May and June are always some of the busiest and most hectic months in a kitchen garden. That late Spring/early Summer period always comes with so much to sow, plant, prepare, and also, of course, weed. But there is also, satisfyingly, a growing amount of crops ready for harvesting. It has been a couple of months since my last Walled Garden Diary. I think April … Continue reading Walled Garden Diaries: Early Summer Update
The walled garden has really taken shape, with the attention on getting beds prepped and seeds sown ready for the 2022 season. The key job undertaken has been to prepare the beds in the walled garden for the coming season. It has been a long time coming and one that has really refreshed the garden as a whole, if I do say so myself. There … Continue reading Walled Garden Diaries: Shape of Things to Come
The first month of 2022 positively flew by and so I welcome you all to the first of my diary updates to come from the Walled Kitchen Garden at Netherby Hall in Cumbria. January in the borderlands came and went with a wild range of weather, however, in the most, it seemed milder than to be normally expected. However, it should be said it did … Continue reading Walled Garden Diaries: Espalier Extravaganza
So comes the end of another eventful year in horticulture for me. It has been one full of success, lots of learning, and ultimately a year ending with an exciting new chapter in my gardening journey. I just wanted to take this opportunity to briefly cast my eye back on the last 12 months to pick out some of my personal highlights. After the disappointments … Continue reading Gardening Reflections ’21
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
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
Perennial Nerd 