Grow vegetables

Grow vegetables in your English garden

Grow vegetables is a hobby that satisfies both the current mood of frugality and the desire to know the
provenance of the food on your plate. In a time where we question 'food miles', nothing has less distance to travel to the kitchen than vegetables grown in the garden. One can also be sure that the accompaniments to the family dinner are completely organic. Starting grow a vegetable patch can be as simple as growing a few favourite salad leaves and herbs, to creating a fully-functional kitchen garden that serves up seasonal delights all year round.

GROW VEGETABLES & REAP WHAT YOU SOW

Garden size will naturally dictate the amount of vegetables that can be grown. Vegetables can be grown in containers or even amongst flowers in borders if you can't afford to sacrifice a plot for a dedicated vegetable patch. When planning a plot it is best to work backwards; first decide on the vegetables you want to grow, then map out the space. Vegetables fall into several broad crops: roots, vegetable fruits (tomatoes, cucumbers etc), the onion family, legumes and brassicas, plus salad leaves, herbs and of course soft fruits, which are a delicious bounty to consider planting for vibrant summer puddings. Although it is sensible to utilise the plot effectively, to avoid a dormant patch with nothing growing or ready to harvest or sow, it is important to grow vegetables that you will actually eat.

Grow-your-own advocate Sarah Raven recommends that beginners opt for quick growing and high-yield crops so that, "you can harvest on Monday for supper and, by the following Monday, they will have grown back with more for you to eat." She recommends avoiding main crop potatoes, parsnips and Brussels sprouts. "These are the crops of the devoted, almost full-time vegetable grower with lots of space," because of the length of time they spend in the ground only to then produce a short-lived harvest.

Gardening expert Pippa Greenwood suggests some of the easier vegetables to begin with are French and runner beans, tomatoes, courgettes and squash, as well as some early potatoes and carrots. Foi salad lovers, Pippa advises her garden tips on grow vegetables by successional sowing of lettuce, which will generate a steady supply of favourite leaves.

SETTING THE GROW VEGETABLES PLOT

Before planting can commence, however, a patch needs to be created. Don't be put off if space is
limited. Allocating the largest space you can will yield a rich variety of produce, but Raven cautions to be realistic about the amount of time you can dedicate to it. "You will need a couple of hours a week between May and August, the busiest months, to keep a 10ft by 13ft patch sown, planted up and looking pristine," she explains.

Vegetables benefit from a crop rotation system so the same plants aren't grown in the same bed each
year. This prevents build up of diseases and pests. Raven recommends dividing the plot into quadrants
with a cross of paths, thus creating a clear section for roots, legumes and brassicas and one for a mixture of
other crops. This vegetable garden design also makes it easy to harvest the produce and, if space allows, more permanent pathways can be made to protect the soil. A central tepee for fragrant sweet peas will add colour and allows for glorious fresh cut flowers.

Other flowers and herbs can be planted into the edges, which will both prettify and act as helpful companion plants that either attract welcome insects or deter pests. Marigolds emit an odour that will repel blackfly and
greenfly from your tomatoes for example, and nasturtiums will attract caterpillars, keeping them away from cabbages.

A good location for a vegetable patch is one that enjoys plenty of sunshine but also has shelter from strong winds. Bear in mind any deciduous trees as their leaves may cast a large shadow come summer. For the most successful vegetables around eight hours of sunlight a day are needed.

GROW OF PLENTY VEGETABLES

Locating a patch close to the house so that it can be enjoed visually will also ensure that it is not too much of an effort to get to when a few extra salad leaves are needed. When planning the location of the patch, other considerations to bear in mind include accessibility with a wheel barrow and reasonably level ground.

SOIL FOR GROWING VEGETABLES

In terms of preparing the soil you will need to determine what soil type you have. Light, free-draining soil warms up quickly in the spring, so is ideal for early crops, but moisture and nutrients are quickly lost. Adding some fertiliser and well-rotted organic matter can remedy this. Heavy clay soils are usually very fertile and retain water well, which is good for leafy crops. The ground can, however, be difficult to work, becoming waterlogged and sticky after heavy rainfall and dry and cracked during a drought. Sand, grit and organic matter can help improve the soil structure. Look out for varieties of vegetables that suit the soil type in order for them to flourish. A local garden centre can advise on treatments to improve soil condition and pH Level,
and the appropriate vegetables to grow, if needed.

TAKING ROOT

Once the beds for grow vegetables are prepared, with soil rich in nutritious organic matter, it is time to get planting. Some seeds can be sown directly into the ground, such as beetroots, carrots and peas. These vegetables can be sown in early spring before the last frost, but beans, corn and squashes should be direct sown after the last frost when the soil is a little warmer.

Successional sowing and planting of winter vegetables, such as leeks, spinach and shallots in late summer
will ensure a year-round bounty. A greenhouse does have the benefits of extending the planting season into cooler months and alleviates problems from some pests. Some vegetables benefit from being grown indoors at first but if there is no greenhouse, garden-ready plants can be bought from a local nursery or even by mail order. Pippa Greenwood gives her garden tips to grow vegetables by starting with this method and growing some simpler seeds on windowsills, "while you save for the biggest greenhouse you can fit into your garden." This will allow greater scope in the future to grow more varieties, as well as exotic or trickier vegetables, as your confidence grows together with your vegetables.

Grow vegetables in containers

Grow a pretty display of vegetables in assorted pots and containers, if space is at a premium

If the allure of delicious home-grown vegetables has created a desire to get a little green-fingered, but space and time are lacking, vegetables can be grown on a patio in containers, hanging baskets or even in bags. Tomatoes and cucumbers benefit from this type of growing as it prevents contact with disease-infected soil.

A display of vegetables growing can be just as ornamental as blossoming flowers, with the extra benefit of adding flavour and colour to dinner time. More success is achieved with larger containers as they allow for greater rooting depth. Containers should be filled with a good potting compost and not garden soil, and need to be watered regularly, keeping the compost moist but not waterlogged. It is best to opt for rapidly-maturing crops to grow in pots, such as miniature beetroot and carrot, lettuces, salad onions and radishes. 

Grow varieties of bush or climbing vegetables are also attractive and practical. Early potatoes grow happily in a simple bag — look out for lovely jute varieties. Tomatoes will benefit from a growing bag and there are specialist containers that hide away the plastic bag for a more appealing look.

FEATURE KATY GREEN PHOTOGRAPHS MARIANNE MAGER, USIYVETTER KUTTER