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, but the new site I'm on has suffered from it terribly.A blight warning - sometimes called the Smith Period - occurs when there have been two consecutive days with temperatures of at least 10? and relative humidity has been above 90%.I try to grow vegetables

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

exceptionally well, coming out of the ground perfectly formed, virtually blemish-free and in huge quantities.‘Picasso’, a regular main crop I grow, has also been good, as has ‘Cara’ which I’ve never grown before. I’ve also tried a few tubers of a new variety

even replicate the experience with their own children.Allotments have a slightly abandoned feel to them at this time of year, and yet they become a storehouse of memories – all the triumphs (and failures) of the last growing season, the lovely picnics

the greenhouse at home rather than on the allotment, because in the growing season you really have to be able to attend to seedlings and plants twice a day. For me, it was also important to mix edible with ornamental plants at home. I wanted to have things like

[brightcove exp=1463233149&vref=1600262047]I'm here at BBC Gardeners' World Live in Birmingham...I'm on Joe's allotment...I thought I'd check out what the competition was like.These are the veg I would recommend for beginner growers. They're really

shall you reap" reminder that if he wants a garage full of produce come the autumn, we'd better get it all in the ground now.We've got all the spuds in - we're growing lots of different ones this year in an effort to spread the harvesting so we get lots

.The allotment seems to be the ideal solution. There the fig can have its head and enjoy some space to expand. It will make a lovely, fast-growing, leafy plant for my plot and will add to the selection of fruits I already grow. Figs sucker terribly from

and tolerate more shade than sweet cherries, though beware of claims that they grow well on north-facing walls as they can become spindly. When it comes to planting on an allotment or small space, their size and spread make them ideal.I've ordered a variety

.One example of this new wave is the outdoor melon 'Emir' (F1), which crops well outside, even in British summers (though it's important not to grow it in a windy spot). 'Emir' is part of Johnson's 'Welcome to eastern Europe' seed range (available from