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Stephanie's Kitchen Garden Diary - February 2010 |
03/03/2010 |
| Finally, the worst winter for 30 years draws to a close. We celebrate with news from the greenhouse, our plans for peas this year and how to chit your potatoes......read more |
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Stephanie's Kitchen Garden Diary - January 2010 |
29/01/2010 |
| Just because it's snowing doesn't mean the garden stops! We've got horse manure to spread and a greenhouse to clean - and how's that rhubarb coming on...?...read more |
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Leeks, Leaves and Pruning Raspberries! |
30/12/2009 |
| Christmas hullaballo doesn't mean the garden grinds to a halt. There's leeks to harvest, bushes to prune and leaves to collect - all before the weather turns really nasty......read more |
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Terrific Tomatoes and High Class Carrots! |
30/09/2009 |
| The arrival of a film crew, a lowdown on our glut of tomatoes and how to grow carrots of the highest quality - as usual, it's been an eventful month in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden......read more |
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The Garden's ready for its close-up! |
27/08/2009 |
| Where does the time go? Already it's August and the scales have tipped and we have now passed the midpoint of this year's summer......read more |
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August's Army! |
28/07/2009 |
| July is a month of plenty; green tomatoes turn a welcome rosy red (or yellow, or stripy, or green, or even purple if you choose), soft fruits drip from canes or hang like jewel clusters from bushes......read more |
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Flaming June! |
29/06/2009 |
| It is already June in the Kitchen Garden, and now we can really see, smell and taste the fruits of our labours. The garden is vibrant with bright colours of Calendula and Nasturtium. Heady scents of sweet peas waft from obelisks......read more |
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May Madness! |
09/06/2009 |
| Lady May arrives in the garden, whirling her skirts in mischievous east coast winds. Contrary she blows hot and cold, catching unfortunate gardeners unawares. This is the time to be on your guard; armed with fleece, cloche and hoe we try to tame her. With plant food, string and supports we struggle to keep up with her....read more |
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April Antics! |
21/04/2009 |
| Mid April and finally the sun has cut through the misty grey East Anglian sea haze which can hang so close it feels like I am wearing a cold and damp blanket across my shoulders....read more |
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Spring is sprung! |
02/04/2009 |
| Pricking out Tomatoes is one job that seems to take such a long time, I try to save such jobs for more the more inclement days, those frosty mornings just keep coming. Notice how after this cold spell of late the phrase global warming seems to be wiped from the medias phrase book only to be replaced by climate change....read more |
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Cold and Very Cold... |
03/03/2009 |
| With fingers burning from icy damp and numb toes I grapple with the monthly chores in the Kitchen Garden. All sense of decorum is lost in the scrabble to stay warm, gaudy ski-trousers and layer upon layer of decidedly unstylish attire, flinging muck to and fro over the beds in yet another sleety downpour....read more |
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Another year begins... |
02/02/2009 |
| After the season’s festivities I was itching to get back in the garden, breathing fresh air and away from the television and sofa, alas I was thwarted by the unrelenting cold spell we endured....read more |
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Leaves and Trees... |
01/12/2008 |
| November in the Kitchen Garden and there is that familiar sound again, the soft rustle of a million leaves just waiting to fall, I must admit I often stand slightly mesmerised in the mist of the myriad different coloured leaves all gently making their way to the ground....read more |
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Shorter, Darker, Cooler... |
04/11/2008 |
| A breath of that crisp autumn air and the sight of low sunlight illuminating the golden leaves, inspires me to roll up my fleece sleeves and get stuck in to all those essential tasks....read more |
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Wet, Wet, Wet... |
02/10/2008 |
| September here at the Kitchen Garden has been a bumper month for many crops and a disappointment for others as that wet, wet August took its toll....read more |
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In the Shade! |
29/08/2008 |
| Precipitation frustration! The rain just won't leave us alone this month but Sharon's still got plenty of news on squashes, sweetcorn and seed saving - and signs!...read more |
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Spikes Aid for the Garden |
16/07/2008 |
| June sees the garden looking it's finest, and we've got hedgehog tales; a broad bean update; Sharon's new carrot growing idea and some Teepees give a Wild West flavour......read more |
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Hedgehog Haven |
12/06/2008 |
| Finally, some sun on our backs! Another busy month in the garden - find out about our new lodgers, how the potatoes are getting on, our slug-busting ideas and much more!...read more |
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March Winds |
08/04/2008 |
| March in the kitchen garden has been a meterelogical puzzle; find out how we coped with inclement weather, started planting potatoes, took care of our early crops - and lots, lots more!...read more |
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Frustrating February! |
05/03/2008 |
| A review of February's garden activities including a visit from a tree pruning expert, a look in the greenhouse, some early strawberry planting - and much more!...read more |
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Planning for 2008 |
01/02/2008 |
| A look back at the early days of the Kitchen Garden, a welcome delivery of manure and what's likely to be growing in 2008......read more |
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A Break from Tradition! |
04/12/2007 |
| Hark back, if you will, to my last update from the Kitchen Garden when I was sidelined with my ankle injury...read more |
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Some things are destined not to go together! |
04/10/2007 |
| A bit like Romeo and Juliet, or perhaps oil and water. Fire and ice even. And to that list you can add gardening and a broken ankle!...read more |
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Welcome August Sunshine! |
06/08/2007 |
| You’ve got to take your hat off to Mother Nature. She laid on the perfect conditions for slugs and snails to procreate during the wet months of June and July and now she’s sent some welcome August sunshine which the plants are lapping up. The result? Lots of slugs, lots of snails and lots of juicy plants to eat!...read more |
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The wettest June for 93 years |
04/07/2007 |
| The Harrod Horticultural Kitchen Garden is usually a hectic place to be, but this last month has really taken the frantic biscuit! We’ve been building – and planting up – new raised beds; the slugs and snails have enjoyed a population boom; Kate’s headed off to pastures new; I’ve successfully completed the Master Composter course – and then, of course, there’s the weather...read more |
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There is a new arrival at the Kitchen Garden |
12/06/2007 |
| As usual, May has been a very busy time in the garden. I’ve been at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, we have new raised beds to build, Kate’s got hedges to trim and there’s the usual raft of sowing, transplanting and weeding to continue with....read more |
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Kate and I have been really up against it this month for various reasons |
04/04/2007 |
| Climatic experts have long been insisting that global warming is inevitable, and in the next few years we are likely to see changes in our weather – but I didn’t think they meant immediately!...read more |
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I always thought that it was hares that went mad in March! |
05/03/2007 |
| I always thought that it was hares that went mad in March, but this year it seems to be the weather! March is always a busy month in the Kitchen Garden anyway, but we’ve also had to cope with 3 seasons in 4 weeks....read more |
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Spring is sprung! |
05/02/2007 |
| Pricking out Tomatoes is one job that seems to take such a long time, I try to save such jobs for more the more inclement days, those frosty mornings just keep coming. Notice how after this cold spell of late the phrase global warming seems to be wiped from the medias phrase book only to be replaced by climate change....read more |
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The deep mid-winter |
04/01/2007 |
| This must be the worst time of year, with slate grey skies day after day and the garden practically devoid of colour. It really seems like nature has packed up and gone away for a couple of weeks just after Christmas!...read more |
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Welcome Kate! |
01/12/2006 |
| With even more products appearing in the burgeoning horticultural marketplace, it’s been decided to boost the staff numbers in the Kitchen Garden so we can continue to bring you cutting edge products and information – so enter Kate....read more |
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Sarpo Success! |
10/11/2006 |
| Those heavy August rains certainly had an effect on the Kitchen Garden plants as they spent most of September producing fruit of fantastic shapes and colours – the garden was a real riot of colour and scents....read more |
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Sweet as a Potato! |
15/09/2006 |
| The endless, hot sunny days of July were soon washed away by the regular deluges of August, but although I was half-drowned most of the time, the plants in the Kitchen Garden absolutely loved it!...read more |
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Kitchen Gardener Heads for Surrey! |
16/08/2006 |
| The Kitchen Garden has been left to fend for itself for two days this week as I've been off on my travels once again - this time to the Royal Horticultural Society's famous garden at Wisley and here's my report on the trip...read more |
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Runner Bean - and Gone! |
08/07/2006 |
| A mystery is unfolding in the Kitchen Garden during the long hot days of the summer - just who is responsible for eating the runner bean plants?...read more |
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Summer in the City |
14/06/2006 |
| Now the Chelsea Show is over I can get back to tending the garden - can anyone remind me how to get there?!...read more |
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Springing into Action! |
07/04/2006 |
| Seventeen degrees celcius certainly seems to indicate that Spring is finally here, and the Kitchen Garden is starting to awaken!...read more |
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Sowing the Seeds for 2006 |
03/03/2006 |
| Sowing the Seeds for 2006 -It’s going to be a busy year in the Kitchen Garden and I’ve already started sowing our Organic vegetable seeds – as per the plan!...read more |
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Planning for the Future |
08/02/2006 |
| As we are well into the New Year, garden thoughts have turned to the spring and summer and what will be growing in the Kitchen Garden. If ever a plan was required, it's now!...read more |
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A Year of Sensational Progress! |
10/01/2006 |
| The arrival of the Yuletide Season and the New Year brings fruit trees, a potting shed and a long list of jobs!...read more |
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Fog, Frost and the Big Autumn Clean-Up |
24/11/2005 |
| The winter starts to fire off it’s weather arrows and we clean the garden from top to bottom…...read more |
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Ghouls in the Greenhouse |
01/11/2005 |
| As it's Halloween, we concentrate on the nasties in the greenhouse and how to get rid of them...read more |
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The Autumn Winter Collection 2005 |
28/09/2005 |
| We showcase the latest models destined to appear on the Kitchen Garden catwalk this winter.......read more |
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Recipe for Success - continued! |
01/09/2005 |
| Continuing our resume of the produce on the kitchen table this month.....read more |
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Recipe for Success |
28/07/2005 |
| From the Kitchen Garden to the Kitchen Table - we bring you up to date on exactly what has been happening to the crops harvested in the Kitchen Garden so far...read more |
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Early July and crops are ready for tasting |
12/07/2005 |
| The legume bed has proved extremely popular...read more |
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The Path to Success! |
29/06/2005 |
| The Heavy Duty Steel Fruit Cage arrives and the paths take shape...read more |
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The RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2005 |
06/06/2005 |
| Harrod Horticultural receives a commendation at the World's premier Gardening Show...read more |
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Tomato Heaven in the Greenhouse |
29/05/2005 |
| Greenhouse crops are flourishing and the A-Tom frame plants thrive...read more |
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The Masterplan.......takes shape |
05/05/2005 |
| An Oasis of green in the Kitchen Garden...read more |
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War on Slugs in the Kitchen Garden |
28/04/2005 |
| A fierce battle rages in the Garden - but who is winning?...read more |
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Springing into Action! |
06/04/2005 |
| The Garden welcomes its' first flourish of plants...read more |
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No Happy Easter for Bunnies! |
24/03/2005 |
| The Kitchen Garden is now Rabbit proof - or is it?...read more |
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March is a growing success |
03/03/2005 |
| Winter's late blast does not affect propagation and the Potato chitting debate continues...read more |
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Winter Wonderland |
24/02/2005 |
| Very picturesque - but not so good for progressing the project! - design plans are finalised...read more |
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Can you Dig It? |
10/02/2005 |
| The heavy machinery rolls in as the Kitchen Garden Site is cleared...read more |
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