GROWING YOUR OWN Top tips on designing a kitchen garden
KEEN TO DIG IN? PLANT EXPERTS GIVE ADVICE ON CULTIVATING VEG, LEGUMES AND ROOTS, WHETHER IN A POTAGER OR POTS ON THE PATIO
HOMEGROWN food tastes so much better. It brings a sense of calm from planting and nurturing the crops, and the satisfaction of picking your own fresh produce. It’s healthier, too, as you can grow organically. ‘Growing your own embodies a lifestyle,’ says horticulturist and garden designer Jamie Innes. ‘It brings together health, sustainability and a desire to feel connected with nature – and takes you away from the general stresses of modern life.’
The trick is to grow small amounts of easy bumper crops such as salads, chilli plants, herbs and peas. ‘Over the years certain varieties have emerged as front runners in the time/reward ratio,’ says plant expert Sarah Raven. ‘Whenever I’m asked which plants to go for, I say cut-and-come-again leaves every time.’
DESIGNING A KITCHEN GARDEN
If you want a traditional vegetable plot, aim for a neat and structured layout with raised beds and paved paths. This formal style is known as a potager. Divide the plot into four areas, ideally with paths and a small, round central bed if you have the space. ‘The four beds are allocated to different plant groups,’ explains Sarah. ‘Use the first bed for roots, subdivided between new potatoes, beetroot and carrots, and the second one for beans and peas (legumes). The next bed should be for salads and herbs, and the final one a mix – courgettes, sweetcorn and leafy greens like chard and spinach.’
WHERE TO PLANT If you prefer a more informal look opt for a cottage garden-style vegetable patch with a mix of crops planted among flowers and shrubs. You can grow edibles anywhere – you don’t need a dedicated plot. ‘Choose an area that you can get to easily, so you can harvest and add successional plantings throughout the season,’ advises Sarah Mead, head gardener at Yeo Valley Organic Garden. ‘And don’t be afraid to mix edibles and ornamentals for a really interesting display. We mix ruby chard into our pots to add pops of colour among the salvias.’ This also means you rarely plant the same crop in the same place, which gives an easy solution to crop rotation.
PICK YOUR MATERIALS ‘There are a number of good materials for raised beds,’ says Your Garden Made Perfect designer Tom Massey. ‘I like Corten steel for its durability and capacity to be bent into unusual shapes. The deep rust colour is also attractive and works well with other materials such as buff-toned gravel or paving.’ If your budget won’t stretch, mild steel is a good alternative. ‘It’s not as long lasting, but will still outlive wood,’ says Tom. If you opt for timber, use untreated wood to avoid contamination of edible plants. Untreated oak sleepers are a good option, or more affordable thermo-treated pine.
VISUAL FEASTS Choose vegetables that have aesthetic appeal. ‘Swiss chard has lovely ornamental value,’ says Jamie. ‘The leaf formation makes it look like a tropical verbascum, and if you let it bolt it can have a fantastic effect on a mixed border.’ Kale can be worked into naturalistic plantings. ‘I like the blue-tinged forms; they work really well against a golden haze of ornamental grasses.’ For something a little more exotic Jamie suggests New Zealand yam (oca), with its long growing season and lush lime green foliage. ‘The harvested tubers come in wonderful colours and look beautiful on any plate of food.’ →
“START OFF ANYTHING THAT GROWS ABOVE GROUND UNDER SUPERVISION. A BABY LETTUCE IS NECTAR TO SLUGS AND AN ATTACK BY CABBAGE WHITES
WILL DESTROY A BRASSICA”
SARAH MEAD, Yeo Valley Organic Garden