Kitchen Garden April 2025

April is such a wonderful month in the garden and the time when keen and casual gardeners alike get outside and get stuck in, encouraged by longer days and, we hope, plenty of sunshine. But even if the weather lets us down we surely can't help but be enthused by seeing things growing all around us, making the temptation to start sowing irresistible. This issue is packed with ideas and inspiration to make you want to get outside and start sowing the seeds that will fill your plot and your larder with lovely fresh vegetables this summer. We have growing guides for tomatoes, cauliflowers, asparagus, courgettes, broccoli, thyme and rhubarb. We also reveal the latest news on blight-resistant potatoes. You'll find great money-saving offers on asparagus crowns, strawberry plants, cauliflower…

CUT ASPARAGUS Asparagus season is such a joy. This delicious seasonal veg with a short cropping period is harvested by cutting at ground level with a sharp knife PLANT POTATOES Finish planting potatoes, including maincrop. Cover with a layer of compost, adding grass clippings as a mulch to help keep in moisture if the spring is warm and dry SUPPORT PEAS Cut sticks to support peas as they grow. A strong framework pushed firmly into the ground can help to protect peas from very windy weather EDGE BEDS Maintain veg beds adjacent to grassy areas with a sharp spade or half-moon edger and remove any grass or weeds that are trying to sneak in KEEP PLANTING AND HARVESTING As the days get warmer and brighter spring is in full swing…

START CUCURBITS It's time to sow warmth-loving courgettes and summer and winter squash under cover, ready for planting out in May. These cucurbits are not frost hardy and should be planted outside after the last frosts, so check the date for your area – here in Wales it is mid-May. Fill large sized modules or small pots with peat-free compost. Sow one seed per module or pot, cover with compost and water. Place in a warm sunny spot, such as a greenhouse or windowsill, to germinate. Keep a watch out for slugs, which love to eat young squash plants. If using modules pot on when the roots start appearing from the bottom of the module. Keep in a frost-free place. When it is time to plant out either harden off…

WISE WORDS “Aside from the garden of Eden, man's great temptation took place when he first received his seed catalogue” (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 19th century American poet) “Have you viewed us on YouTube yet?” ONIONS, LETTUCE AND PHACELIA Steve has been busy planting the red onions he has overwintered in cell trays since planting in October. They have formed very nice roots which will hopefully give them a head start and they should romp away now they are in the newly-enriched soil to which Steve has added a little controlled-release fertiliser. Tony has been digging in his green manure plants that he sowed last August in some of his veg beds, including this one which was sown with phacelia. The plants survived the winter and have kept weeds at bay.…

TASTY TOMATOES Hi! I'm Belle and I'm here every month to share lots of fun activities for you to do at home, on your own or with your family Grow your own cherry tomatoes to eat straight off the plant or big tomatoes to turn into tasty sauce. There are many different varieties of tomatoes to choose from including red, yellow, green and purple ones! You can grow short, bushy, trailing plants that are perfect for containers and small spaces, or tall plants which are great to grow in the ground with bamboo supports. YOU WILL NEED: ■ Tomato seeds – any variety of your choice ■ Seed or multi-purpose compost ■ 7.5cm pots or trays with small cells ■ Water in a watering can ■ Clear plastic bags –…

RHS MALVERN SPRING FESTIVAL The four-day RHS Malvern Spring Festival returns to the Three Counties Showground, Malvern, from May 8-11, 2025. This year's Festival Theatre will once again host a packed programme of talks, interactive demonstrations and advice from horticulturalists, TV gardening personalities and leading chefs, including Alan Titchmarsh, Raymond Blanc and Rachel de Thame. Husband and wife team Martin and Jill Fish will host The Potting Shed Theatre, bringing to the stage more than 45 years of experience working in horticulture and experimenting in the kitchen with homegrown ingredients. Martin and Jill will welcome guests including garden designer, grower and winner of numerous RHS gold medals Jon Wheatley; head of horticulture at Garden Organic and former head gardener of Westminster Abbey Chris Collins; and leading UK floral designer Jonathan…