Search - Articles

Read Lila Das Gupta's blog on growing garlicHarvesting garlicGrowing onions and garlicPlanting shallots in a containerPlanting out leeksBrowse vegetable varietiesView a selection of herbs

I was pleased with this year's Christmas harvest – much of our Christmas dinner was allotment produce. King Edward potatoes from the garage were roasted, Charlotte new potatoes from store were steamed. Greens took the form of braised leeks and

it with water and it will soak down to their roots, rather than running off the soil surface.More advice on growing vegetablesMonty Don's video guide to growing courgettesHow to plant out leeksGrowing parsnips from seedPlanting brassicas

urge to grow and flower profusely.My idea back in the autumn was to plant it with a few salad leaves such as mustardand rocket that might overwinter and give us some early, spicy leaves to make a few winter salads, as well as some parsleyto keep us

results with shallots in the past and they pickle well if there are too many to eat.For greens I'm sticking to cabbages (red, savoy and winter types) plus a couple of beds of leeks, because I love them so much. I'll also sow a few herbs and salads like

, leeks and chives are a staple in my garden!

, and use as a large open-air ‘seed tray’. Sow short rows of brassicas, kohl rabi and leeks, thin the seedlings out and transplant them to their final growing positions later.Make a seedbedEssential tools, like a hoe, hand fork and trowel, string line (for

Wilkinson's), which includes a fast-growing leek called 'Starozagorski Kamus'. It may be a tongue-twister to begin with, but another advantage of seeds from eastern Europe is that production costs tend to be cheaper, so there's quite a few F1 bargains

garden needn't have fewer plants or less variety than a large garden, but it's important to avoid growing large plants and shrubs, which can exclude light from the garden and compete with smaller plants for water and nutrients. Here, Monty Don and James

Jekka McVicar's 10 companion plantsJekka McVicar's organic herb garden achieved a gold medal at the Chelsea Flower Show 2009. We caught up with her at the show to discover her top 10 herbs for growing as companion plants.Companion planting