The Kitchen Gardener: Grow Your Own Fruit and Veg

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John Turner our Kitchen Gardener has a vision of providing our visitors with high quality local, seasonal produce.

We offer different payment options allowing you to spread the cost by paying monthly with continuous card payments or by direct debit – payable every six or 12 months. Discover the impressive and inspiring range of houseplants you’ll find on display in the conservatories, orangeries and glasshouses in the Trust’s care. When water is allowed to slowly soak into the topsoil, it travels deep past the roots, drawing them to follow along, improving stability and anchorage of the plant. In the February issue: Martin Fish’s guide to growing cauliflowers, how to make hot beds with Huw Richards, Rob Smith’s favourite carrot varieties, and much more! The Kitchen Garden at Chartwell, Kent Wander through beds full of seasonal fruit and veg in Chartwell's Kitchen Garden.

They are also a rich source of fibre, iron and calcium, making this tasty vegetable part of a healthy, balanced diet. If we learn to save some of our own seeds we not only save money but over time we actually nurture varieties that do especially well on our own plots. Once the root connection is severed from the plant they can be left to burn off in the sun, however perennial weeds can be a bit more of an issue and require more effort to remove. Plan where you are going to place your seeds or seedlings, putting similar crops together in the following groups: legumes (ie, peas and beans), roots (carrots, beetroot, etc), brassicas (members of the cabbage family) and squashes (such as courgettes and pumpkins). If you’re keen to grow your own, Brussels sprouts are best sown in a modular seedling tray - trays divided into rows of individual cells - and planted outside four weeks later.

Roots need water but they also need air, as it may seem natural to want to put all your new chilli seedlings into a trough of water to soak, but in reality if left too long, the roots begin to rot as they have no access to air and your first tray of seedlings decides to turn a nice shade of yellow.The good news is, there is a garden setup for people in between who want to grow some (but not all) of their own food. Renowned zoologist Mark Carwardine introduces some of the more common feathered visitors to our parks and gardens, as well as offering tips on how to photograph them.