Our October issue feature on local apple varieties has sparked off a huge response from readers who have their own stories of how apple varieties were discovered. Retired horticulturist Geoffrey Rowson was driving down the M5 when he spotted some spectacular looking apples hanging from a small tree on the public side of the motorway fence. It was an easy …

Elizabeth McCorquodale looks at some different and appealing flavours to come in from the garden to spice up your food. When we think of growing spicy plants in this country the first thing that comes to mind are windowsill chillies or the fleeting heat of summer radishes. However there are many more species on offer than you might think, and …

Too many gardeners are not brutal enough and waste their final crop by letting greenery take over, and forgetting to care for the crop in the vital few weeks before harvest. Growing tomatoes can be a tricky business.  We have no idea if we’ll have a sweltering summer like last year or if rain will come and encourage blight.  Or …

Apples naturally shed some fruitlets in early summer, and this process is known as the ‘June drop’. This may look alarming but is not usually a cause for concern and is often not as bad as it looks After watching your fruit trees flower out spectacularly in the spring and then seeing the tiny fruits beginning to form, it is …

by Kate Lewis In late spring rhubarb gradually moves from the forced season to the outdoor season, and with the lack of other local seasonal produce it is worth exploring different ways to use this versatile and colourful vegetable. Although best known for its use in sweet crumbles and fools, rhubarb is actually a vegetable, and works as well in …

Carrots may be one of the most traditional vegetables in the garden but there’s a new trend to be much more colourful when it comes to growing them It is perhaps the most traditional you can get when it comes to growing vegetables in the garden and much loved. But there’s a new trend among carrot growers- and it’s all …

For too often this super food berry has had a reputation of being troublesome – needing acidic soil, cross pollination and patience before you get the first fruit – but it is worth the effort Growing blueberries isn’t as difficult as many would make out. They do certainly prefer an acid soil in a nice sunny or semi shaded position. And even …

A great source of fibre and full of vitamins and minerals, fresh figs have a long and illustrious history and make a great easy to grow addition to any garden. While even the best British summer will not guarantee figs to be as perfect as those found in their natural Mediterranean climate, they are still worth growing. A native to …