In the Garden With...Kathy Edwards

Discover real gardens, real results. Our new 'In the Garden With…' series showcases customer projects using Harrod Horticultural products - complete with tips, planting ideas and links to the products that have been key to the gardens success. The first in this new series features Kathy's garden in the West of Scotland...

In the Garden With Kathy Edwards

Two years ago, Kathy swapped the Somerset/Devon border for the wild beauty of the West of Scotland near Loch Lomond. Her south-facing plot had no veg garden, so she set about creating one. Today she grows a full kitchen-garden mix of carrots, leeks, cabbages, purple sprouting brocolli, beans, squash, courgettes, parsnips, beetroot, swede and salads - with tomatoes and cucumbers under glass.

Kathy's Story

Starting from scratch, Kathy brought in a landscape gardener to form the new beds and paths. Having trusted Harrod products for nearly 20 years, she chose Superior Raised Beds rather than having timber beds made on site. The landscaper was impressed with the quality - and the neighbours, while admiring, offered a reality check: “it always rains…and if it grows, the deer will eat it!”

Undeterred, Kathy looked for extra plant protection adding more cages, garden hoops and netting and planted widely. The first season (2024) was tough: rain-soaked cabbages, slow leeks, disappointing squash and runner beans. The wins? Fantastic carrots, excellent cucumbers, and a late but brilliant tomato crop that ripened in a September warm spell.

This year, after a dry, warm spring and a summer of sunshine-and-showers (plus Storm Floris tilting the bean canes), everything’s looking strong: cabbages are hearting, leeks are bulking, and the greenhouse is humming.

Kathy’s biggest learning? The growing season is shorter than down south. To gain precious weeks, she plans to add polytunnels for earlier sowings and stronger transplants. Best of all, the grandsons live next door and are regular helpers, making harvests a family affair!

The Products: How Harrod Helped

• Structure that lasts - Kathy’s veg garden is anchored by Superior Wooden Raised Beds - thick planks, aluminium brackets, and a tidy, permanent layout that improves drainage (vital in wet summers) and warms faster in spring.
  
  
• Weather-savvy crop protection - in a high-rainfall, high-wind area the plant protection needs to be strong and reliable. The Garden Hoops and Covers securely fasten in the raised beds and offer great protection from pests and the elements. The Slot & Lock Cages give reliable plant protection throughout the year. 

The Results (So Far)

• What thrived: Carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes (although later than expected!)
  
  
• What struggled: Waterlogged cabbages in the wet year; runner beans underperformed in 2024 and took a battering from Storm Floris this summer.
  
  
• What’s changing: Emphasis on roots and brassicas (which suit the climate), earlier sowing under cover, sturdier wind and deer protection, and more rigid vertical supports.

Kathy’s Tips for West-Coast Growing

• Think drainage first: Raised beds lift roots above waterlogging and warm earlier.
  
  
• Cover smart: Use insect mesh for carrots and brassicas; switch to butterfly netting outside flowering (or lift netting to allow pollinators in).
  
  
• Plan for wind & wildlife: Add windbreaks and perimeter deer netting before you plant; it’s easier than retrofitting after damage.
  
  
• Support climbers properly: Fixed frames outperform improvised canes in storms and make picking easier. 
  
  
• Steal time with protection: A small polytunnel or cold-frame area lets you start seedlings weeks earlier in cool regions.