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the time to eat my asparagus is getting closer.For best results, you should grow asparagus in a nutrient-rich bed with good drainage. I made a raised bed, packed it with a mixture of soil, well rotted manure plus a little sand  to ensure good drainage

trumpets bursting open at tip of yellow courgettes are pure beauty – and yes, they are good enough to eat (deep fried in a tempura batter sounds appetising).Flowers adorn climbing beans, squash, tomatoes, aubergines, chillies, garlic chives and many more

just as strongly as us! This year rust hit so early that although there are a few respectably sized bulbs, most are half their usual size. I'll be buying it by Christmas.Then the chives, overnight the foliage flopped, turned bright yellow

I'm beginning to wonder whether growing old heirloom or heritage varieties of vegetables is really worthwhile. My tomato 'Snow White Cherry', sold as a heritage variety by many companies, was a real disappointment this year, and I wish I'd grown

Last year I ripped out an old strawberry bed as the plants had gone past their best. As if by magic, I was sent several new strawberry varieties to trial. Of course, my son soon had his eye on the plants and suggested he grow them instead of me

to growing autumn varieties such as ‘Autumn Bliss’, ‘Joan J’ and ‘Fallgold’, which I prize for its pretty yellow fruits.Wet summers, such as those we’ve had recently, greatly increase the risk of raspberry cane blight. Canes infected with blight tend to look

I'm passionate about growing garlic. I successfully grow lots of garlic at home, despite the fact that I garden on a very heavy, clay soil.Garlic thrives in a well-balanced soil that is fairly loose, so the bulbs can expand properly. It does less

.)Apparently, certain varieties are easier to overwinter than others.  This year I grew a yellow variety called 'Hot Stuff', which is supposed to overwinter well. The plants are still in fruit (which are delicious) and look healthy. It would be a shame to let the frost

As container-grown fruit and veg start to crop, it's important keep your eye on the ball to ensure they stay productive. I've just harvested a small batch of French beans from my late container sowing as part of the Grow Yourself Healthy campaign

for eating in salads, some for using in sauces and some for roasting. My aubergines will be so plentiful, I won’t need to buy any again (no matter how many aubergine parmigianas I make). I’ll grow enough garlic to hang in plaits around my kitchen and my