brief discussion I had

.Watch Joe' Swift's advice on growing basil from seed.Follow Monty's advice on growing carrots in a container.

wins.Before the introduction of the potato to Europe in 1536, the parsnip was a much more mainstream vegetable than it is now. Parsnips are pretty easy to grow by sowing directly into the ground around March and April - dig the ground well as lumps

The long chilly winter evenings are ideal for looking back on the year and reflecting on its triumphs and disasters. Some triumphs are of my own making - my carrots were fantastic thanks to my sowing the seeds at the right time, unlike last year

draw up a crop rotation plan. I actually drew a rough outline of where I was going to grow this year's crops in the autumn, before putting in the onions and garlic. Typically, I never got around to finishing it off.My crop rotation plan comprises a

to leave. The beds dedicated to growing hungry crops, such as beans and courgettes will need plenty of organic matter added, such as garden compost or well-rotted horse manure.Beds dedicated to growing root crops, such as carrots and parsnips will not have

and compare experiences with you all, as we get to grips with growing everything from carrots to Coreopsis. I'll be growing the same seeds as you, at the same time, so we can compare triumphs and setbacks.In each blog, I'll be letting you know how my plants

I've just thrown a 'plant party', as part of 'Grow Your Own' Week. This involved my friends coming to my flat and learning how to sow tomatoes and chillies. We also discussed pricking out, transplanting, feeding and watering. It reminded me of my

braised with apples? We had that last year, braised with apples — very nice it was too, but I wanted a change this year. Next year I’m planning on growing swede, so we can have mashed carrots and swede for Christmas lunch.If I raised a few turkeys