Time for an extra little bonus ‘Grow With the Pros’ to end 2021 with, as earlier this year I was lucky to get a very brief Q&A with Tom Brown, Head Gardener at West Dean Gardens in West Sussex. Tom has worked in horticulture for 25 years and has been in his current role at West Dean for the last two. Away from the day … Continue reading Grow With the Pros: Tom Brown
It has been a time of change, leaving my old role in Worcestershire and heading north for an exciting new challenge as a specialist kitchen gardener in Cumbria. Continue reading A Fresh Challenge
Summer time has been incredibly busy in the Walled Garden and I wanted to take this opportunity to share updates and pictures looking at the fantastic harvests we are enjoying. The beds have been brimming with strong, healthy plants for weeks now and the harvests steadily increasing. I am happy to say that most of our intended crops succeeded, the plants have grown big and … Continue reading Walled Garden Diaries: Summer Harvests
This is Part 2 of my look at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. Here we focus on the Chatsworth cutting garden and speak to Sophie Bromley, who manages the garden. Continue reading Grow with the Pros: Chatsworth Cutting Garden
Chatsworth House in Derbyshire has an illustrious heritage when it comes to growing, with food being grown on the 105-acre estate for centuries. The Cavendish family moved to Chatsworth in the 1540s and there has been a kitchen garden on the estate ever since. It’s exact location on the estate has changed over the years, but today a kitchen garden and cutting garden sit side-by-side … Continue reading Grow with the Pros: Chatsworth
Located near Cardigan in West Wales, Glebelands Market Garden is run by two experienced growers who produce vegetables for an on-site farm shop and local restaurants and shops. Glebelands Market Garden was set up by Adam York and his partner Lesley Bryson in 2010 on a north-facing site equidistant between Cardigan and St Dogmaels. Prior to being market gardeners, Adam was an experienced retailer having founded Unicorn Grocery in … Continue reading Grow with the Pros: Glebelands Market Garden
April was a tricky month for gardeners and growers across the country, the days were dry and there was lots of sunshine. But nights were cold and there was a risk of frost. So long hours of sunshine, one of the driest April’s on record, and low minimum temperatures and frosts – it makes planning very difficult indeed. Gardeners will definitely have been worrying about … Continue reading Walled Garden Diaries: A Confusing April
Chiswick House Kitchen Garden operates on no-dig principles and I hear from James Aufenast about this approach, growing a wide range of vegetables, and his advice for potatoes, carrots, quinoa and garlic. The walled kitchen garden at Chiswick House is 1.2 acres and forms part of the larger 65-acre estate owned by Chiswick House & Gardens Trust in West London. The kitchen garden boasts a rich history, having been founded as a … Continue reading Grow with the Pros: Chiswick House Kitchen Garden
Craig and Becky grow at Ragmans Lane Market Garden in Gloucestershire and supply shops, markets and restaurants with a fantastic range of staples and seasonal speciality crops. Ragmans Lane Market Garden covers 1.6 acres and is based at Ragmans Farm, a 60-acre organic farm in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire. The market garden is under no-dig cultivation and is in operation for around 10 months of the year. Craig and Becky … Continue reading Grow with the Pros: Ragmans Lane Market Garden
It has been a relatively slow start to the year for the walled garden, hence why there was no update for February and I decided the include two months for the price of one in this post. The planning for the year ahead was completed in January and, bar keeping on top of weeds, it wasn’t until March that the sowing for the garden really … Continue reading Walled Garden Diaries: Getting Ready for the Season
Perennial Nerd 