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, every gardener needs to know a bit of botany and this book explains various things in a very entertaining fashion. The author talks about the effect humans have on such basics as the apple, the potato or the tulip. A bit of history, a bit of anecdote

varieties to choose from I'll need some of each. And I've never tried growing asparagus. Perhaps I should try growing some next year as the whole family love eating it.But it's not just seeds. The catalogues include fruit, potatoes and onion sets, and bulbs

building up, careful planning means that one crop will benefit another if planted before it. For example, potatoes are brilliant for breaking up the soil for deep-rooting peas and beans. They, in turn, fix nitrogen into the soil, which benefits nutrient

of flies emerges.Fruit flies (at least two Drosophila species) feature strongly, which is no surprise given the amount of apple cores, banana skins, melon shells and potato peelings we chuck in each week. Although the adult flies are only 2.5mm long

us to another problem. There are certain things that don't agree with either compost heaps or shredders. Diseased plant material shouldn't be composted, as the process might not kill the spores of, for example, potato blight or rust. Rose clippings

in the moist soil is a wireworm. I know these are supposed to be notorious garden and agricultural pests, but like so many insects, I can't really treat them as pests unless they reach pest proportions. A few of last year's potatoes had small holes in them

and used shop-bought ones to fill in any gaps. I also used garden centre manure rather than collect it myself from the stables and planted more potatoes than usual, since they're relatively trouble-free.I'm so glad that I did. A long term commitment

vegetable waste like potato and carrot peelings, banana skins, tea bags, fruit skins, and so on (and NOT cooked food waste). I'm also experimenting with composting cooked waste in a bokashi bin, but haven't quite mastered this yet - a topic for a future blog

well as potatoes). To guarantee a crop then I have to apply a preventive spray using a fungicide like Dithane 945 (containing mancozeb).I know this is disappointing if you're trying to grow crops organically, and want to avoid spraying, but I don't know

yourself an allotment.Aaah...the space to indulge your quiet fantasies of cascades of cauliflowers, orgies of onions, buckets of beetroot and pantechnicons of potatoes. Maybe even a peaceful shed with primus stove and a battered armchair.However, in order