Innehållsförteckning för March 2025 från Kitchen Garden

If gardeners were Olympic sprinters we'd be in the starting blocks this month - but for us the starting gun would mean it was time to sow, sow, sow, rather than to go, go go! I'm definitely not the right shape (or in the right shape) for running and winter can sometimes be slow to loosen its grip in March, so it's worth being patient and resisting the urge to get seeds in the ground before it has properly warmed up. In preparation for when it does, and that could be now if you are in a favoured part of the country, we have some great features to inspire. You'll find lots on plot planning – helping you to get as much delicious produce from every inch of soil–and loads…

GETTING READY I am having a great Friday evening (my husband is laughing at me) – I am preparing for the spring! I'm laying out all my lovely seeds and having a good think about what I might want to try growing this year – such a big range, thanks to my KG subscription! Harriet Groves, Essex TONY SAYS: Well that picture looks a bit like seed heaven Harriet – spoilt for choice! STAR LETTER WINS £25 VOUCHER EXCESS SEEDS PUT TO GOOD USE Like so many gardeners I have far too many seed packets. Some opened and half used. Some expired. Some so called ‘bargain buys’ which I have changed my mind about and never intend to sow. I decided to have a bit of a seed cull and…

Just like us humans, plants also need nourishment to maintain healthy growth. We do this by feeding with fertiliser, which is a concentrated source of plant nutrients. When it comes to what fertiliser to use there's plenty to choose from and it's important you supply the correct type of fertiliser at the right time. For example, nitrogen is essential to promote healthy green leaf and shoot growth, phosphorus (phosphate) encourages new root growth and potassium (potash) is for flowers and fruit and also plays an important role in plant metabolism. These three nutrients, along with calcium, magnesium and sulphur, are important for healthy growth and are known as major or macro-nutrients. Plants also need many other elements and these are known as trace elements or minor nutrients. These include iron,…

How long have you been growing your own and what inspired you to start? When I was a child I really enjoyed spending time with my grandad in his garden. Watching him planting, pruning and harvesting always felt like such a treat and it left me feeling engaged and inspired. When I was about 12 years old I asked my parents for a ‘patch of earth’ of my own in our family garden and into this patch I planted a few vegetable seeds. The seeds were not very successful but although the method needed some refining, the drive and interest was always there. When the time came to move out and look for a home of my own enough space to grow my own fruit and veg was top of…

Chris and Karen Cronin didn't set out to own a walled kitchen garden. Having found success in the music industry, the couple wanted to do what some of their rock'n'roll friends had done – find themselves a place in the country with space for a swimming pool. As it turned out, their new garden had different plans. The Croome Court estate the Walled Gardens are a part of has always been important, starting life in the 1500s as the seat of the Earls of Coventry. With the Malvern Hills and beautiful Severn Valley as a backdrop, the surrounding estate was Capability Brown's first full landscape design. Once covering 22,000 acres, this was one of the biggest private estates in the UK, with parts stretching as far as the neighbouring estate…

Did you know sweet pea seeds first arrived in England in 1699 from Sicily, thanks to a Sicilian monk named Francesco Cupani? We've come a long way since then but the history of the varieties that now grace our gardens and allotments is fascinating. When buying seeds certain names crop up repeatedly. If, like me, you're an obsessive flower sniffer and a devoted sweet pea grower you'll have spotted names like Cupani, Grandiflora, Spencer, Lathyrus odoratus, and Henry Eckford. But what do they mean, and why are they important? In botany names often link to people, places, or events, revealing the plant's history. Henry Eckford, a Scottish horticulturist, ignited a sweet pea frenzy in the 1800s by dedicating his life to improving and crossbreeding them. He created the grandiflora type,…

When it comes to helping your garden thrive some gardeners are unsure whether to use a bio-stimulant or a plant fertiliser. While both support plant health and play an important role, they work in distinct ways. WHEN BIO IS BEST Bio-stimulants work by enhancing a plant's natural processes. They don't provide direct nutrients but instead improve how plants use existing resources in the soil for optimal plant health. One of the key benefits of using a biostimulant is strong root development – it helps boost healthy root systems, which allows plants to access nutrients and water more effectively. Stress tolerance is also increased. Whether it's drought, frost or disease, biostimulants help build resilience, ensuring they thrive in challenging conditions. This is becoming increasingly important in UK gardens with the extreme…

GRILLED CHEESE AND LEEK SANDWICH This twist on the classic grilled cheese sandwich incorporates the subtle sweetness and earthy flavour of leeks, making for a savoury and cosy meal Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes SERVES 1 ■ 2 slices of bread (like sourdough or another artisan loaf) ■ 2 tbsp butter (softened) ■ 1 leek (white and light green parts only), thinly sliced ■ 1 tbsp olive oil ■ 1 garlic clove, minced ■ 100g (3½oz) grated cheese (cheddar, Gruyère, or a mix) ■ 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (optional, for a bit of tang) ■ A few sprigs of thyme ■ Salt and pepper, to taste 1. Trim the root end of the leek and slice it thinly, then rinse well in a colander to remove any…

PROTECT PARSNIPS After sowing parsnips, cover with Enviromesh or fleece to protect them while they are germinating. Remove once the seedlings have sprouted. Remember to water the bed during dry spells. SOW TOMATOES For growing under cover sow tomatoes into seed trays in a warm, light place. Wait until April before sowing outdoor varieties, unless you live in an area with an early last frost date PRUNE FRUIT Last chance to prune tree and soft fruit while they are still dormant. Stone fruit such as plums, cherries or greengages should be pruned later in the spring to prevent diseases such as silver leaf SPLIT RHUBARB Divide rhubarb with a spade then pot on or plant out. Water and mulch, then leave the rhubarb for a year to establish before harvesting…

DESIGN YOUR OWN VEGETABLE PATCH 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 While you wait to sow your first seeds you can start planning what you would like to grow and where. What fruit and vegetables do you love to eat? Would you like to grow produce that make the colours of the rainbow? To make your allotment design, you will need: ■ Seed catalogues and gardening magazines ■ Paper ■ Scissors ■ Glue ■ Pens If you don't have any catalogues or old gardening magazines you can ask an adult to order some free catalogues online, or you could print some photos off to use if you have a…

Get in touch by post, email or via our Facebook page: Facebook.com/kitchengardenmag POOR POTTED GARLIC CROP Every year I grow garlic in large rectangular pots in my garden, planting the bulbs in early November. However, for the past few years my crop of cloves has become smaller and smaller until last autumn when the bulbs I lifted were no bigger than when first planted and the cloves (on those bulbs which had split) were tiny and virtually useless. Any ideas to improve things? Mrs Susan Daywan, Buckinghamshire STAR QUESTION WINS £25 VOUCHER STEVE SAYS: There could be several factors that are limiting the size of your container-grown garlic. The non-splitting of bulbs tends to occur if the winter weather is mild, so it is possible that milder, wetter winters will…

NEW SERIES Alliums are beloved worldwide, forming the base of countless dishes and I must admit I would be lost without them in the kitchen. Onions, garlic and shallots aren't just staples, they're culinary essentials around the globe. From the bold heat ofa raw onion in Mexican salsa to the smoky sweetness of black garlic in Asian cuisine, these distinctive crops have won hearts and tastebuds around the world. Even though they may naturally store for months you can easily extend that time and create gourmet flavours by preserving your harvest. ■ ONIONS: Sweet varieties like ‘Walla Walla’ are perfect for caramelised onion soup or roasted dishes but don't store for long, so freeze grated onion for quick use in curries and stews, or batch-cook onion soup and store portions…

When planning an allotment there is no right or wrong way. Many of us develop our own ways over the years, and many people throw caution to the wind and skip the planning stage altogether. There is something to be said for sowing from the heart and then trying to cram everything in when it is big enough to plant out, buta little planning can goa long way, especially if your ideas are bigger than your space! The first thing I do in the new season is make a list of all the things I want to grow that year. I sort through my seed collection while doing this and note the seeds I have and the ones I still need to get. This will keep me on the straight…

Some fruit respond well to growing in a container and this allows us to fit extra plants into our gardens if they are already full. Pots can help make temporary use of a sunny patio to extend the fruit garden, or get new plants off to a head start for an extra early crop. Strawberries fall into this category and this month we will look how to use pots and troughs to grow this quintessential taste of the British summer. If you are growing strawberries in pots or containers, it's unlikely that you will end up with enough fruit to be making vats of jam. Instead, a realistic aim should be to have enough plants to provide a few fruits for eating fresh every couple of days for as much…

ALL KITTED OUT Simon's Seeds is a small family business – but boasts the largest selection of growing kits in the UK. Each features the company's own range of premium-quality seed, plus everything else you need to get growing. The Chilli Growing Kit contains six varieties, including the incendiary ‘Carolina Reaper’. There are three variations of the Sunflower Growing Kit, including one with runner beans to grow up your sunflower! There's also an Organic Herb Growing Kit, a Chilli and Tomato Kit, a Tomato Kit, a Salad Growing Kit and the newest offering, the Microgreens Growing Kit, with five varieties that can be grown on your windowsill. Simon's Seeds now also stocks an extensive range of vegetable, herb and flower seed, seed potatoes and onion sets. www.strawbaleveg.co.uk SUBSCRIBER SAVING: 20%…

(AGM is the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Under RHS garden trials these varieties performed particularly well) SAVE UP TO £17!  FREE* WITH EVERY ORDER BLUEBERRY ‘ELLIOT’ FRUIT PLANT Blueberry ‘Elliot’ is a high quality, lateseason variety producing outstanding yields of medium-sized fruit. It's one of the latest cropping of all blueberries and grown with an early variety like ‘Earlibird’ gives an extremely long and rewarding continuous harvest season. With attractive white flowers in summer and red to orange leaves in autumn, they also make lovely specimen shrubs for large containers or ornamental borders. *Claim your free blueberry ‘Elliot’ plant when ordering at least one additional product from these pages. WORTH £15.95 ALSO IN THE KG SHOP THIS MONTH STRAWBERRY ‘SUMMER BREEZE ROSE’ FRUIT PLANTS This productive and free flowering…