Indholdsfortegnelse for August 2018 i Kitchen Garden

Our gardens and allotments are in full cropping mode this month; hopefully you have plenty to fill your trugs and freezers. The chances are that tomatoes will be on the list of tasty crops you are growing and picking now. Although they are easy to grow, they do suffer from occasional problems and if you need some advice then Ben Vanheems has the answers to help you get yours back on track this summer. Colleagues Emma Rawlings and Tony Flanagan have been busy. Emma has been putting the finishing touches to our annual Passionate Plotter competition (do take part for your chance to win some great prizes) while Tony brings you his growing guide to chives and garlic chives as well as testing some of the ever-growing range of battery-powered…

■ ‘NIGRICANS’: Dark flowers are popular so this Sweet William is right on trend with its wonderful maroon-chocolate coloured blooms. Height 45cm (18in).(higgledygarden.com) ■ ‘ALBA’: In contrast to ‘Nigricans’ how about a pure white variety that grows to about 45cm high (18in). (Kings) ■ ‘CROWN DOUBLE MIXED’: Produces double flowers on tall stems 60cm (24in) high. The individual flowers have a sweet fragrance. (Kings) ■ ‘AURICULA EYED MIXED’: Long stems make this variety good for cut flower production. Height 45cm (18in). (Suttons)…

STEP 1: Place about 5cm (2in) of compost in the bottom of the bag. Any compost will do including cheap multi-purpose or growing bag compost STEP 3: Cover the tuber with 2.5cm (1in) of compost, then scatter a handful of potato fertiliser or chicken manure pellets or similar over the compost. Add another 2.5cm (1in) of compost STEP 2: Place one tuber in the middle of the bag with the eyes or shoots uppermost. If there are many shoots on self-saved tubers you could rub all but three off STEP 4: Water the bag well and stand on the greenhouse/polytunnel border. As the shoots develop, sprinkle some more potato fertiliser and almost fill the bag with more compost. Top off with more manure pellets (optional)…

MOUNTFIELD Mountfield has been one of the UK’s leading lawnmower manufacturers for more than 50 years and their lawnmowers, lawn tractors and garden care products all share a reputation for outstanding quality and reliability. The Mountfield team have maintained their position as a leading lawnmower manufacturer by continually developing their products, with investment and innovation ensuring that only the best combination of performance and value for money is offered. In recent years, best-selling garden tractors, lawn riders, roller mowers and a range of class leading 48-volt garden tools have been launched. The innovations have continued with new 80-volt cordless lawnmowers. www.mountfieldlawnmowers.co.uk HARROD HORTICULTURAL This company has been producing top quality garden products for 60 years and is innovative in bringing new designs on to the market. It offers an excellent…

“Sow where you grow, that’s the motto for pak choi as they don’t like root disturbance” Pak choi is a vegetable with multiple different names. Pak choy, bai cai, bok choy and Chinese white cabbage – they are all the same vegetable and come from the Cantonese translation meaning ‘white vegetable’ because of the pure white stems. It’s rare that you can go out for Chinese food without having this vegetable make a guest appearance at some stage during the meal, be it shredded or stir-fried whole. I know that when I used to travel to China a lot, this member of the brassica family used to be a firm favourite when it was served as a baby vegetable in soups with lots of chilli and noodles. A LONG JOURNEY…

When the first Europeans arrived in America, they were amazed and delighted by the variety of flowering plants that they came across, and anything that could survive the transatlantic journey as seeds or roots, carefully protected against salt and rats, was investigated as a possible new medicine, aphrodisiac or foodstuff (in the case of the potato, originally all three.) Some were regarded as beautiful flowers and it was only later – sometimes much later – that their edible properties were discovered, as in the case of runner beans, grown for flowers for nearly 100 years. Dahlias arrived in Spain around 1790, and rapidly spread throughout the gardens of Europe for their beautiful flowers. The species originally imported included Dahlia pinnata (now reclassified as a hybrid between D. sorensenii x D…

Many of the simplest ways to keep plants happy for as long as possible in your absence are free or cost little. ■ Soak the soil thoroughly the night before you go away. This allows the water to thoroughly soak in at a time when it is not going to immediately evaporate in the heat of the day. For the same reason always water in the morning or evening when you are at home ■ Get into the habit of soaking the soil once a week when necessary, rather than sprinkling over the surface more often. The roots will follow the water down into the soil and become deeper rooted and more naturally drought tolerant ■ Make full use of mulches. Don’t be stingy with this; thirsty plants such as…

Nothing, and I do mean nothing at all, matches the sweet, mouth-filling flavour and rich aroma of home-grown tomatoes. It’s the reason they’re top of most gardeners’ must-grow list every year. Whether it’s a greenhouse chock full of vining tomatoes laden with their juicy fruits, or a hanging basket of pick-and-pop-in-the-mouth cherry toms, they’re justifiably the nation’s favourite. Most of us, most of the time, manage to grow at least some fruits, though it can be a perilous journey to reach that destination! Aphids and whitefly; blossom end rot and blight; cool weather and poorly ripening fruits: it seems there are plenty of obstacles to that oh-so-heavenly moment of pure bliss. It’s easy to get discouraged by the setbacks, but a few precautions should see you sail through to a…

Raspberries are probably the easiest fruit to grow at home. They can be grown in most soils, will tolerate a little shade, are extremely hardy and pruning is a complete doddle. In addition, they are one of the fruits with the shortest shelf life, so even with modern packaging methods, shop-bought fruit doesn’t last more than a day or so in the fridge. Reasons enough to grow your own and have fruit in abundance! Summer-fruiting raspberries crop in late June and July, but the varieties we are going to look at this month are the autumn-fruiting varieties, which fruit from September through until the first frosts. All raspberries prefer cool, moist conditions, which is why they are grown as a very successful commercial crop in Scotland. Although tolerant of a…

The Small Holdings and Allotments Act 1908 made it compulsory for local authorities to provide plots for the ‘labouring poor’, and the Allotments Act 1922 extended this, making allotments available for all ‘where a need was shown to exist’ and providing some security of tenure. Finally, the Allotments Act 1925 laid down that statutory sites could not be disposed of without ministerial consent. (This does not apply in Scotland.) The only major piece of allotment legislation since then has been the Allotments Act 1950, which improved security of tenure and compensation terms. In 1998 a Select Committee recommended urgent action to protect allotments, including that temporary sites in use for more than 30 years should become statutory, and that much more should be done to improve and advertise a site…

Plot-holders displaced from statutory sites must be given alternative plots and financial compensation. Government guidance says that new plots should ‘ideally’ be within three-quarters of a mile of the old site, of equal quality and easily accessible – but these are not statutory requirements. The only legal guarantee is the 1925 Act’s cautious promise of ‘adequate’ provision. The trend is for high-value central sites to be replaced by more affordable edge-of-town ones – so the principle of allotments being close to people’s homes, and accessible for all, irrespective of income or mobility, is being eroded. Relocation, of course, is small compensation to plot-holders who have invested years of labour and love in their plots, enriching the soil, building sheds and greenhouses, and establishing fruit trees and other perennial crops. Many…

STRONG AND STABLE These fantastic Tripod Ladders from Niwaki are perfect for fruit tree care, pruning hedges, topiary and all other garden and DIY jobs where you need to work safely at height. The three legs and wide base provide incredible stability, even on slopes and steps, and their lightweight aluminium construction makes them easy to manoeuvre. Sizes range from 122cm (4ft) to 488cm (16ft), with a standard 244cm (8ft) size which suits most domestic gardens. Most ladders come with free mainland UK delivery. Prices start from £169, but you can save 10% on any Tripod Ladder by ordering at www.niwaki.com  or calling 01747 445059 and quoting code ‘KGAUG18’. Offer valid until September 30, 2018. SUPPORT IN STYLE! Enhance your kitchen garden with Agriframes’ elegant plant supports, crop…

DT BROWN & CO tel 0845 371 0532 www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk SAMUEL DOBIE AND SON tel 0844 701 7625 www.dobies.co.uk MR FOTHERGILL’S SEEDS tel 0845 371 0518 www.mr-fothergills.co.uk JUNGLE SEEDS tel 01491 614765 www.jungleseeds.co.uk EW KING & CO tel 01376 570000 www.kingsseeds.com SE MARSHALL & CO tel 0844 557 6700 www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk MEDWYN’S SEEDS tel 01248 714851 www.medwynsofanglesey.co.uk MOREVEG tel 01823 681302 www.moreveg.co.uk THE ORGANIC GARDENING CATALOGUE tel 01932 878570, www.organiccatalogue.com PLANTS OF DISTINCTION tel 01449 721720 www.plantsofdistinction.co.uk THE REAL SEED CATALOGUE (Vida Verde) tel 01239 821107 www.realseeds.co.uk W ROBINSON & SON LTD tel 01524 791210 www.mammothonion.co.uk SARAH RAVEN tel 0845 092 0283 www.sarahraven.com SEEDS OF ITALY tel 0208 427 5020 www.seedsofitaly.com SHELLEY SEEDS tel 01244 317165 SIMPSON’S SEEDS tel 01985 845004 simpsonsseeds.co.uk SUFFOLK HERBS tel 01376 572456 www.suffolkherbs.com SUTTONS tel 0844 922…

CRUSTLESSQUICHE WITH RED PEPPERS AND SWEETCORN Take the hassle out of the quiche and make it crustless! Serve it with buttered rolls and you’ll have a filling and easy meal. SERVES 4 Preparation time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes ■ 2 medium-sized red bell peppers ■ 1 tin sweetcorn ■ 6 large free range eggs ■ 1 cup grated cheese of choice ■ 1 small onion, chopped ■ 4 cloves garlic, minced ■ 2 tablespoons olive oil ■ 1 tsp salt ■ ½ tsp black pepper 1. To roast the peppers, heat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 6 and line an oven dish with parchment paper. 2. Place the peppers in the dish and roast until completely charred and wrinkled, about 30 minutes, turning a few times…

10 MINUTE JOBS PICK DWARF FRENCH BEANS Dwarf French beans should be producing plenty of thin pods at the moment and the secret is to pick little and often. This ensures the beans are young and tender and it also encourages more pods to develop. Ideally, spend a little time picking every few days. WATER NEW PLANTS Any newly planted vegetables or fruit bushes in the garden need to be kept watered in dry weather to help the roots establish. Always water the soil around the roots and ideally water in early morning or late evening when the temperatures are much cooler. SOW LETTUCE Keep sowing lettuce little and often to keep a supply of fresh salads through late summer and autumn. Sow a small amount of seeds every couple…

NO GO GOJI BERRIES Just wanted to write in and say what a great article by Sally Cunningham on goji berries (May 2018). I’ve had four of these plants for years – growing on nitrogen-rich clay – when really they should have been grown in desert conditions. They’ve been pruned annually, but rarely produce fruit! Sounds like time to make room for something else. Anyone have reasonable yields from honeyberries (Lonicera kamtschatica)? One thing I can recommend goji berries for is they survive pesticide spray drift from a neighbouring farmer, unlike rambling roses, sloes and honeysuckles (to name a few!). Irene Tibbenham, Suffolk GROWING COFFEE? My two-year-old (pictured) always gets very excited when the Kitchen Garden magazine drops through the door, and he spends ages flicking through, and planning what…

MYSTERY SHRUB I acquired this shrub last year and planted it on my allotment. This year it has this lovely blossom. Any idea what it is? Keith Jack, via email Steve Ott, editor Kitchen Garden magazine STEVE SAYS: Your shrub is a quince (Cydonia oblonga). This is a lovely shrub or small tree; it will give the large flowers now, followed by large round or oval fruit that can be made into quince jelly, jam or fruit leather. It has great autumn colour too. They need very little looking after other than a feed in the spring with a general fertiliser followed by a good mulch with well-rotted manure or garden compost, but do appreciate regular watering during dry spells in the summer. Pruning is done in winter…

We are looking for the UK’s most passionate fruit and veggie grower and now veg plots are starting to look bountiful it is the perfect time to take some photographs and enter our competition. So if you love your plot then share it with us and other KG readers. Simply send us a few photos of your plot and you could win some great prizes and your plot will also be featured in a future issue of Kitchen Garden. SEND US: ■ One photograph of yourself, preferably taken on your plot. Others who help you on your plot can also be in the picture but please state who is pictured. ■ Six pictures of your plot. Aim for one overall shot and then some pictures of smaller sections of the…

Most of the problems that pak choi can suffer from are caused in part due to dry soil, so make sure you keep it moist. Flea beetle can be a problem if your area is prone to this insect – you will notice small holes in the plants’ leaves which turn brown. They are particularly damaging to seedlings. An easy method to keep the beetles away is to grow the plants under horticultural fleece and make sure the soil is moist. Powdery mildew can be another problem, forming white powdery deposits on the leaf surface, and resulting in the plants becoming stunted and shrivelled. Growing your pak choi in a cooler environment behind taller plants which produce shade, along with keeping the soil moist, can discourage this problem.…

Think of a Pot Noodle and you are likely to conjure one of the pots full of dried ingredients you can find in any supermarket. Yet this simple idea of a complete, filling, easily portable lunch where you ‘just add water’ and munch, can be used to make a fresh version using your own produce – and not an artificial preservative in sight. We are not the first to think of this (of course) and this recipe is adapted from one by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall from his book, Veg Every Day!, an excellent source of inspirational vegetarian recipes and using what we had to hand at the time. Check the web for others from BBC Good Food or Jamie Oliver, to name a few. SERVES 1 Preparation: 5 minutes Cooking time:…

If you didn’t know it was there, you’d never guess that a forest garden exists on a rooftop in Reading. About the size of an allotment or the garden of a terrace house, the Reading International Solidarity Centre (RISC) garden perches a couple of storeys up in the centre of this historic town. Walking into the garden from the offices is like emerging into another world. Being a forest garden, it is full of trees, and you don’t get a view out across the rooftops or across the garden itself, so you can’t tell how large it is without exploring. The winding paths draw you in among the trees in a voyage of discovery. It is a world apart, yet connected as well, as you can hear traffic below and…

■ ‘CRIMSON CRUSH F1’: A lot of excitement surrounds the launch of this tomato! It shrugs off blight by growing away from infection to produce new, healthy growth and large, sweet fruits. (Suttons) ■ ‘LIZZANO F1’: This cherry tomato is a trailing plant that’s just the job for containers and larger hanging baskets. It’s easy to grow – no supports or pinching out required. (Dobies) ■ ‘MOUNTAIN MAGIC F1’: It’s an F1 hybrid but has the flavour of a classic heritage tomato. The heavy, sweet fruits are borne by plants of exceptional all-round disease-resistance. (Thompson & Morgan)…

■ ‘AUTUMN BLISS’ – for years this was the best variety available and is still a solid performer. Large crops, reliable and easy to find, although the fruit can be softer than newer introductions. Crops from the middle of August until the first frosts. ■ ‘HIMBO TOP’ – very large fruit and the heaviest-cropping variety. Well-flavoured berries from September onwards. However, growth is vigorous so this does need support. ■ ‘JOAN J’ – fruits are bigger and brighter than ‘Autumn Bliss’, making this a great choice. Flavour is superb, and the fruit freezes better than any other variety. Highly recommended. ■ ‘ALL GOLD’ – a real delight, try and make room for a few plants of this variety if you possibly can. Delicious yellow fruit are produced in abundance, with…

Nobody knows precisely how many allotment sites there are. Sites are owned and managed on a local basis, which makes statistics very difficult to collate. NSALG estimates that there are now around 330,000 plots – but that a further 90,000 would be needed to meet current demand. Around three-quarters of sites are statutory. These are owned by a local authority and cannot be disposed of without ministerial consent. What makes a site statutory is that it was acquired by the local authority specifically for the purpose of providing allotments. A complication is that some sites have been in use for so long that records have been lost, so their legal status is uncertain. Temporary sites – around an eighth of the total – are those which have been acquired by…

At first sight, chives don’t look that much, do they? A clump of green spiky leaves shooting upwards. But added to a salad or other dishes they bring a subtle onion taste without dominating proceedings. And, of course, if you leave them to flower, what a splendid display of purple crowns, much loved by bees! A member of the onion family, chives (Allium schoenoprasum) are low maintenance and can be grown in the open ground but they do very well in pots too – in fact, they make a super backyard plant. SOWING For direct sowing, prepare a seed bed in spring and sow in drills 30cm (12in) apart to a depth of 1cm (½in). Thin seedlings to 23cm (9in) apart when they are large enough to handle. Alternatively, and…

FREE FOR EVERY READER BLACKBERRY ‘PURPLE OPAL’ You really can’t beat the sweet, intense flavour of a blackberry! Eaten straight from the plant, used in a fruity jam or frozen to be used another day, the sweet and tangy flavour is wonderful! However, their sprawling habit hasn’t always been suited to gardens and fruit cages – until now! ‘Purple Opal’ is a breeding breakthrough. It’s the first variety bred specifically for patio pots and containers. The plants are compact and produce arching, thornless and trailing stems which will become loaded with fruit from their first year. The berries are large and sweet, perfect for eating fresh as well as for making pies, crumbles and jam. No more scrambling through the hedgerows to find fresh blackberries, just plant up a patio…

TALKS, TOURS & OPEN DAYS PERCH HILL OPEN DAYS AUGUST 1,18 & 22. Perch Hill Farm, Brightling, Burwash, Kent. Visit Sarah Raven’s vegetable and cut flower gardens. 10.30am-3.30pm. www.sarahraven.com PLUM DAY AUGUST 12. Brogdale Farm, Faversham, Kent. Display of plums from the 300+ in the National Fruit collection; orchard tours, expert advice. 01795 536250 www.brogdalecollections.co.uk SUMMER VEGETABLE WEEKEND AUGUST 19-20. Barnsdale Gardens, The Avenue, Exton, Oakham, Rutland. Chat with the experts; visit the productive areas usually off-limits to visitors; cookery demo on Sunday. 11am-4pm. 01572 813200 www.barnsdalegardens.co.uk HOMEACRES OPEN DAY SEPTEMBER 2. Alhampton, Shepton Mallet, Somerset. Charles Dowding’s garden open; ¾ acre of no-dig veg, fruit and flowers. 11.30am-4.30pm. 01749 860292 www.charlesdowding.co.uk JEKKA’S HERB FARM OPEN DAYS SEPTEMBER 7&8. Rose Cottage, Shellards Lane, Alveston, Bristol. Look round the herbetum, and…

After many nights watching plot 4B there was no sign of the mystery owner or any work being done. The plot remained pristine and well cared for, with not a weed in sight. One balmy July evening Peaty Peat, Donna and Raised Bed Ron took their turn on the stake-out. They sat shoulder to shoulder as usual behind Donna’s shed eating biscuits, as others had done many times before. “I know this might seem stupid,” said Peaty Peat very quietly to the other two. “But has anyone thought to ask the secretary who the plot is registered to?” “I’ve already thought of that,” said Donna, whispering. “I asked Jo who owned it and the strange thing is she doesn’t know. The owner of that plot pre-dates all of us and…

WHAT TO DO IN AUGUST  ■ Pot on seedlings from July sowings ■ Feed tomatoes, peppers and aubergines every week ■ Avoid overcrowding – remove spent plants and replace with new ones ■ Watch out for problems and act before they get worse ■ Stay on top of ventilation and watering ■ Ask someone to mind the greenhouse if you are away ■ Earth up potatoes planted last month in bags ■ Enjoy the glorious harvest – summer crops should be at their best ■ Take a photograph and delight in what you have grown – great to look back at! A NEW GREENHOUSE: CHOICE OF COVER Glass is the traditional choice, although polythene structures are very popular. Glass creates a slightly drier atmosphere than polythene: peppers and tomatoes can…

This old-fashioned cottage garden flower used to be popular on allotments for cutting, but sadly it fell out of favour. It does seem to be making a comeback though and deserves to, as it produces exquisite heads of sweetly scented flowers in late spring/ early summer. This carnation-relative is biennial, which means it produces leaves one year and then flowers the next. New strains mean you can sow early in spring to flower in the same year in summer. This is a great advance in plant breeding but I think the Sweet William’s strength is in the fact you can sow in summer to produce lovely flowers the following year in late spring. This is at a time when the garden is just waking up and extra flowers for us…

PIGEONS Pigeons are a common pest when it comes to cabbages and will tear away at leaves until there’s nothing left. SOLUTION: Protect with netting. There are also repellents you can spray on leaves such as Grazers G1 which will also deter rabbits at the same time. WHITEFLY These little white insects are quite common, flying up all at once when the cabbage leaves are disturbed. They will feed on the sap of the plant, leaving sooty deposits where they’ve been. SOLUTION: Often these are more of a nuisance than a serious problem. For serious infestations insecticides such as Westland Resolva Bug Killer can be used. CABBAGE WHITE BUTTERFLY The caterpillars of the cabbage white butterfly can devastate your leaves if not dealt with. Look out for their yellow eggs…

1 ST  PRIZE VALUE £921 ■ Mountfield Mower worth £329 ■ Set of 3 Harrod Trumpet Wire Rust Obelisks value £242 ■ WOLF-Garten tools worth £250 ■ Two Wests & Elliott vouchers value £100 2 ND  PRIZE VALUE £744  ■ Mountfield Mower worth £329 ■ Harrod Decorative steel Wall Trellis (and brackets) ball finials value £165.45 ■ WOLF-Garten tools worth £150 ■ Two Wests & Elliott vouchers worth £100 3 RD  PRIZE VALUE £638  ■ Mountfield Mower worth £329 ■ Harrod Vintage Round Wire Obelisk in natural rust, ideal for climbing plants. Value £109 ■ WOLF-Garten tools worth £100 ■ Two Wests & Elliott vouchers worth £100…

Send the above together with your photographs to:- Kitchen Garden Passionate Plotter Competition, Mortons Media Group, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR or email your pictures and answers to erawlings@mortons.co.uk Photocopies of the above form are permitted. We regret that photographs cannot be returned. DATA: Protection of your personal data is important to Mortons. Your data will be stored securely and only be used for the purpose of processing and publishing the competition and notifying the winners. Data will then be destroyed.…

■ ‘JOI CHOI F1’ – This is an excellent variety with dark green leaves and pure white stems which grow uniformly and neatly. It is slow to bolt and has a good frost resistance, meaning it’s a great variety for later in the year. Available from www.kingsseeds.com ■ ‘RUBI F1’ – A real hit with gardeners at every show we attend. The colour is unbelievable. If you have never grown pak choi, this is the one to start with! Attractive, purplish-red leaves with a contrasting green underside, which can be picked as tasty baby leaves for stir-fries or grown to maturity for use as a cooked vegetable. Available from www.dobies.co.uk ■ ‘SUMMER BREEZE’ – This excellent heat tolerant pak choi is suitable for UK summers as well as autumn. Available…

“The key to growing for health is to include crops from as many different plant families as possible” The vitamin and dietary supplement market is a multi-million-pound industry. It thrives on the perception that optimal health can’t be achieved through food alone. Yet alongside soaring sales of pills and potions, rates of diseases like cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s continue to rise. Because despite advances in science, a multivitamin will never compensate for an over reliance on processed food, or fruit and vegetables that are lacking in nutritional quality, due to modern farming methods and depleted soils. In fact, researchers at Newcastle University discovered that concentrations of disease-fighting antioxidants were up to 60% higher in organically grown crops, which were also far less likely to be contaminated with pesticides and…

“I don’t see gardening as a chore and I don’t want them to either.” Growing her own fruit and veg to eat, commuting to and from work from Brighton to London four days a week, and raising her two young children – Margot is three-and-a-half and Wilbur just 14 months – how does busy mum and gardener Helen Olszowska fit it all in? And that’s not all; things look set to get a whole lot busier with the launch of her new social media pages. She spoke to Kitchen Garden about her plot. So what made you start on your own plot? I grew up in the suburbs in London in the 80s and 90s and my parents were both pretty active in the garden. My mum took charge of…

“Allotments are the last remnant of the common land that once belonged to everyone” It’s all too easy for those in favour of development to portray allotmenteers as selfish individualists defending their right to pursue their hobby at the expense of the wider community. Given the urgent need for housing and other amenities, allotment sites in what are now prime development locations can be seen as an anachronism that can no longer be indulged. But the right we are defending is a fundamental one: allotments are the last remnant of the common land that once belonged to everyone. Allotment provision began as a response to the Enclosure Acts which fenced off common land, leaving the poor with nowhere to grow food. Eventually, legislation was passed requiring landowners to provide compensatory…

Given the erosion of allotment protections, the advice from seasoned campaigners and NSALG is to act to save your site before it is threatened. A thriving site with a strong community of plot-holders is much less likely to come under attack. ■ FORM AN ASSOCIATION This, say campaigners, is absolutely vital: individual plot-holders can be picked off easily, but a strong organisation is much harder to take. An association can lobby the owner to ensure that a site is fully let and properly maintained; organise events to raise the profile of the site; and promote it to local politicians and the media. ■ FORGE LINKS WITH THE COMMUNITY Events like open days that engage the wider community are important, because it shifts the public perception of a site from an…

I was once told that I should sow as many courgette seeds as I think I need. Then give half the plants away and I would still have too many. Courgettes are such a prolific crop and as much as I love them as a vegetable with my dinner, they are also brilliant for sneaking into cakes without the kids spotting and for adding moisture. A top tip if planning to use them in cakes is to grow a yellow variety. Then they are even harder for the kids to spot. “I was once told that I should sow as many courgette seeds as I think I need. Then give half the plants away and I would still have too many.” TROPICAL COURGETTE CRUMBLE CAKE This tropical crumble cake makes…

QUALITY TOOLS FROM DRAPER With its powerful engine, fingertip throttle control and clutch handle, the Draper 42.7cc Petrol Cultivator/Tiller (£190; stock number 32329) delivers all the ‘grunt’ you will ever need! Manufactured to be robust and durable, it is ideal for preparing the ground in gardens, allotments and smallholdings. Its formidable 135cc petrol engine delivers power to the tines under varying soil conditions and makes short work of cutting through hard soil, roots and sod. It has a tilling width of 320mm (12½in) and a tilling depth of 150mm (6in). Its easy-to-handle frame weighs just 15.5kg (34lb) (excluding fuel), and it is easy to set up. Draper’s 180-litre Compost Tumbler (£125; stock number 07212) takes the hard work out of compost making. This ingenious composter consists of a polypropylene barrel…

HEDGE TRIMMER The HT05-Plus has a 1.7m (5ft 7in) extendable reach and weighs 1.7kg (3lb 12oz). It has an adjustable head to trim at difficult angles, and a one-handed power trigger and safety switch. Delivers up to 45 minutes run-time. GTECH www.gtech.co.uk TEL: 01905 345 891 PRODUCT CODE: HT05-Plus PRICE: £99.99 (Battery included). KG VERDICT If you have lots of hedge, and especially tall ones, this will be just what you need. We liked the adjustable head for different angles (acute and obtuse, so very versatile) and the length of handle. Very light, so perfect for sustained use. GRASS TRIMMER This MT48Li cordless grass trimmer and lawn edger is lightweight with a push button start. It has a rotating head with guide wheel for trimming edges and an automatic line…