I’ve been growing fruit and veg in my garden and allotment for many years and I’ve finally got an idea of what I can grow, what’s easy to maintain and, importantly, what’s NOT worth planting. Here are some tips for your spring sowing…
If you love good food here’s why it’s time to embrace fresh produce, both from a health & sustainability point of view. Whether it’s a main meal recipe or a mid-morning coffee, everything can be improved when you put freshness first…
Growing your own fruit and veg can be a handy way to cut the cost of your weekly food shop, along with bringing health and nutrition benefits. So, if you’d like to get started on planting up your plot, here are some seeds that’ll feed your family for just a few pennies…
After a wet and warm summer, the allotment plot was ridiculously overgrown with weeds. Here’s a rather satisfying before and after of the work we’ve done to get it back to being a usable plot, plus some updates on our current produce…
It’s been a while since my last allotment update so today I’m showing you our lovely beetroot harvest and sharing my recipe for preserving them in delicious sweet vinegar. Plus, here’s how the larger plot is coming along…
Have you ever dreamt of crafting your own delicious brews right in the comfort of your home but feared it might be too costly? Good news! It’s possible to build a home brewery by upcycling second-hand items…
If you fancy growing your own veg at home this year, you don’t need to order loads of seeds and sets. Did you know that you can regrow your own veg from kitchen scraps? Here are some ideas to get your veggie patch started…
Well, actually, the plot expands. We’ve taken on a larger allotment so that we can grow even more of our own fruit and veg this year. Here are our plans for the bigger veggie patch…
Now that it’s winter and the ground is frozen over, what CAN still be done on the allotment? I’ve shared a rather frosty update to let you know how my veggie patch is getting on…
With a glut of pumpkins and squashes at our allotment, I thought it was about time that I came up with a recipe to cook them. Here’s my latest attempt at making a creamy pumpkin soup and, thankfully, it turned out absolutely delicious! Here’s how I made it…
We’ve had a bumper harvest at the allotment this year – especially with our fruit trees, squashes and tomatoes. So, I’ve been preserving as much as I can and I’m sharing some ideas for your using and storing your allotment produce today…
After many months of wrangling with pests, birds, bugs (and even bunnies!) at my allotment, I’ve decided to try out some tunnels to see if they can help us to grow bigger and better veggies…
If you’ve got a glut of blackcurrants in your kitchen garden or allotment, now’s the time to make some pots of jam for the coming year. It’s a great way to preserve your produce and makes a lovely gift for family and friends…
I’ve noticed something that almost all the allotments near me have in common. They’re all packed with upcycling projects. In fact, you’d probably find it hard to find anything new! Here are some of the interesting and amazing upcycles I’ve spotted at the allotment…
Even though we’re at the height of summer and it’s time to harvest the results of all that spring planting, there are still some crops you can plant in July to make the most of your allotment plot. Here’s what I’ve been sowing and my shed plans…
Something that I’m really pleased with on my plot is the insect-proof mesh tunnel that we’ve built using old water pipes. It has been really helpful in keeping my brassicas safe from ‘brassica massacre’ – here are the latest pics from my plot…
If you’re growing cabbage, broccoli or spouts in your veggie patch, you’ll know how difficult it is to keep the cabbage white butterflies (and the very hungry caterpillars they produce) off your plants. Here’s how to DIY an insect-proof mesh tunnel to prevent brassica massacre…
I’m back with another allotment update and today it’s all about my new (old) greenhouse. It took quite some doing but we’ve been able to move the ivy-covered, cracked-glass frame to my veggie plot and have made some improvements…
My little allotment is coming along nicely so I thought now would be a good time to share a quick update. We’ve been tidying the plot, making some repairs to the fence and shed, and have even planted some veggies – here are some pics of progress…
Exciting news! I’ve just got my first ever allotment! I’m super-keen to get started on preparing and planting the plot and I’m going to take you along for the journey…
If you want to grow your own veg but without the hard labour of digging over a veggie patch, here’s a quick and easy DIY video that’ll show you how to build no-dig beds for your garden or allotment…
Although there haven’t been many things to harvest this month, I have still been out in the garden preparing the veggie plot and planting our over-winter crops…
This month, I’ve been preserving my apple harvest so I’ve shared a recipe for cinnamon apple jam below if you want to give it a go. Plus, there have been a few vegetable latecomers this year…
During August we’ve been enjoying the fruits of our labour with plenty of veg to harvest but we’ve also dealt with blight, non-ripening peppers & fruit trees desperate in need of pruning. Here’s how we got on & more info on the DIY greenhouse we built…
With the soaring price of wood and a need to create more growing space in my veggie patch, I’ve come up with a way to make a low-cost planter out of pieces of furniture that were headed for the skip. Here’s how…
I can finally report that we have been enjoying some veg from our kitchen garden! The plot is doing well, so much so that we’ve had to start freezing the excess produce! Here’s an update on this month’s bumper harvest…
FINALLY. Things have started to happen in our garden. Vegetables are growing – and I’ve actually eaten some of the produce from our plot woo! And there’s even been a harvest of our autumn crop. Here’s my monthly garden update for June…
I’m sure it’s the same for everyone but I feel like our garden is SO behind compared to last year! I’ve finally been able to plant out some of the hardier veggies but we’ve also built a DIY cold frame from pallet wood to keep growing our seedlings…
I finally feel like things are happening in our garden now. Looking back over the month of April, I’m actually surprised by how much we’ve got done, even though there’s not much in the way of veggies yet! Here’s the veg we planted & projects we built…
Hooray, the clocks have gone forward, the days are brighter, & the weather is getting warmer. I’m super excited about planting up the veggie patch so this month I’ve been sowing seeds & making plans to attract more wildlife to our garden too…
What are your ‘lockdown lessons’? Do you have some fab food hacks or top kitchen tips? I was so chuffed when my own grow-your-own veggie patch project was highlighted by FoodSavvy earlier this week so here’s my lockdown allotment story…
After growing our own fruit & veg in our garden for the 1st time in 2020, this year I’m making plans for a kitchen garden that’ll (hopefully) provide all the fresh produce we’ll need. Here’s my monthly veggie plot update for February (with lots of snow!)
This time last year, we built our first veggie patch in the garden with the intention of growing our own fruit and veg. Now, in the frosty mornings of January I’m outside digging & indoors sowing. Here’s how we got on last year & our 2021 progress so far:
If you’ve got a glut of tomatoes all ripening at once (yes, this is me!) here’s a delicious recipe to turn them into an autumnal spiced chutney. I’m already excited to open up a pot this winter to enjoy with my Christmas cheeseboard!
If you haven’t got much space but want to create a summery display in your garden, why not plant up a wheelbarrow? You could also encourage children to get involved in planting up their own mini ‘fairy allotment’ garden. Here’s how…
The original pallet bar project been repurposed – and for good reason. I’ve decided growing veg is more important than having an alfresco G&T, so I’ve given over my much-loved pallet bar to create a nursery space for my seedlings. Here’s how…
If you’re spending more time in the garden at the moment, here’s how to combine relaxation & plant growing to get the most out of your garden (of any size!) this summer…
If you’ve always wanted to grow your own veggies and pick fresh herbs from your back garden, I’m here to show you that it can be done in just a small space. Here’s how to grow your own herbs (and stop the weeds from making a comeback!) in a raised bed…
