Search Results for:

All around the garden this week, there are many plants that will need tying into their supports. Our blackberry is grown over an archway that suits its rampant growth. The plants seem to be growing as we watch at the moment and the new stems will need tying in to keep them supported. Currently they are just bursting into lovely pale pink blossoms and the bees are really enjoying them.

Urban Jungle, the specialist exotic plant nursery in Norfolk, have recently expanded the wonderfully diverse range of unusual plants they supply.

Our tomato plants have now begun flowering in the greenhouse, so next week we will give them a foliar feed wth epsom salts and also begin feeding them with liquid tomato feed. The tomato feed will continue each week throughout the growing season.

The long bank holiday may have been a welcome break for us, but many of our plants in the Harrod Horticultural HQ Greenhouse didn't have quite so much fun...

Healthy plants will resist pests and diseases much better than those grown under stress, so it's important to adopt a good feeding regime to keep your crops happy. Leafy vegetables, such as brassicas will be treated to a top dressing of fish, blood and bone every six weeks.

Every gardener has been there, after spending countless hours tending, watering, feeding your plants a pest invades or some extreme weather damages your plants and wipes out all your hard work...

This week in Stephanie?s Kitchen Garden we have been pruning our asparagus plants down to the ground. The fronds have begun turning yellow and dying off so it is the perfect time to tidy up.

The clocks are going back this weekend leaving us with less working daylight hours and the first air frost has chilled the garden. Our newly planted winter crops are snuggled under fleece and cloches and our tender plants have already been moved into the greenhouse where the heater is keeping them safe from the cold nights ahead.

At last the snow has gone and the garden has returned to normal. Following a week of suspended animation, both the plants and gardeners are making up for the growing time that we lost. Green shoots are appearing everywhere and it is almost as if the big freeze gave our plants a boost; certainly the spring sunshine and warmer temperatures of the past few days have helped spur on new growth.

Although there is no definitve answer on whether to grow from seed or use plug plants as it depends on time, budget and experience the advice in our guide will give you some hints and tips so you can decide which will best suit you.

Our tomato plants, sown back in February are now about 6 inches tall and lifting the lid on their propagator. They were started off in a heated propagator and then moved to an unheated propagator to free up some space. Outside in the kitchen garden we are now ready to apply Nemaslug nematodes to the soil.

The recent warm spring weather has brought a growth spurt to all areas of the garden, rhododendrons are beginning to flower and our young vegetable plants are getting bigger by the minute. Unfortunately the weeds are also enjoying the conditions and are thriving!

It's late in the year for ground frosts in our part of the UK and the cold nights are really holding us up in our planting out. Our greenhouse and cold frame are bursting with plants that we would normally have planted out by now.

The Courgettes planted in the self watering propagator have grown so quickly we are already having to pot them on. We have also been busy sowing squash and tomatoes - the greenhouse is looking full!

A garden arch can lend real drama and presence to a garden, whether you are looking to create a stunning focal point, frame a garden entrance or use to section the garden, they can be a beautiful addition to your outside space. But, choosing the perfect arch for your garden can be tricky with such a wide range of styles on the market, materials and prices to pick from.

The recent warm spell has seen one variety of garlic we planted in a raised planter which should still be dormant shown signs of early green shoots. If we do get a sudden cold snap, it may stop the garlic in its tracks.

Crop protection is vital in any garden if you are to grow successful fruit and vegetables or your prized dahlias, whether you are protecting from pests and wildlife or from the cold weather both can be equally destructive if adequate protection is not put into place.

Everyone loves a great story and you can't get much better potential film making material than this one, reports our horticulturist Martin Fiddes!

It is challenging times we are all facing at the moment but the garden offers some sanctuary. The plants are unaware of the current crisis and continue to grow and bloom as they normally do and we continue to care for them.

It has been a week of wind, rain and low temperatures which has made gardening a challenge. When the risk of frost was announced I was worried we would lose the younger more tender plants but we covered them in a weather protecting fleece and so far, they have survived.

At last we have had a taste of spring in the Kitchen Garden, with a few days of warm sunny weather arriving in East Anglia. It has been warm enough to leave the greenhouse door open allowing vital ventilation around the plants. The autovents on the greenhouse windows have even nudged the windows open in the warmth of the winter sunshine.

As gardeners we have to adapt to what mother nature offers us and keep a close eye on our plants and give them what they actually require which is not always at the time the books say it should be done.

The warm weather has really started to move things on in the Kitchen Garden. Lots of plans for the week ahead - dividing mint plants, sowing sea kale seeds, harvesting spinach and chard, now that should keep me busy!

After a warm, sunny and very dry month, the rain has arrived at last in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden. The warm weather has been enjoyed by plants and gardeners alike and brought the garden on in leaps and bounds, but the lack of rain at a crucial time in the growing calendar has led to copious watering at a busy time. The welcome rainfall will restock the waterbutts and give the irrigation and watering cans a rest for a while.

The big autumn tidy up continues this week in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden as we turn our attention to our bean supports. The bean plants have been shedding their leaves over the past few weeks and are now skeletons of the plants they once were.

Despite the return of warm weather over the weekend, the cold nights we have had over the past week or so have had a definite autumnal effect on our summer crops. The tomato plants grown outside have finished their productive lives. They, along with their counterparts in the greenhouse which have also ceased fruiting, will be consigned to the compost bins this week.

This week in Kitchen Garden we will be pruning our blackcurrant bushes; the plants are now beginning to shed their leaves and showing signs of dormancy so it is an ideal time to give them their annual haircut.

A garden pergola will create a stunning scented garden walkway when framed with fragrant flowers and provide an excellent support for all manner of climbing plants. Designed to provide shade and filtered sunlight, a garden pergola is the perfect structure for training an array of colourful climbing scented plants.

To increase the success of your garden and vegetable growing it is important to protect your plants from adverse weather and wildlife.

This week in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden, we are trying to trick mother nature into an early harvest by moving a trough of strawberry plants into the greenhouse. The warmth of the heater will spur the plants into life and encourage early blooms.

Watering your garden and vegetable plot effectively is not just beneficial to your plants but can help the environment too. Hosepipe bans are becoming a regular occurrence so make the most of your water with our useful tips and advice.

Feeding your plants with fertiliser is essential to make sure that they have the balanced diet they need to grow strong and healthy. You can?t rely 100% on the make-up of your soil without supplementary feeding so a bit of knowledge on the nutrients they crave goes a long way!

There's an old saying "feed the soil, and the soil will feed your plants." It's so true because just as we humans need vitamins and minerals in our diet for long term health, plants have requirements of their own so that they can grow up big and strong.

What a month we have had weather wise. It felt as if we had skipped spring and gone straight into summer. We had the hottest Valentines day in 21 years and on Thursday Kew Gardens recorded 21c. Because of this flowers and plants are growing when they should be dormant. It's lovely to see the bobbing heads of daffodils mingled amongst the snowdrops.

Last week we finally saw some heavy rainfall in the Kitchen Garden and all around the garden, plants seem to have put on inches of growth overnight. This week we will be exchanging the watering cans for soft-tie and scissors to stake the plants that have had a growth spurt.

We have had our first frosts this week so I am really glad that our delicate plants are either in the greenhouse or covered up with the winter garden fleece protection.

This week it's fruit picking week in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden. All of our soft fruit bushes have really been enjoying the hot sunny weather and are covered in plump juicy fruits almost ready for harvesting. We have been watering all of our fruits plants and bushes twice a week and they have been thriving in the sunshine.

One of the great pleasures of gardening is to grow your own plants from seed. Unfortunately the exhilaration of planting out can quickly be followed by the anguish of seeing plants nibbled by wildlife or blasted by unseasonal weather if not covered with garden netting or plant protection.

Garden pests that we are on the look-out for this week are butterflies and white fly. The broccoli and sprout plants are now a really good size and we are being vigilant to make sure the netting on the vegetable cage doesn't touch any leaves, allowing butterflies to lay their eggs through it.

Our stunning garden arches come in a range of styles and sizes and can be linked to create eye catching walkways. Pergolas utilise the same quality designs as the arches and when covered in climbing plants can create a breathtaking garden tunnel and walkway.

It can be difficult to find a long lasting, permanent support for climbing plants such as clematis for garden walls, but we think we have a solution that will help...

With it set to be the hottest few days of the year so far, make sure you are doing all you can to look after your plants as they will be feeling the heat too!

Gastronomic rewards! This is where we really require your assistance! Although sowing the seeds, caring for the growing plants and watching the crop reach maturity is very satisfying, the very best part about growing your own fruit and vegetables is eating them!

The 2010 version of our pest control guide ran to reprints galore so we're expecting the 2011 tome - The Little Book of Least Wanted Pests - to be just as successful. The 24 pages are crammed with pest control solutions and advice from pest expert Julian Ives and you'll find the organic answers to problems from A (ants) to almost Z (whitefly), along with plenty of tips to make your plants stronger and more pest and disease resistant. It's a must-have guide to accompany you through the growing year

One of the most important things to learn about your garden to ensure successful crops year after year is your soil type. Knowing your soil type will help you choose the right plants for your garden and maintain them in good health.

What will you require? To gain the full benefit of a greenhouse, a source of heat (other than the sun) is essential. This level of heat varies greatly, from the bare necessity of preventing frost damage, to the expense of providing high temperatures for exotic plants.

Is there a way of combating the dull, overcast days of late winter and early spring and bring our plants on earlier than they should? Horticulturist Martin Fiddes thinks there might be...

It's during the winter and early spring that the greenhouse becomes the most valuable asset on your plot - and lining the greenhouse with insulating bubble wrap can save you money (50% on heating costs) and keep tender plants alive.

For many gardeners, a greenhouse is not just somewhere to grow your plants it is also a design statement. So if appearance is one of your main considerations then a Greenhouse would be top of your list. However, where simple practical covered growing space is required, you will be getting much more growing space for your money if you choose a polytunnel.

This week we have given the greenhouse a good clean and tidy so it's ready for the less hardy plants to be overwintered and for some autumn seed sowing.

Growing Indoors gives you complete control of the environment, from the temperature to the amount of water a plant receives which can yield great results. Although suited to some plants more than others, it can be a great way to grow fruit and vegetables. If space is at a premium even growing salad leaves on a window sill can be a simple way of getting more of your home grown produce to the plate for healthier meal times.

Despite the imminent onset of winter, we are still growing vegetables in the Kitchen Garden. Our overwintering broad bean plants have just been planted out alongside the onions, garlic, spring cabbage, broccoli, and turnips and we will be sowing carrots and peas in the greenhouse this week.

One of Capability Brown's great skills was using structures and buildings to enhance vistas, something which is seen in many of his designs and has been continued in gardens to this day. When I am looking at working on a clients garden, there will no doubt be some sort of structure included and whilst that may be a building such as a shed or summerhouse, it can also be a beautiful pergola or arch for climbing roses and clematis or just attractive supports for growing plants in beds and borders.

A mini heatwave hit the Kitchen Garden this week so the focus has been on trying to keep the plants happy - especially the leafy crops which can succumb to the heat!

At last, the Holiday Season is here! For many of us, we've been looking forward to going away for quite some time, and now it's here, it's important that your hard work doesn't go to waste while you're away. To help you out with this, our range of products below will ensure your plants are well looked after while you enjoy your holiday!

Like many gardeners at this time of year, I am taking a much-needed holiday which will mean a week away from the garden. August is the perfect time for a holiday but the worst time to leave the garden as it is such a busy part of the growing year; the greenhouse needs watering daily, plants in pots need watering at least every other day in sunny weather and crops need harvesting to keep them productive.

It is starting to feel very autumnal in the kitchen garden this week and its only August! The weather has cooled down and the plants are starting to come to the end of their productive period so the kitchen garden has had a really good tidy up.

July has certainly been a hot one and a great time to enjoy your garden but make sure you keep any new plants well watered and hoe off the weeds that will thrive in the sunshine.

Spring bulbs will be fading now and the flower borders growing in leaps and bounds, summer is on it?s way. Sowing and planting out bedding plants can begin in some areas of the UK but please keep an eye on your local weather conditions.

Leaves are falling all over the place and wind and rain are on the increase. Tender plants will need protecting from frost, gales and freezing rain. Move plants into a greenhouse or into a sheltered spot.

This week In Stephanie's Kitchen Garden we will be planting out some winter broccoli in to new vegetable cages. We have two identical cages put up side by side. One is covered with white insect mesh and the other in covered with new black insect mesh. We are running a trial to see if the plants grow differently according to the colour of the mesh.

This week In Stephanie's Kitchen Garden we have been sowing Mizuna, Mustard Greens, Winter salads and spinach in the greenhouse. We already have these growing in our mangers and raised beds, however we want to make the most of our heater and grow some in the greenhouse border where the tomato plants will soon be removed.

This week In Stephanie's Kitchen Garden we will be pruning our blackcurrant bushes. The plants are now beginning to shed their leaves and have begun dormancy so it is an ideal time to give them their annual haircut.

Knowing your soil type will help you choose the right plants and vegetables for your garden and will help you maintain them in good condition without costly mistakes.

These hardy and vibrant red morsels are incredibly easy to maintain and should be featured in every home grower’s plot. These fast-growing veggies take up very little space and can be planted in amongst the rows of other plants.

We have definitely been making the most of our waterproofs this week we have had lots of rain and a few thundery downpours. We have a few peppers that are still showing promise of ripening but it's pretty much the end of the summer greenhouse plants.

This week in the Kitchen Garden, we will be digging up our main crop potatoes. We would not normally expect to be doing this for at least another month, but our crop has been struck by blight following the wet summer. It certainly wasn't a surprise that our plants were attacked by blight. With the amount of rainfall we have had, it was something that we were fully expecting.

In Stephanie's Kitchen Garden, moving our pots into the shade of a north facing fence and standing them in trays to keep water at their feet has proved very effective. We have mulched raised beds with strulch and the plants certainly seem to be happier for it. This week we will be continuing to strulch around the tops of larger pots that cannot be moved, as well as other beds.

January is mulching month in the Kitchen Garden and this week it will be the turn of the blueberries to get a fresh, nutritious top dressing. Most of our blueberry plants are grown in pots standing in our fruit cage. Despite the fact that we have acid soil which blueberries like, the bushes prefer to grow in pots, and this is evident every year here as the pot grown plants always fruit better than those grown in the soil.

You can't over-estimate what a major garden problem slugs are and for years, gardeners have tried all sorts of tricks, traps and techniques to protect their plants from these premier league pests and now, in the shape of Nemaslug Slug Killer, they may have found the answer.

Here at Stephanie?s Kitchen Garden this week we will be assembling a new support for our blackberry crop. This year the plants dramatically outgrew their existing supports and we were reluctant to cut them back at the risk of reducing the crop.

The late summer can be a time when certain insects become more pests of humans than of plants! This can happen at the time we are using our gardens most for socialising and outdoor living but fear not, as Harrod Horticultural can provide you with safe and natural solutions for keeping these nuisance pests under control. Find out what damage ants and lawn pests can do to the garden on our latest informative seasonal summer press release - and more importantly, how to stop them!

As we head into May, in our part of the world we would normally expect to be planting out some of our tender crops such as beans, courgettes and squash plants. However we are in the middle of a very cold snap and planting out now would be a disaster for these tender plants.

Raymond Evison is an award winning clematis breeder, spending six decades developing the worlds best clematis. We are thrilled that Raymond is supplying us with 100 clematis plants, the stunning clematis Tsukiko, for our Chelsea Flower Show Stand this year. We got the chance to ask Raymond a few questions about his career and his love of clematis...

For the first time in a long time my first priority wasn't more watering when I went out to the kitchen garden this morning. Yesterday we had an inch of rain which has left the garden feeling refreshed and the plants have lifted their drooping heads and you can almost hear them growing.

As Autumn raspberry plants get taller and stronger they will need support from poles or a frame we have been specializing in fruit protection and growing frames for over 50 years and our exclusive product range is designed and manufactured here in our Suffolk factory.

As the garden prepares to burst into life, you can be sure that the local pest population is slowly stretching, stirring and sleepily emerging from winter hibernation too with rumbling stomachs and big plans on how to fill them - all involving your plants

There are many reasons why you need to be aware of your soils acid/alkaline balance. The solubility of minerals can be compromised if there is an imbalanced pH. Minerals become locked-up in the soil making them unavailable for your plants to absorb.

Knowing your soil type and pH is the key to successfully growing your own. Improving and managing your soil and choosing the right plants for the conditions will help you achieve bigger harvests of healthier vegetables.

This week we will be sowing more vegetable seeds to grow plants to fill the holes that the harvest creates. We will soon be harvesting our early potatoes and our remaining broad beans which will open up more much needed growing space. We will be sowing winter cabbages, pak choi, chard, kohl rabi, spinach and broccoli.

Seeds are shooting up in every seed tray and pot in the Greenhouse. The broccoli, brussel sprouts, aubergine, celery and celeriac have been moved into an unheated propagator to free up space for more seed sowing and tomato plants that have been potted on can now be moved into the raised border bed in pots.

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 loved it!

As I am writing this the heavens have opened and there is a roar or thunder accompanied by a crack of lightning and I am reluctant to say is this the end of summer? We certainly hope not here in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden as our plants have got plenty of life in them yet - we still need some much yearned for sunshine to ripen them off...

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?

Greenhouse crops are flourishing and the A-Tom frame plants thrive

'Four Seasons in One Day' sang 80's-90's Antipodean pop stars Crowded House and that's not a bad way to describe May 2012! A start to the month which seemed more akin to February was in complete contrast to a scorching finale which saw our Kitchen Garden plants - and the weeds - go mad! The weather aside, it's been a great month with the culmination an RHS Chelsea Flower Show award double! Find out more below...

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

It has been all systems go in Stephanie's kitchen garden this April. The mild weather has got everything putting on lots of growth and is keeping us busy. The greenhouse has been a hive of industry and is currently packed with lovely healthy plants and seedlings. Outside, the pear arch is dripping with beautiful blossom and the apple trees are covered with pink buds ready to burst into flower. The growing season is well and truly underway.

We've had our first snowfall of the Winter in the Kitchen Garden this month. A beautiful white, festive blanket covering everything in sight. Jo quickly took the netting off our vegetable cage to prevent the snow from weighing the net down and causing it to sag. She also shook the snow off our Slot and Lock portable cages. Luckily we had all our tender plants fleeced and ready for a cold snap.

The late Spring has certainly proved to be a challenge to vegetable growers this year, but despite the slow start, the Kitchen Garden is filling out with lush green growth all around. We've harvested our first cucumbers this month and tomatoes are rapidly appearing on the plants in the greenhouse, waiting hopefully for some warm sunshine to ripen them ready for eating.

The clocks have gone back, the days are growing shorter and the big autumn tidy up is well under way. However the weather has been unseasonably mild which has meant some plants are still producing a crop at a time when they would normally have been consigned to the compost bin. We are still harvesting courgettes at the end of October in Stephanie?s Kitchen Garden.

Strawberries are easy to grow and even a few plants can give a plentiful supply of sweet fruits in the summer months which are appreciated by children.

Keeping plants in both the kitchen and ornamental garden well watered during the summer can be a real challenge, so drought-afflicted gardeners across the country will be delighted to learn that we've got plenty of ideas

Cold frames can be used all year round in your garden and their purpose changes through the seasons. You may find that in spring and early summer, the cold frame can be used as a mini-greenhouse to harden off any tender or young plants you may have.

It has been another warm and dry week in the Kitchen Garden so once again watering has become a priority. Its a big job trying to keep the plants hydrated through this particularly dry spell.

The garden has undertaken a dramatic transformation this month; from the bare brown soil of winter to the sea of green that the warm spring sunshine brings. The weather has been very mild this month and plants all around the garden are putting on lots of new growth.

The kitchen garden is thriving and a lot of work has been done this week, the celery and celeriac have been planted in their final positions and seem to be very happy. The last of the courgette plants have been planted now too

The trees surrounding Stephanie's Kitchen Garden are now almost bare, so this week we will have more time to spend on jobs other than clearing up leaves. Our next big tidy up will be inside the greenhouse, where many plants have now gone over. Last week we harvested the last of our cucumbers and the plants are now ready for the compost bin.

We've finally treated to some significant rainfall in our part of the world. This was a big relief for us gardeners, giving us some respite from the watering can; albeit for only a few days. The garden seemed to sigh with relief too and plants in every part of the garden seemed to shoot up overnight after their welcome drink.

It has been another week of tidying in the kitchen garden especially in the greenhouse. The long sweet peppers and bell peppers have been harvested and all the plants removed along with the aubergines and we have harvested an amazing crop of sweet potatoes.

It's been a week of tidying in the kitchen garden, we have cleared out all the plants that have stopped producing and relegated them to the compost bin and started our Autumn planting of perpetual spinach, Pak choi, early sprouting broccoli and kale.

As we move further into spring it's time to take off the bubble wrap in the greenhouse and give all the glass a good clean, before the plants get too big.

It's time for a spot of tidying up in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden. The hot summer weather, combined with irrigation and recent heavy rain have sent plants into a growth spurt, in particular our espalier fruit trees. We would normally be pruning these during August, but they have put on so much growth that we are going to tackle the job now.

It's time to plant out our broad bean plants in the Kitchen Garden this week. We sowed the beans a few weeks ago in rootrainers in the greenhouse, as sowing direct into the soil tends to result in well fed mice and very few plants! Once the beans plants were a good size, they were moved to the cold frame to harden off and are now ready for life outside.

We have been supplying netting since 1954 so we think we know a thing or two about it! Our Top 10 of Garden Netting Tips will help you choose the right netting and protect your plants throughout the year.

We have chosen our Top 10 Plant Supports - all designed and made in the UK by us using high quality materials - stylish and practical plant supports for flowers, plants and shrubs.

The greenhouse is the central focus of our Kitchen Garden at the moment, as it is home to tray upon tray of seedlings and small plants.

Pests and diseases account for a large percentage of plant failures in the kitchen garden and ornamental border so accurately diagnosing who and what is munching or afflicting your plants is essential - and that's where Harrod Horticultural, in league with pest expert Gavin Hatt can help.

If you enjoy growing vegetables, then make a bee-line for the forthcoming RHS Hampton Court Flower Show - for the theme this year is definitely edible plants.

All our crops are enjoying the current late spring heatwave, but the soil is drying out and there is no rain forecast for the next few days at least. Many of our young plants have only just been planted out and need a good supply of water to help their roots spread.

This week it's all about the brassica's, planting out our sprouts, broccoli and kale now that the plants have been hardening off.

Our greenhouse crops are coming to the end of their lives. The tomatoes have all been harvested and we will be clearing the old plants and consigning them to the compost heap. The pots, tomato towers, plant halos and slot and lock frame and will be brushed clean and set aside for scrubbing and cleaning during the winter months.

Here at Stephanie's Kitchen Garden this week we will be awaiting the delivery of our vegetable plants. Having harvested our onions, shallots and garlic has we have some space for more crops in the Kitchen Garden.

Here at Stephanie's Kitchen Garden this week we will be digging up our Desiree potatoes. Last week Jo dug up our other maincrop potatoes which were Cara. This is very early to be harvesting our spuds and we wouldn't normally do this until October, but we were unlucky enough to get Blight this year and had to remove the tops of the potato plants a few weeks ago.

The seed sowing continues and keeping the plants fed and watered is now key to a successful harvest over the coming months...

We're off to the Chelsea Flower Show for a few days, so will need to leave our plants in good shape for our absence.

Here at Stephanie's Kitchen Garden this week we will be turning our attention to our rhubarb patch. Last year at this time we divided some of our existing plants to extend our crop and these grew well throughout the year putting on plenty of growth. At this time of year, the plants benefit from a generous mulch of well rotted manure or garden compost.

Lots to do in the Kitchen Garden this week as the season really gets into gear. Sunshine and showers over the last week has been great for the plants, but meant more work to keep everything under control, especially the weeds!

Here at Stephanie's Kitchen Garden this week we will be planting out our broad bean plants and our shallots. These have spent the past week in the cold frame acclimatising to the weather and are now ready to be planted in their final growing space. The ground has already been dug over and fertilised with fish, blood and bone.

This week In Stephanie's Kitchen Garden we will be planting out our leeks. It's a little later than we would normally like to plant them, but they always follow our new potatoes into the ground and these are a little late being harvested due to the cold spring. The leeks are good size plants though, so should have plenty of time to get to a good size before the winter.

This week In Stephanie's Kitchen Garden we will be planting out our runner beans and climbing French beans. We sowed the seed in rootrainers in the greenhouse a few weeks ago and they are now good sized plants. Last week they were placed in the cold frame to harden off. Now that the night time temperatures have at last warmed up we can plant them out into the garden.

This week In Stephanie's Kitchen Garden we will be planting out our sweetcorn. The plants have spent the past couple of week in our cold frame waiting for the temperatures to warm up and hardening off. They are now big enough to survive outside. We will be covering them with cloches just in case a cold night threatens. These will be removed in a few weeks time.

Here at Stephanie's Kitchen Garden this week we will be planting strawberries. Our existing plants are 3 years old and this year our crop was not as good as previously. Strawberries need renewing every three years to maintain a vigorous healthy crop.

Caterpillars develop from eggs laid by Moths and Butterflies. There are many different species and many that produce caterpillars damaging to plants. Some of the most damaging for brassica plants are the cabbage white caterpillars; the large cabbage white (Pieris brassicae) and the small cabbage white (Pieris rapae).

In the greenhouse, we will be keeping a very close eye on our plants. Whitefly has appeared in abundance on the leaves of our pepper plants and, although they still look really healthy, we are taking action to nip the attack in the bud.

Perennials in borders often grow strong heavy growth that makes them easily susceptible to damage by wind and heavy rain. It is advisable to stake them early on in the season to help avoid mishaps. In particular tall plants with large flowers will require extra support.

Raised beds are becoming ever more popular, and it is easy to see why: wooden raised beds are a great way to grow plants, vegetables and fruit right on your patio. They look great and allow you to create a simple, yet wonderful growing area - without the hassle of digging up plots in your garden.

Wireworms, and their potential to devastate potato crops and many other garden vegetables and plants, were in the forefront of one of our customer's minds recently - and here's the advice our horticulturist Martin Fiddes gave him...

Growing your own fruit and vegetables can have some real advantages over standard plots, our top 10 benefits will help you see why you should consider growing in raised beds this year...

Here are our Top 15 Tips to keep your garden healthy and more water efficient this summer!

Owning a garden with a cheeky dog can be a daunting situation... Here's 20 of our top tips to keep a beautiful and safe garden while owning dogs, this blogs for you!

2023 has been a really rough growing season. Everything started off really well with my early sweet peas being the star of the show but then that extreme couple of weeks of heat that blasted my allotment in June...

At last we have passed the Spring Equinox and this weekend will put the clocks forward which will give us all a precious extra hour of light at the end of the day to spend in the garden. The ground has been dug over, all of our structures have been cleaned and the garden is ready for growing. A whole new season lies before us and we can't wait!

Well the weather this week has been a complete change, with us having the warmest valentine's day in 21 years. I have seen out in the garden a butterfly, a very large bumble bee, other solitary bees and numerous other bugs and flies, the weather is really teasing us.

Home composting can seem overwhelming and mysterious, but in reality, it's a simple process that almost everyone can use effectively. With little more than fallen leaves and kitchen scraps you can make dark, nutrient-rich compost that will work wonders for your garden. What is more, you'll be helping the environment in the process too.

Guest Blog by Elementa Design - A Concise Guide to Garden Design - some great advice on creating your own garden scheme using the same tools that a professional garden designer uses.

This concise guide to the Planting Season is full of useful information on when to plant and why, some great ideas on planting throughout the year.

March has seen the Kitchen Garden emerge from the long winter into spring and the burst of growing activity that it brings. We have experienced a very dry month in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden with some lovely spells of sunshine. However the temperatures have struggled and it is only now, at the end of the month that the warmth of the sun is beginning to be felt.

Looking for the perfect gift for the gardening enthusiast in your life? You’ve come to the right place! We’ve got everything from gardening accessories to decorative plant supports that are bound to put a smile on their face this Christmas!

Well this has been another month where we have been scanning the skies looking for any sign of rain and unfortunately, we have not really been rewarded with any sufficient quantities; the occasional down pour and half an hour of drizzle every now and then.

It has been quite a mild week considering that we are in winter. It has been very pleasant working in the garden and we have even had some lovely winter sunshine. This has made spring and the new growing season seem so much nearer now.

Well October has been a month of four seasons in one day. We started the month with warm and occasional hot days and still watering the kitchen garden on a regular basis. By the end of the month the temperature had dropped drastically and the garden was empty of the lovely summer produce and the leeks and parsnips were fattening up for the winter dinner table.

April was a month of unpredictable weather we had it all sunshine, rain, wind and even some hail. Easter really saw the first of the warmer weather and the temptation to start planting out this year's crop was just too great so the first of the brassicas were planted out.

There's no need to extend or move house this summer if you want more space as it's often said that the garden is an outdoor living room - and with a 116-page new catalogue jam packed with products to help you make the most of summer in the garden, Harrod Horticultural will have you beaming!

There's no need to extend or move house this summer if you want more space as it's often said that the garden is an outdoor living room - and with a 116-page new catalogue jam packed with products to help you make the most of summer in the garden, Harrod Horticultural will have you beaming!

May started with refreshing rain but that did not last long. It was a hot and dry month, so much so that it was the driest since 1896!

If you're looking to bring a touch of sophistication and elegance to your garden this year then its well worth your time browsing through the NEW 2015 Ornamental & Kitchen Garden Structures brochure. The updated collection is brimming with more inspiration for traditional and contemporary gardens alike.

Raised bed gardening is becoming more popular than ever before with increasing numbers of people opting to grow their own food and live a more sustainable lifestyle. With the variations in height, size, potential higher yield and aesthetic value, raised bed gardening should be on your mind for gardening success.

Last week we had the pleasure of visiting Norwich's hidden gem, the Bishop's Garden!

We were fortunate recently to meet up with and interview multi-award-winning garden designer Ann-Marie Powell who won the design for RHS Wisley’s new Wildlife Garden and World Food Garden.

It has been another busy week in the kitchen garden. Peas that had been started in the greenhouse and then transferred to the cold frame, had grown sufficiently to be planted outside. These have been planted opposite the peas that were sown directly into the ground and are going to run up the vintage pea frame.

Last week was certainly a week of a mixture of weather. Monday was another warm, dry day and being able to get into the shade was wonderful but the lavender bushes all needed their Autumn trim. When you have quite a few the use of a petrol hedge trimmer is brilliant, remembering to take the new growth right down to where the old wood is, so next year you will get good healthy growth and flowers.

As we have not experienced any really hard weather here this year, the apricot tree 'Tomcot' is now in flower which is a lovely sight to see on a cold grey day. The peach and nectarine trees are also now in bud but no flowers yet. Once they start to flower they will be given a helping hand by pollinating with a paintbrush.

April has flown by in a blur of activity in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden. As always there is much to be getting on with at this time of year and the typical April weather of sunshine and showers has encouraged green shoots all around the garden. As I write this, we have just experienced two days of wintry showers and freezing winds which proves that it isn't time to cast the clout just yet.

Our Royal Horticultural Society endorsed Garden Arches are causing a stir in horticultural circles - and with the range set to publicly debut at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, there's no better place to see these stunning garden structures in the flesh

We seem to have permanent sunshine at the moment, with no rain on the immediate forecast. Consequently, we are busy with the watering can making sure our crops are well watered at a crucial time in the growing calendar.

Asparagus is a favourite crop in Stephanie's kitchen garden. It is such a delicious crop and is available for such a short period of time that it is a real treat. If you have the space, grow it!

Our 9th Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show sees us unveil our new Garden Arches along with displaying plenty of old favourites including our exclusive and traditional Sneeboer Tools

Although the week started very dry and warm, towards the end of the week and into the weekend we had some very welcome rain in the Kitchen Garden.

Aubergines are an attractive crop to grow and provide you with a taste of the mediterranean. A beautiful and delicious addition to your harvest, they are a very saitsfying crop to grow.

The long August Bank Holiday weekend is upon us and the forecast in our area is for hot and sunny weather. Crops are ripening ready for picking in vast quantities and we are in the throes of our annual bean glut.

August has been a month of wall to wall sunshine in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden, with lovely hot temperatures and very little rainfall; traditional harvest weather. Gardeners and crops alike have thrived in it, although both have needed regular watering, particularly on the days of blistering heatwave conditions!

The week began with the photo shoot in the kitchen garden and we were very fortunate with the weather with plenty of sunshine, no rain and a gentle wind.

The temperatures have dropped, the days are getting shorter, and the lawn is covered by a blanket of golden yellow and rich orange hues. Autumn has arrived. Now is the perfect time to prepare your garden for the cold, dark weather that lies ahead. Here's everything you should do to ensure your garden remains in tip-top condition ready for a vibrant spring

Autumn is creeping into the garden and I have just filled my first barrow of leaves. This week we will begin the annual task of trying to keep the garden tidy it is a battle with Mother Nature that I know we will lose. As soon as the rake and barrow are put away, more leaves will fall and all our work will be undone.

It's certainly no secret that stored water levels across the UK are at their lowest for decades and a domestic ban on using hosepipes has recently been implemented - but what is less clear cut is what the beleaguered gardener can do about it!

It's certainly no secret that stored water levels across the UK are at their lowest for decades and a domestic ban on using hosepipes has recently been implemented - but what is less clear cut is what the beleaguered gardener can do about it!

Another long Bank holiday weekend is upon us and the weather looks like it is going to be perfect for gardening!

We were very excited to visit BBC Gardener’s World on the 16th June, and this year we were fortunate enough to be approached by some incredibly talented garden designers!

What beautiful weather we have been having, lovely sunny skies and warmer air, so its now time to start planting out some of the hardy vegetables. This week we have planted our early purple sprouting broccoli, broccoli Santee, Brussel sprouts nautic f1 and spinach. All of them have appreciated the sunshine and have already grown well.

Beetroot is a favourite with us at Stephanie's Kitchen Garden and we enjoy experimenting with different recipes. It has had bad press in the past and is often not very popular however it is one of the easiest vegetables to grow and ideal for anyone new to vegetable gardening

Here are Ben Thornton's top tips for your allotment this month!

Here are Ben Thornton's top tips for your allotment this month!

We caught up with Grow Your Own's Best Gardening Influencer of 2021, Ben Thornton to get some allotment advice for this month!

The main summer harvest is almost over and the larder and freezer are bursting with the fruits of our labour. This week we are continuing the big autumn clear up as crops begin to fade and litter the ground. Spending a little time each day clearing away plant debris keeps the garden as neat as possible and avoids a huge clear up later on.

It's been lovely in the kitchen garden this week plenty of blue skies and sunshine, this of course means no rain and an awful lot of watering, as this has been a week of planting.

The box hedging in the kitchen garden has become infected with box blight, brown patches and leaves dying, so all of the hedging has been sprayed with fungus fighter. The box in the kitchen garden has suffered with blight before, the disease can remain in the plant for up to 6 years and with the right conditions the spores can become active again.

We interviewed Brigitte Girling (Creator of Moss and Stone) who teaches an array of flower classes which will allow you to develop ‘naturally artful, animated designs creating a visual story within your work’.

Anyone can grow Broad Beans - definitely one of the easiest vegetables to grow and one of the first vegetables to harvest in the Spring. Very good for you too, rich in vitamins and very tasty if harvested before the pods grow too big.

Broccoli has had a resurgence in popularity mainly due to it's high vitamin content and anti-cancer agents. It is a fast-growing and easy-to-grow crop, producing bluish-green heads that are harvested in the summer or autumn, depending on the time it is sown.

Sprouting broccoli is fairly easy to grow, quick to prepare and good to eat! It is very nutritious and full of vitamins too. The crop does occupy the land for a long time but on the upside it does provide a harvest from late winter to late spring when other vegetables are in short supply. Keep an eye out for pests & disease!

Brussel Sprouts are a must-grow crop in the Harrod Kitchen garden. It is highly nutritious vegetable and an essential ingredient in a good Christmas Dinner.

It has almost been like summer, not spring, with the warm weather we have been experiencing. Most days there has been full sun and blue skies which has been brilliant as that has given me the opportunity to get out and really start clearing the flower borders and beds.

It's a busy time of year in the Kitchen Garden. Mother nature is winning the battle of the leaves and as fast as we clear the autumn debris, she litters the paths and beds again. Recent windy days have exacerbated the situation. But the sun is shining and still has some warmth to it, the leaves are dry making them easy to rake, and the end result of a tidy garden is worth the effort, however short-lived it is.

It has been a busy week in the kitchen garden. Because of the lock down one of the gardeners who works mainly in the kitchen garden is now being furloughed and Louise is taking over most of the gardening jobs. We do hope Heidy will be back with us soon.

The HARROD SUPERIOR GREENHOUSE design is elegant, strong and built to be a serious working greenhouse with its 25 YEAR GUARANTEED ALUMINIUM FRAMEWORK. It delivers precision engineering quality throughout, sophisticated glazing techniques, vast amounts of ventilation, integral roof blinds on one side of the roof and a host of innovative features as standard that make it the best growing environment of any greenhouse available today.

The Cabbage is an extremely versatile vegetable and a valuable addition to any healthy diet being packed full of anti-oxidants and Vitamin C. There are so many varieties that it is possible to harvest cabbages in every season of the year. They also look amazingly ornamental, particularly in the Winter. Where space is limited they can be grown in raised beds.

By far the nation's favourite grow your own vegetable. Carrots come in all different shapes, sizes and colours, from orange to the more unusual red, yellow and purple. By regular sowing you can have fresh carrots from mid May to March.

Cauliflower has a reputation of being tricky to grow. It is precisely this that makes them such a desirable crop in the Kitchen Garden. A good, successful cauliflower makes for a proud and satisfied Kitchen Gardener and makes the cauliflower taste all the better!

Celery can be very tricky to grow. It will need good soil conditions and a constant supply of water. The smallest check will affect the final crop. A lot of effort, but worth it if you succeed. An immensely satisfying crop.

We have had some windy days this week with more challenging weather forecast for us for the weekend which will mean we will have a lot of debris to clean up next week.

It's the horticultural event of the year - and next week sees the gates of the Royal Hospital in Chelsea swing open once again as the 87th RHS Chelsea Flower Show takes place. Martin Fiddes sets the scene...

From new innovations to tried and tested favourites, enjoy this quick trip through our festive range and get some inspiration for the gardener in your life!

This has been a week about finding jobs in the garden that keep you warm. We haven't had the heavy snow like some parts of the country but we have had some very cold nights and frosty starts the following day.

So, this week I want to talk about companion planting in the kitchen garden, companion planting is a must for organic gardeners as it is the natural way to control pests and aids pollination, plus it looks really pretty

Here's a copy of an article I've produced for my Master Composter post-course work...

This week has been a short one as we have enjoyed the last bank holiday before, dare I say it, Christmas. But there has been no let up in the warm weather if anything we suffered 4 days of constant hot dry conditions and 3 days of temperatures getting up to 30 degrees.

Removing weeds from the vegetable patch is easily the least glamorous and time consuming job of the lot. It's not all bad news as there are plenty of ways to make it easy on yourself so you can spend more time on the fun bits of growing your own!

Powdery Mildew has struck our courgettes in the Harrod Horticultural HQ garden...

Courgettes are easy to grow and will produce an abundance of fruits over Summer and into Autumn. Just one plant should produce 3 or 4 fruits a week. They do need a lot of space but smaller more compact varieties are available.

Back from the brink our nearly frazzled courgettes are now looking much healthier, the sunshine and showers this week has been great for them.

All around the garden new growth is slow to emerge this year. Snowdrops are a good month later than we would normally expect to see them in flower and the daffodils are only just beginning to peek through the soil. In the Kitchen Garden overwintering crops are surviving under their cloches and fleece covers, but showing no sign of new growth.

March is the ideal time to start thinking about lawn care and we caught up with the wonderful Emma Jo Real Davies to do just that! Find out what Emma has planned for her new garden borders....

Practising crop rotation can be of great benefit to your allotment or kitchen garden helping to reduce disease and increase yields.

Crop rotation has been practiced in both agriculture and horticulture for centuries, but it doesn't hold the same importance in Raised Planters as it does in open soil beds,

Cucumbers are rewarding to grow because the baby cucumbers grow really quickly into full size specimens and can be grown by inexperienced gardeners.

December has seen the garden emerge from the debris of autumn to the bare beauty of winter. The hard work of clearing fallen leaves and old summer crops is complete and the skeleton of the garden is now tidy and clear.

Whilst design is something we encounter in every realm of our daily lives, there still exists a lot of confusion around what garden design actually is, and the positive impacts it can have on shaping the world around us.

The winter solstice has marked the turning point for winter gardeners and we know that the darkest point of the year has passed and the days will now begin to slowly lengthen over the months ahead.

Unfortunately, it's a fact of gardening life that your vegetable crops are not only a source of food for you and your family, but for a whole host of pests and diseases as well.

Spring has finally sprung in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden. As I write this the sun is shining and the sowing season has begun in earnest. Whilst frosty weather still threatens, the days are getting longer and the darkest days of winter seem to be behind us.

Here at Harrod Horticultural we like to be leaders in the horticultural field, and to back this statement up, we're growing an early crop of tumbler tomatoes in our own Kitchen Garden.

This week we will be earthing up our potatoes for the final time. They are a really good size now and looking very lush and healthy. Hopefully the tubers are growing just as fast. We will be incorporating some potato fertiliser as we earth them up to give them a good feed at the same time.

A great guest blog from Elementa Design using a 5 step guide to prepare your garden for Summer. Nick Dickinson, a much sought after plantsman and garden designer and offers some great advice in the article.

Gardening is like any hobby - there are endless tools and equipment you can buy if you have the money to invest however the list of essential equipment for gardening is actually fairly short.

Organic fertilisers come either as a 'compound' fertiliser which contains a mix of the three major nutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphate or Pottassium - NPK) in varying proportions, or as a 'straight' fertiliser which is only a major nutrient on its own.

Vine weevils can be one of the most destructive garden pests and as they wreak their havoc undetected underground, it can often be too late once you've eventually laid eyes on them

The weather was on our side this week as the Customer Services Team managed to spend a productive morning in the Harrod Horticultural HQ garden in glorious sunshine, the autovents on the greenhouse had even opened!!

Finally, we have had rain and everywhere is looking so much better for it, with the kitchen garden really bursting into life over the last few days.

This week in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden we will be wrapping up warm before heading out into the cold temperatures. We have been spoilt by the mild winter until now and the freezing conditions have come as a shock. Thank goodness for the winter gloves that Santa left in my stocking this Christmas. There'll be no cold fingers here!

No kitchen garden in complete without a row of beans swarming with bees and covered in delicious beans. Such a versatile vegetable, and so easy to grow.

Believe it or not, if you’re an advent gardener, frogs may be more beneficial for you than you would have ever believed...

We have had some really frosty conditions in the kitchen garden this week. Which, although looks really pretty has made working the ground quite hard as it has been frozen.

The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) are behind a new guide, recently launched to help the UK's gardeners make the most of their gardens. Martin Fiddes digs deeper...

Garden Arches can be a striking addition to any garden scheme whether creating a classic rose arch or creating an entrance to sections of a garden, but why choose a Metal Garden Arch over a Wooden Garden Arch?

Our new Garden Arch range, designed and manufactured in our Suffolk factory has made the pages of the August edition of glossy East Anglian-based lifestyle magazine Places & Faces

Rolawn Landscaping Bark is produced from organic material and the garden bark will naturally help your garden soil retain and hold water, which is ideal for our changeable climate.

We have managed to combine performance with looks, and source a great range of effective compost bins, some of which have been designed and manufactured here in our own factory in Lowestoft all of which you will be proud to display in your garden.

Which Garden Netting do you need? Some advice on the best netting to protect your plants...

Designed with our RHS endorsed garden arch range in mind, Harrod garden pergolas are offered in a range of width and length options and as we've designed and manufactured the pergola range ourselves here in our Lowestoft base we can be sure the quality will exceed your expectations.

One of the challenges of kitchen garden, allotment and vegetable plot growing is to overcome the army of garden pests with designs on your crops.

The Royal Horticultural Society's Lawrence Hall in London was the venue for the 2012 Garden Press Event - an annual event which represents the perfect way to banish the winter gardening blues and get the lowdown on what's new in gardening. Our horticulturist Martin Fiddes sends this report...

Spring cleaning has a 1950s housewife image. Not many people open up their houses and clean them from top to bottom in March any more. But a garden spring clean will make a big difference to your gardening later on in the year.

Sneeboer make their tools with long handles, not solely for the benefit of six-foot-two blokes. These longer handles alleviate pressure on the spine and create a lot more digging power in the garden by creating a longer lever to work with.

The Met Office, one of the world's leading authorities on weather and environmental issues, have published their forecast for spring in the UK - and it looks like we're in for warm and wet weather, writes Martin Fiddes.

Here’s a question for you - what have a chart-topping 1990’s pop combo from Scotland and the previous month got in common? The answer? Wet, Wet, Wet!

A top advisor at flagship gardening organisation the Royal Horticultural Society has claimed that global warming is rendering reference books out of date.

It’s not surprising to discover that in the past three years more and more people have been struggling with their mental health and general well-being. And while gardening isn’t for everyone, it’s proven to be an effective way to boost mental and emotional health. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve got a sprawling garden, a concrete yard, or even just a balcony – you can still reap the benefits that getting green-fingered can bring.

My first experience with raised beds was also my first time growing veg, some twenty years ago. At the time I lived in Hertfordshire and the soil in my garden comprised a charming mixture of clay, lumps of sandstone, iron ore and more clay. In short, it was rubbish.

August can be one of the hottest months of the year, this makes watering an essential task! If water butts are running flow, grey water can be used wherever possible. If August is holiday time for you, plans may be needed to enlist the help if friends and family to look after the garden when you are away!

A favourite crop in the Harrod Kitchen Garden, Garlic is easy to grow and occupies the ground during the quiet months over the Winter. The health benefits of this crop make it an essential vegetable to include in any garden. It is a great crop to grow in pots or raised beds if your space is limited.

With brighter, sunnier days on the horizon and rules on socialising easing, you will no doubt be thinking of dusting off that BBQ and organising a few garden gatherings with six of your nearest and dearest. From cleaning your garden furniture, to mowing the lawn, here is a few things you can do to get your garden ready.

Everyone's favourite cloche is back in stock and we're giving you the chance to win 1 of 5 this week!

Are you planning on 'Growing Your Own' this year? Get your seedlings off to the best possible start with our Harrod Modular Cloche System!

You could sense the excitement from the buzz around the crowd that the long-awaited project was finally open for the world to see. The glorious weather helped to bathe the Wellbeing Garden in all its glory and the stage was set perfectly for the ribbon to be cut by Sir Nicholas Bacon, Baronet OBE (Deputy Lieutenant).

One of our team has really taken their work home with them this year. Some great pictures of their latest harvest and lots of other plants doing really well

The Ultimate Guide to Wildlife Gardening - a guest blog from Green Gardens about the benefits of attracting wildlife to your garden and advice on planning a wildlife friendly garden

Stephanie's Kitchen Garden has been in the grip of dark, freezing conditions this month, but in the greenhouse tiny green shoots are already emerging: a little glimpse of spring in the depths of winter.

Greenhouse vents and greenhouse shade are essential for the warmer months to maintain the optimum temperature in the greenhouse and to prevent scorching. The 3 simple overheating prevention steps are ventilation, circulation and shading.

You may wish to customise your Harrod Greenhouse with some handy optional accessories such as greenhouse staging, shelving, and work trays and reservoirs, available to add to your order at the time of purchase or to add to your greenhouse at a later date

A great many gardeners and allotment holders grow cabbages or other members of the brassica family each year, so will no doubt be familiar with a common garden pest – the mealy cabbage aphid.

One of this season's big success stories at the Kitchen Garden has been the new trailing courgette plant, Black Forest. This cucurbit leviathan is rapidly taking over the greenhouse at the garden and it's certainly a plant we'll be welcoming back next year reports Martin Fiddes.

If you have a sunny patio you can easily grow an amazing variety of vegetables. You won't be self sufficient but you will soon make a good contribution to your home grown vegetables.

Growing in raised planters is a real boom area in gardening right now and it's little wonder when you realise just how easy it can be and how many delicious vegetables you can cram into such a small space. Let's take a look at how one of our attractive Manger Raised Planters - all 8ft of it - can transform a barren patio into a vegetable oasis.

Growing in vegetable planters you'll be surprised how many delicious vegetables you can cram into a small space and an attractive Manger Vegetable Planter can transform a barren patio into a vegetable oasis.

Work is continuing as normal in the kitchen garden despite the coronavirus. We do have the benefit of being quite isolated here and now is certainly a good time to be out in the garden and growing more of your own food.

It's always satisfying when a technique you use in your own garden - in this case growing in guttering - is endorsed by one of the celebrity gardeners, and that's just what's happened in the February edition of Gardener's World magazine!

If you have a sunny patio you can grow an amazing variety of fruit and vegetables in very little space. You won't be self sufficient but you can certainly make a good contribution to your kitchen table.

If you want to make the most of your outdoor space, vertical growing could be the solution you’ve been searching for. If you’re still gathering ideas for your 2023 growing plan, vertical growing could be something worth considering to maximise your produce and minimise the space it traditionally takes to do so!

We're taking a trip down memory lane and reminiscing on many of our fond memories at Chelsea Flower Show throughout the years!

Over the years we have developed a strong working relationship with the RHS and are so excited to be a donor for the incredible new Hilltop project at RHS Wisley in Surrey.

The weekly harvest is becoming more bountiful as temperatures increase and overwintering crops begin to grow. We are currently harvesting rhubarb, kale, spinach, rocket and the last of the leeks.

The pinnacle of the growing season is the harvest so it is important to know when to harvest and how best to store your precious vegetables.

The main point behind growing your own vegetables is how much better they taste fresh from the garden. The only failsafe way to guarantee harvesting vegetables at the optimal time is to taste test. However, there are some guidelines for judging when vegetables are ripe and ready for harvest. Keep in mind that great flavour isn?t always a simple matter of size or colour.

This week has been very productive in the kitchen garden the first of our broad beans have been harvested along with some very juicy strawberries and the rhubarb I feel like a crumble might be on the cards the only decision is cream, custard or ice-cream.

We've just harvested our first strawberries and there are many more ripening. This week we?ll make sure we have some organic cream ready in the fridge to enjoy them at their best.

It has now been three weeks since we had any rainfall in Stephanies' Kitchen Garden and the forecast shows sunny and hot weather for at least the next three weeks to come. In our part of the world, near the most easterly coast of the UK, we are used to gardening in the driest part of the country, but usually enjoy the odd thunderstorm to keep the garden from drying out completely in the heatwave.

I've found time this month to flick through the pages of June's BBC Gardener's World magazine, and amongst the beautiful photography and gripping features, one small news item stuck out - Anthea Turner and composting!

We are thrilled to be featured on the HomeAway Garden at RHS Malvern, designed by Emily Crowley Wroe!

For years, the art of making compost has been shrouded in mystery. Gardeners would regularly creep down to their heap in a neglected and forgotten corner of the garden, armed with old plant material, newspapers and other seemingly useless and unwanted items before the big day, months later, when they would emerge with a steaming wheelbarrow full of wonderful compost.

See our latest update from the Hoveton Hall Kitchen Garden!

We’re delighted to announce that we have teamed up with Hoveton Hall Gardens to sponsor their new Kitchen Garden!

Peonies do like a sunny location with well-drained soil and good air circulation around the plant is important. Peony plant supports should be put in place early on in the growing season. Once the plant is in full bloom, it is much harder to set up an effective support system and the damage may have already been done.

I have a metal obelisk in my Victorian Kitchen Garden and I am looking for advice on how to grow vegetables up an obelisk and which vegetables would be best suited to growing up obelisks

There is nothing better than picking - and of course eating - fresh strawberries from your own garden and with Wimbledon approaching it is strawberries and cream all round!

Summer so far has been a hot one to say the least. That being said, here's a few tips and tricks to water your garden effectively in the heat...

In July, we were lucky enough to be involved with the inspiring ‘Get Up and Grow’ garden designed Lucy Hutchings and Instagram Star 'She Grows Veg' at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival. Inspired by her new book, Get up and Grow – the garden was a dream come true for Lucy.

At the beginning of October, we were still experiencing very dry conditions in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden and hoping for a little rain to dampen the dusty ground. We should have been more careful what we wished for. Now it feels as though it has been raining forever and the cold north east winds are making it uncomfortably cold for both gardeners and crops alike. The sun has a little warmth, but the biting winds are pegging back the temperatures dramatically.

Most of the month has been grey, windy and wet with only the occasional sunny crisp day to lift the mood. It would be so easy to hibernate indoors and leave the gardening jobs until fairer weather, but work done around the garden now will pay us back later in the year when spare time is more precious

This week in the Kitchen Garden, it is time to plant our early potatoes. These have been chitting for a couple of months now and are ready to go into the ground. The raised bed they are destined for has been covered in fleece for the past few weeks to warm the soil ready for planting.

It never ceases to amaze me just how much and how quickly the kitchen garden changes at this time of year. Crops seem to grow at an incredible rate, whilst we gardeners are too busy with the many little jobs that need to doing, to notice. It's not until the occasional lull in activity that I stand, coffee in hand, and marvel at the wonders that nature provides.

A short week for workers this week but the kitchen garden continues to grow. Although, since the last heavy rain it has started to feel a little autumnal in the mornings; a chilly and sometimes dewy start but warming up during the day.

Having just spent an enjoyable morning in shirt sleeves digging over the potato bed, it is hard to believe the weather warnings for sub-zero temperatures and snow that are forecast for our part of the UK over the coming weekend. The sun is watery today but it's providing some warmth and combined with the birdsong is giving the day a distinctively spring-like feel.

The new year has brought with it icy arctic weather which has hung around for most of the month. We've had our first snowfall of the winter transforming the garden into a beautiful winter wonderland.

Considered the least favourite gardening month by many, January was a month of two halves. It started cold and frosty with regular wintry showers and developed into far milder conditions with regular bursts of winter sun. A welcome break from the constant rain showers we were dealt in December.

December is traditionally the month where the seed order is put together. The kitchen table is covered with catalogues and then the fun starts. Each variety looks better than the last and the new varieties promise better results with finer tasting crops than before.

We have had numerous storms passing through, leaving a path of leaves and fallen branches everywhere. Because of the mild weather, bothersome insects are still present, white fly and gnats are the two I dislike the most. One is eating my cabbages and sprouts; the other is eating me!

August can be one of the hottest months of the year, this makes watering essential. If water butts are running low, grey water can be used wherever possible. If August is holiday time for you, plans may be needed to enlist the help of friends and family to look after the garden when you are away.

Frost, rainfall, winds and wintry conditions are more common. Sunshine hours are much reduced and it can be bitter with the risk of snow and sleet. You may not want to be working outside at this time of year, but luckily there is not a lot to do.

This month there is hope - there are signs that Spring is approaching, bulbs are appearing and wildlife are waking up as the light levels and temperatures increase.

January is usually the coldest month and your garden will need protecting from frosts, gale-force winds, heavy rain and possibly even snow.

As we approach the longest day of the year, the extra light and warmth encourages the garden to put on an exuberant burst of growth, but this also means that weeds will sprout up from no where.

Depending on where you live in the country, Spring has usually arrived by mid-March. The milder weather means it's time to get busy sowing seeds, cutting back winter shrubs and generally tidying up around the garden preparing for the busy season ahead.

Although we had some cooler days in September autumn is now definitely here for real and it feels colder. It is a beautiful time of year with the trees changing colour.

September is often a cooler, wetter month than August but as previous summers have shown this is not always the case and can often be glorious even if the days are becoming noticeably shorter.

July in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden is when the main harvest begins. I have just spent a pleasant summer morning picking blackcurrants with only the birds and a radio for company. A back breaking job, but one of huge satisfaction gained from harvesting a bumper crop of fat juicy currants that will soon adorn my larder shelves in the form of jam. On the darkest of winter days the taste will transport me back to the hot sunny day when they were picked.

June has certainly lived up to its 'flaming' reputation this year and has thrown many challenges at us with its extreme heat, wall-to-wall sunshine and three-week drought. The garden and the gardeners have wilted at times, but we have survived and, as I write this, we have at last had some much-needed rainfall.

Flaming June is living up to its reputation this year with wall-to-wall sunshine for most of the month. As I write we have had no rainfall for four weeks and the scorching sun and drying winds of a heatwave are causing challenges all around the garden. 2018 has certainly been a year of extreme weather so far!

Despite the beautiful spring weather we have been enjoying recently, the forecast is still for cold nights ahead. We always keeping a close eye on the weather forecast ready to apply fleece or cloches to vulnerable crops, such as salads.

Fifteen years ago our garden was a very large grassy area with the soil full of flint and clay. I had little knowledge of gardening at the time, but had been told that if I wanted to grow a healthy and happy garden I should pay very special attention to the soil.

Our plans are already well underway for the Kitchen Garden next year, but as ever a lot has to be considered such as crop rotation, testing new varieties and including new products. Our early plans look great and we can't wait to see it come to fruition.

Last week in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden we put up the bubble wrap up in our greenhouse. Up until now we had been very lucky with the recent mild temperatures allowing us the time to thoroughly clean the inside of the glass and supports before adding the greenhouse bubble insulation

This week In Stephanie's Kitchen Garden we will be harvesting our blackcurrants in the fruit cage. This is such a low maintenance crop, with the bushes needing very little attention through the year.

This week in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden we have sown our autumn planting garlic gloves and onions sets into modules in the greenhouse. They can be planted straight into the ground if required, but our resident pigeon population would soon have them 'unplanted' again!

This week In Stephanie's Kitchen Garden we will be preparing the garden for a week long absence as Jo takes her summer holidays. It's always a nervous time for gardeners going on holiday during the hot summer months, but with careful planning, it can be managed with minimal stress.

This week In Stephanie's Kitchen Garden we will be sowing crops such as spring cabbage, turnips, pak choi, autumn carrots and winter salads.

This week In Stephanie's Kitchen Garden we will be taking time out to sit and complete our seed and potato order for next year. We have had successes and failures this year, as always, and now is an ideal time to sit back and review this years crops whilst they are still in the ground.

This week In Stephanie's Kitchen Garden we will be continuing the Autumn Harvest. The haulms on our maincrop potatoes have now all but died, so we will cut these off to the ground and leave the tubers for ten days before digging them up.

This week in Stephanie?s Kitchen Garden we will be carrying out some essential surgery on our beautiful box hedges. Over the past few weeks we have watched in horror as our hedges have succumbed to the dreaded box blight.

This week In Stephanie's Kitchen Garden we will be turning on the heater in the greenhouse. We have had some cold nights forecast and our pepper and aubergines are currently bearing lots of ripening fruits. A cold night could set them back and jeopardise the harvest. Our heater is on a thermostat that we will set at 15 degrees. This will keep our crops comfortable for the remainder of the growing season.

Every year we spend a lot of time deciding on the planting plan for the Kitchen Garden and this year we have brought this to life with colourful illustrations of how we hope the garden will look when everything is in full growth.

Every year we spend a lot of time deciding on the planting plan for Stephanie's Kitchen Garden and this year we have brought it to life with colourful illustrations of how we hope the garden will look when everything is in full growth.

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

Leeks are a must grow crop in the Harrod Kitchen Garden. Not only do they look amazing, they keep us supplied with delicious veg during the long winter months and help to fill thhe hungry gap.

These delicious Mediterranean fruits have grown in popularity and are now widely found in many kitchens across the UK. Despite the challenges, aubergines are definitely worth the effort and make for a delicious addition in curries, lasagne, bakes and risottos.

Hardy, durable and not particularly fussy, beetroot is ideal for both first-time and experienced gardeners. Traditionally a deep purple root, this versatile veggie actually comes in a variety of colours, all bringing intense earthy flavours when slow roasted or added to soups and salads. Plus, with its underlying sweetness beetroot lends well to cakes and desserts too.

Blueberries are an incredibly delicious fruit packed full of nutrients and pretty easy to grow too! Find out more about this versatile little berry and how you could be growing your own.

These delicious beans are easy to grow and will prosper in just about any soil and climate. Store bought varieties are often big, floury and lacking in flavour, but when you grow your own, you can pick them when they are young, tender and at their tastiest.

Butternut squash is one of the most popular squashes to grow in your home garden. The pear-shaped fruits are widely celebrated for their sweet, nutty flavours and incredible versatility.

Home-grown carrots are versatile and full of flavour and texture. They are a popular, long-lasting root vegetable that can be grown in many climates.

In the past, cauliflower was often overlooked, ranking low on the list of veggie favourites and relegated mainly to frozen vegetable medleys or crudite platters. But these days, the mild but delicious white vegetable is growing in popularity, thanks to its versatility.

Since a single plant can provide up to 100 chillies, they are the perfect addition to the kitchen garden or windowsill. Whether you prefer just a little heat, or a pepper that makes your eyes water, there are dozens of varieties to choose from.

The lesser-known relative of onions and garlic, leeks are an easy to grow veggie with the same fantastic health benefits. With a delicious mild flavour that sweetens as it cooks, leeks are perfect onion substitutes in all kinds of dishes from casseroles to risottos.

Parsnips are a hardy winter vegetable that are easy to grow, require little maintenance and can be used in just about any dish. Find out more about this versatile vegetable in our latest blog...

Nothing comes close to home-grown peas for their tenderness and taste. What’s more, peas thrive in cooler climes, so are perfectly suited to growing outdoors in the UK.

Considered by many to be the king among vegetables, the humble potato has an ancient and honourable lineage. Boiled, mashed, baked or roasted, there are a number of ways to cook potatoes, which makes them one of the most versatile vegetables in the world.

For many, Autumn is a season synonymous with pumpkins. Come October, people go wild for the squash, which has become a big part of Halloween associated traditions worldwide...

Runner beans have long been a favourite among gardeners and no veggie patch is complete without a delicious crop of these quintessential delights. These productive growers are among the easiest and most rewarding vegetables to grow.

You can not beat the flavour of delicious home-grown tomatoes eaten straight from the vine. Once you taste tomatoes harvested fresh from your own patch, you?ll never again be satisfied with the supermarket imposters.

If space is limited it doesn't have to stop you Growing Your Own - even just a sunny windowsill can be ideal for growing salad leaves and herbs.

Hot on the heels of our announcement that pest control guru Julian Ives has joined the Harrod Horticultural team is the publication of a little book which is sure to get plenty of use in the kitchen garden, down at the allotment and in the vegetable patch this season – our Little Book of Pests.

May has been a busy month in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden. Lots of sowing and planting out has been done and the garden has gradually transformed from brown to green as the month has gone on. We are still waiting for the hot sunny days of spring to arrive in our part of East Anglia and the cold nights have caused us some problems, but our crops look healthy and the new harvesting year has begun.

We have been enjoying a heatwave in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden this month. The vegetable beds have been basking in glorious summer sunshine and we have been working hard to make sure the crops haven't suffered by giving them lots of water and food. As a result everything in the garden is thriving - including the gardeners!

We have been busy preparing for a photoshoot this week and everything is now looking lovely with the hedges trimmed into shape and lots of weeding and tidying done. It is very satisfying to look round the garden and see what has been achieved with all our hard work.

Making a feature with a Metal Garden Arch can transform the appearance of your garden, creating an entrance, framing a view or simply adding height to a one-dimensional space.

With March signalling the arrival of spring, I had high expectations for the weather. However, mother nature had other ideas. Aside from three bright, warm days the rest of the month was cold.

We have veered from extreme arctic weather and deep snow to gardening in our shirtsleeves in the sunshine. Gardeners and garden have both been exposed to some interesting conditions for the time of year - and survived!

The past two weeks of glorious sunshine has been a wonderful relief from the excessive rain and gale-force winds that battered the gardens throughout May.

May is always one of the busiest months of the year in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden and this year has been no exception.

May has certainly been a challenging month for the Kitchen Gardener this year. Mother Nature has been stretching our capabilities with extremes of temperature and very little rainfall. We've ranged from severe late frosts to sweltering heat in a very short space of time but, whilst we've had the occasional disaster, on the whole we are surviving the unusual spring conditions.

May is always the busiest month in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden, and sometimes I have to force myself to stop and just look at how beautiful it looks. The apple blossom on the espaliers is here for such a brief time, that it's easy to miss it when you are focussed on the many jobs that need to be done. May, for me, is when the Kitchen Garden is at its most beautiful - full of lush green growth, blossom and the promise of what is to come.

It's been mixed fortunes over the last few weeks in the Harrod Horticultural HQ Garden, luckily the successes outweigh the failures!

It has been another week where the heat has built up, peaking on Friday in the 30's, and still no decent rainfall. The water butts are empty again. So, it was more days of what seemed like endless watering!

There has only been one topic of conversation amongst gardens during July 2018 and it is the weather. When we finally arrived in Spring this year, after such an awful winter, we sighed with relief and looked forward to a summer of growing. But Mother Nature was obviously not through with trying to stretch our gardening skills and now we are battling with the Mediterranean Melt!

One of the wettest May Bank Holidays on record might not be the best time to raise the issue of hotter and drier summers - but it's something we have to embrace none the less!

All is quiet in the kitchen garden at the moment and we are making the most of the good weather days to mulch the bare soil with well-rotted manure or home-made compost. Over the coming months this will be broken down by the worms and the cold weather ready for digging over in the Spring.

Last week the laptop took priority as other work became really busy, distracting me from the garden. As we all know, at this time of year, when you are called away from your garden for even a couple of days, nature goes mad. Crops have grown beyond recognition and are looking a little wild.

The season is definitely on the turn but to beat those late season blues, Harrod Horticultural have put together a feast of gardening products in our latest 116-page 2013 Catalogue.

This week I have started some seed sowing ready for next year. I have planted a couple of different varieties of sweet peas ready for a spring display and the greenhouse has had a couple of new additions.

With the remainder of the brussels sprouts now harvested, there has been lots of tidying and composting going on to get ready for another gardening year!

Throughout November the kitchen garden has witnessed an array of weather conditions. Much like every other UK November, rain featured heavily. Not enough to put a stop to my monthly tasks, but enough to warrant several layers and a waterproof!

November is probably my least favourite month of the gardening year. No matter what your efforts, the garden always seems to look untidy; littered with fallen leaves and the skeletons of old crops. Spring and summer suddenly seem like a lifetime away and the short days seem to plunge us into constant darkness. It would be so easy to retire to the house and emerge again in the springtime. This, of course, never happens.

October has been a busy month in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden as we prepare the garden for the cold months ahead. The daylight hours are diminishing and the night-time temperatures are beginning to drop. This month has been a balance of tidying up for winter versus trying to keep crops going for as long as possible before consigning them to the compost bins.

We have just had one of the driest Aprils I can remember in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden. At one of the busiest months of the growing calendar, the dry spell has added to our workload with many hours spent watering our crops.

Onions are one of the most popular vegetables being used daily in the kitchen, they are well worth growing especially from small bulbs called sets which were grown from seed the year before.

Whether it's a small vegetable plot in your back garden or your own allotment, growing on open ground can be challenging and also very rewarding.

We were fortunate enough to catch up with the wonderful Anna Greenland. Anna is based in Suffolk and after retiring her role within the fashion industry, Anna has since become an organic grower and has worked in a number of prestigious venues around the country.

Update Cast your mind back all of 2 days to my article regarding organic fruit and veg and the benefits of eating food grown in this fashion.

Our apple and pear trees are positively smothered in tiny fruits and, so far, there is no sign of the June drop, where nature thins out the excess fruits on the trees. In the next week or so we will emulate mother nature by picking off fruits to leave the largest two on any spur. As painful as this is, it is necessary if we are to get good sized fruits and to protect the branches from breaking under the weight.

It has been a busy month of taking out the old and putting in the new, with summer crops finishing and new winter and spring varieties being planted.

Parsnips are a sweet tasting root vegetable, easy to grow and delicious roasted to accompany your roast dinner!

The patio can be an ideal area for growing your own fruit and vegetables with a wide range of planters available to grow everything from salad to spuds on the patio!

One of the most pleasurable things of early summer is picking and eating sweet, tender peas straight from the veggie patch. They are a valuable source of protein either raw or cooked.

A taste of the mediterranean in your greenhouse, peppers an attractive addition to any vegetable plot. They look amazing, taste great and need very little attention. A must grow!

Experts predict that this will be the worst ever year on record for the slimy garden pests due to a particularly warm winter, with above average temperatures recorded for December and January.

The warm spring weather is loved by the plants and unfortunately by the pests too - we have already had our first cabbage white in the kitchen garden!

The Harrod Horticultural garden is really starting to flourish, the sunshine and showers over the last week really seem to have helped and we are starting to pick our first peas of the season.

In fact, this month's magazine is of extra interest as it contains a 30 page garden special, including a feature by gold medal winning garden designer and writer Tom Hoblyn, along with Country Living's Garden Editor, Stephanie Donaldson.

Our New thicker (up to 6mm thick) wire Harrod link-stakes plant supports are available in either a Dark Olive Green Powder Coated Galvanised Steel finish which merges seemlessly into the background or a Mild Steel Natural Rust finish Link Stake that evokes a sense of history and blend effortlessly into both traditional or contemporary gardens.

Its been a busy week in the kitchen garden, preparations are well under way for the season ahead. This year we have decided to plant our vegetables in a potager style, this should add interest to the garden and be aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

Following on in our recent series of Kitchen Garden overflow news, Sharon has advised me she's been busy planting artichokes.

This week we are going to be planting out broad beans for autumn harvesting. We have never grown them for autumn harvesting before and are very excited to see how they perform. We have a large space where our disastrous onions and garlic grew and that we had originally earmarked for our leeks. Given our white rot problems we couldn?t use it for leeks so decided to give autumn broad beans a try.

With the threat of lowering temperatures, we have been able to plant the garlic out. This year we are growing elephant and Mikulov and we are growing them in one of our superior wooden raised beds

Finally, the temperatures have improved enough to start planting in the kitchen garden, this week I have planted out the sweet potatoes, Dwarf French green beans, Runner beans Enorma, Peas Norli and Kelvendon wonder, sweet peas, Dill and Parsley.

This week in the Kitchen Garden, we will be planting out our leeks. Every year around this time, I walk around the garden trying to figure out where I will put the leeks that have been growing in cells in the cold frame as well as in neat rows in a seed bed

The recent warmer temperatures have really helped our sweet potatoes which are now ready to be planted out in our metal raised bed.

It has been a tricky time for us in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden this month. The weather has certainly been providing us with some interesting challenges! Tender crops have been slow to get going and have needed some extra care and attention. However, as the month draws to a close, it looks as though the summer may well have arrived here at last. Let's hope it's here to stay.

I made the most of Easter weekend and put my autumn sown sweet peas in the ground. I sowed the seeds for these way back on 16 October and once they were a few inches high I moved them outside to get them hardened off...

Choosing your ideal plot and position can seem confusing but a little planning goes a long way in ensuring a productive and enjoyable vegetable garden!

My husband and I have used black aluminium poles and slot and lock fittings to make a bespoke raised curved pond cover to protect from herons. We would love these photos to be on the website to show the versatility of the fittings.

Easter is traditionally the time to plant potatoes and this weekend we will be making the most of the double bank holiday and the long light evenings to get ours into the ground. I had thought to delay it a little following the recent cold start to spring and the current chilly temperatures, however today I watched the local farmers putting their seed potatoes into the ground in the fields near our kitchen garden. If conditions are good enough for the farmers, they are definitely good enough for us.

Potatoes are a very rewarding crop to grow and the fresh flavour of newly dug potatoes really is hard to beat. A hugely versatile vegetable and a staple ingredient in many meals which is surprisingly easy to grow.

The customer service team were hard at work again in the greenhouse this week potting on cucumbers and also had time to put a slot and lock vegetable cage together to protect one of the raised beds.

This week we will be potting on our tomatoes, peppers and aubergines into their final pots. They are a really good size now and getting hungrier by the day so will need a good sized growing space to spread their roots into. Some of our tomatoes have already started producing flower stalks.

November has been a beautiful month, with sharp frosts and blue skies creating some stunning autumn scenes all around the garden.

As the ground is starting to warm up, we have been able to prepare it for the coming season. which I have to say is my favourite, spring always bursts in with lots of new life both in the garden and in farms surrounding us, Always so welcome after the cold grey days of winter.

At last we have reached the end of February and the Spring is about to begin. After the hard work of the winter, it?s time for the growing to really start. Inside the greenhouse this week, we will carrying out one of my favourite jobs of the gardening year; pricking out seedlings.

Propagation Bench It's around this time of year when thoughts of sowing seeds and striking cuttings occupy the minds of many gardeners - and what better way to give those seeds and shoots every chance of making it than providing them with a propagation bench?

The first cold spell of the Autumn has arrived in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden, with overnight temperatures dipping dangerously near to a frost. The forecast is for colder nights to come. Outside in the garden, we have been quick to cover our tender with fleece and cloches, but this week it is the turn of the greenhouse for some much needed attention.

This week we are bracing ourselves for the Beast from the East weather system that is expected to hit us in the next few days. As we are situated just a few miles from the East coast, the biting winds will hit us hard and peg back the temperatures.

The best selling Quadgrow has many fans, including the editor of Garden Answers magazine and Kitchen Garden magazine and was featured in the Daily Mirror and Daily Mail.

Three of the major pest groups likely to cause havoc in any vegetable garden or allotment are animals, birds and weeds

We got some much needed rain over the last week at the Kitchen Garden, unfortunately forcing the photo shoot to be cancelled, but still lots to do to make sure the garden is looking its best.

Well the promised storms by the weather forecasters have finally arrived and we've had a few heavy showers to keep the garden ticking over. It had been been 8 weeks since we had any rain in the Kitchen Garden and the temperatures over the past week has been in the 30's every day so these showers are very welcome.

It's always good to find out what the nation's gardeners are up to, and although not quite on the scale of a Gardener's World roadshow, I do occasionally get an insight into what plans others are drawing up.

This week in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden, we are going to be installing a new raised bed in our greenhouse border. Over the past couple of years our tomatoes, grown in the border, have not performed as well as we would like.

To help you price up and make the most of your raised beds - and most importantly enjoy growing in them - we've compiled a list of factors to consider when choosing, siting and filling your beds.

Well what a week it has been weather wise. This time last year we were staying indoors, only going out if it was really necessary! It had been snowing, there was ice and the day time temperatures didn't get above freezing and the Beast from the East had arrived!

The first of our rhododendrons has come into flower and looking beautiful next to the new laser screen panels, a perfect assimilation between nature and man.

It’s being held at the current location for the 84th time this year; over 600 exhibitors displayed and presented gardens and equipment over 5 days in May last year; and it has a history stretching back to 1862 – the Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower show must be the greatest horticultural event in the world!

It's our 14th year at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and we thought it was a great time to look back at our stand over the years - things have really changed!

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is the pinnacle of the gardening year taking over a small corner of London for a week every May and this is the 14th year that Harrod Horticultural have been a part of this fantastic spectacle!

It's all over for another year, but the 2018 RHS Chelsea Flower Show was another great success for Harrod Horticultural.

With the 85th Chelsea Flower Show now just a memory, there's just enough time to look backwards and reflect before the next RHS show - with Hampton Court Palace in south west London the venue. Martin Fiddes reports.

The second in The Royal Horticultural Society's (RHS) four-show summer schedule takes place in the sumptuous setting of Hampton Court Palace and the showpiece garden will heavily feature Harrod Horticultural products

Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival is just a week away and ready to celebrate its 30th year running with breath-taking displays, inspiring gardens and a celebration of nature’s boundless creativity...

The Royal Horticultural Society's Wisley HQ is renowned for it's stunning and varied gardens but the venue - and the fruit growing areas in particular - just got a whole lot better! Read our horticulturist Martin Fiddes's report into how eleven (yes, eleven!) fruit cages made their way from Suffolk to Surrey

Rhubarb is one of my favourite Kitchen Garden crops. Not only does it taste delicious but it also looks lovely growing in the corner of the garden. I find the red stems and large leaves beautifully ornamental. In return for very little effort it will reward you with a bumper crop.

Root Aphids are one of the most common garden pests, appearing on leaves and stems of flowers and vegetables in vast quantities but it's not just the foliage they like to feed on...

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show announced Thursday the 21th of March that the Sneeboer entry, the 'Royal Dutch Hoe' with 3 innovations for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show Garden Product of the Year 2013 was been successful.

If you want to grow a high yielding tasty vegetable then this is the one to grow. Pick beans regularly when young and you will have a bumper crop from mid Summer until mid Autumn. Runner beans are vigorous climbers and will add height and colour to your vegetable patch.

The Consumer Council for Water has produced a checklist of water saving ideas following predictions of another long, hot - and dry - summer.

The seasonality of gardening and understanding what needs to be done throughout the seasons is key to a successful garden.

February always signals the start of the new growing year for us in the Kitchen Garden, despite the fact that we already have some seedlings growing in the heated propagator and overwintering crops both inside and outside the greenhouse. This week we will be sowing rocket, spinach and chard in seed trays in the greenhouse. We will also be sowing peas in rootrainers which can be grown on for planting outside or eaten as delicious pea shoots in salads.

Whether you have the luxury of a greenhouse or prefer to grow in a more rudimentary fashion, sowing seeds is fundamentally the same. The recipe for success is simple; provide them with warmth and moisture and the result is a home-grown dish of tasty fruit and vegetables.

The kitchen garden is quiet at the moment, sprouting broccoli and young cabbages are a few of the vegetables growing but in the greenhouse, it is a different matter. A variety of seedlings are beginning to shoot.now. Cucumbers are taking off in the heated propagator, alongside the chillies and peppers.

September has been unseasonably warm in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden. For most of the month we have been experiencing heatwave conditions, with temperatures only returning to normal within the last week. The garden has loved it and sun loving crops such as sweet potatoes have thrived. Here on the East coast we have had very little rainfall; plenty being forecast but never actually reaching us.

With much of the Autumn Harvest now in, many of the kitchen gardens beds are revealing bare soil. These will be allowed to rest for a while then, manure will be added to them and they will be dug over in the Spring ready for the new season crops.

September is the ideal month to prune evergreen hedges and get them neat and tidy before the winter. Hedges trimmed now are unlikely to put on any significant growth before the cold weather hits us, so they will stay looking crisp for the months ahead.

September has seen the garden transform from the lush green opulence of summer to the soft golden decay of autumn. It never ceases to amaze me how the seasons change in a blink of an eye. One day we are experiencing gloriously hot sunny days and the next we are reaching for jumpers and wellingtons and reaching for cloches and fleece.

Another year has rolled around and we were thrilled to be attending the SGD Awards once again at the Landmark Hotel London!

Make a statement this year with our beautiful garden arches, stunning garden pergolas, metal garden obelisks and plant supports - draped with our automatic seasonal festive lights it's the perfect way to light up this festive period. Why not light up your doorway by using our Christmas Tree-Shaped Pyramid Obelisks adorned with our lights? Our SPECIAL OFFER means that if you buy two, then you SAVE ?50

It?s not only the Chelsea football team who celebrated a West London twin triumph last month as table topping mail order gardening suppliers and manufacturers Harrod Horticultural have scooped a memorable award double at the 2012 RHS Chelsea Flower Show!

Slugs and snails consistently feature in the top three of the Royal Horticultural Society's annual Garden Pest List, cementing their position as one of the gardener's arch-enemies.

In a recent survey, an incredible 88% of gardeners confessed to loathing slugs – and their partners in crime, snails – more than any other garden pest.

Get those taste buds trembling! If vegetables form the essential, staple produce from the garden, then the soft fruits are the luxuries!

An important job to start now is slug control because these greedy little creatures will quite happily munch through all your crop and leave you with a few stalks to cry over. I highly recommend Nemaslug as it is a natural biological slug killer you apply every 6 weeks until all the crops are harvested, I would also recommend applying it with the Nemasprayer as it distributes the product easily and evenly.

October really marks the changing of the gardener's year, this is the month where we finish the main harvesting and start preparing for next year. Soon the frosts will come and finish off crops like runner beans so, depending on the local weather patterns, it's time to clear them.

One of my favourite things about gardening, particularly in the kitchen garden, is the blank canvas that presents itself at the start of every year. Last year's successes and failures are all behind us and we have an opportunity to changes things that haven't worked or learn from previous good practise

Enjoying something of a salad revival, Spinach is probably most well-known for allegedly giving Popeye super-human strength - but it's the vitamin C and calcium contained in the dark green leaves which is proving popular with vegetable gardeners once again.

April has seen spring arrive in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden at last, although the last few days of the month winter has returned with cold north winds and gales, just a week after the hottest April days on record!

It has been a lovely spring like week in the kitchen garden with lots of sunshine and it is really starting to feel that the warmer days are on the way.

As February draws to a close, the Spring still feels as far away as ever. Despite a handful of sunny, warm days, the month has been mostly cold and grey. Storm Doris made her presence felt by taking down a tree in the surrounding gardens but left the Kitchen Garden largely unscathed apart from a few scattered fir cones and twigs.

The arrival of Spring should now be in evidence, with daffodils in flower and blossom adorning the trees. Frequent sunnier days and rising temperatures make it perfect gardening weather but expect to be caught out by the inevitable ‘April showers’.

I’ve been using many products in the Kitchen Garden over the last few weeks, but I've managed to narrow down my top 3 picks for August.

August this year seems a little different with the lack of rain which has left a lot of us in drought! Here's a few of our top products that will help keep your garden looking healthy in the heat...

This month there is hope – there are signs that Spring is approaching, bulbs are appearing and wildlife are waking up as the light levels and temperatures increase!

This month there is hope – there are signs that Spring is approaching, bulbs are appearing and wildlife are waking up as the light levels and temperatures increase.

Happy New Year everyone! Here's what we'll be using in the Kitchen Garden now that January has arrived!

Happy New Year! I love this time of year and all the planning that goes into making the most out of the garden in the months ahead. Here are my top picks for January...

July has certainly been a hot one and a great time to sit out and enjoy your garden. Here are my top product picks to keep your garden looking healthy this month!

June started with a bit of a heatwave and ended with much more unsettled weather, but everything in the kitchen garden has continued to flourish, including the weeds!

It never rains but it pours! The word drought conjours up images of parched land and wilting crops but that's far from the case - and although the coldest, wettest April for decades delayed many of our Kitchen Garden planting plans, at least it topped up our numerous water butts. Find out how we've been coping with the 165% above average monthly rainfall and much more in our April edition of Stephanie's Kitchen Garden Diary...

Winter's late blast does not affect propagation and the Potato chitting debate continues

A fierce battle rages in the Garden - but who is winning?

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

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!

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.

At last things are warming up in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden - but the improved weather brings new problems to solve. Meet my new assistant and discover my plans for the Chelsea Flower Show...

A Stephanie's KItchen Garden update with a difference this month - we've commisioned our company photographer Martin Fiddes to produce a pictorial record of April in the garden!

Continuing our resume of the produce on the kitchen table this month..

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

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...

No excuses for combining two months again - read on and you'll find out just how busy I've been! The film crew are back for 'Stephanie's Kitchen Garden 2'; I've invited 8 leading garden journalists for a Press Day and there's the usual summer gardening jobs to complete...

A bi-monthly offering from Stephanie's Kitchen Garden this time around but with good reason! We've had a film crew on site producing more informative video clips for our website, the unseasonable summer weather to contend with and all the associated problems this brings so the keyboard's been gathering dust! Read on to find out what summer 2011 has brought us...

Hark back, if you will, to my last update from the Kitchen Garden when I was sidelined with my ankle injury

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...

We're still waiting for winter to arrive in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden! Although it's nice to work in this unseasonably mild weather, there's a nagging suspicision that something nasty weatherwise is lurking around the corner. We'll worry about that when it happens though and in the meantime, you can find out how our plans for 2012 are progressing and plenty more

The legume bed has proved extremely popular

Harrod Horticultural receives a commendation at the World's premier Gardening Show

An Oasis of green in the Kitchen Garden

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

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

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

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

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...

February in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden can be likened to a ticking time bomb - everything is primed and ready to go for the March seed sowing and growing explosion!

It's the calm before the seed sowing storm in the Kitchen Garden this month with preparations for arguably the busiest gardening month of the year well underway. Lynn's been busy grappling with bags of horse manure, we've had frozen seed potatoes to deal with and the greenhouse is starting to fill up already. Find out more about February in the Kitchen Garden along with what we've got planned for March below

The arrival of the Yuletide Season and the New Year brings fruit trees, a potting shed and a long list of jobs!

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!

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...

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.

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...?

The start of a new year is an exciting time and that's very much the case in the Kitchen Garden. We've got big plans for 2012 and although we're busy making improvements to the garden during January, it won't be long before the seed sowing season is here. Find out more about how tree surgeons are improving the light levels in our garden, how our sweet peas and spuds are progressing and what we intend to do in February - it's all here

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...

Phew! What with a Customer Focus Group meeting, a Press Day event and all the preparation both these days entail, it's been a busy July in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden. We've also been harvesting blackcurrants (and putting them to good use!), avoiding snakes but catching mice and lamenting the sad demise of our bees...

It feels like deja vu reading July 2011's kitchen garden update - rain, rain and more rain. Our English summers seem to be having a common theme these days and the lack of sunshine is affecting our crops but as the saying goes England in this 'green and pleasant land', us gardeners will carry on gardening and we will get a good crop of vegetables this summer!

Now the Chelsea Show is over I can get back to tending the garden - can anyone remind me how to get there?

The Harrod Horticultural Kitchen Garden is usually a hectic place to be, but this last month has really taken the frantic biscuit

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...

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...

It's been another distinctly underwhelming month weatherwise in the Kitchen Garden although the beans and potatoes in particular have defied the weather and are looking good! Unfortunately we will have to insist on some sun for our squashes and the wet and windy spring has left its legacy too - find out why and more...

A bi-monthly update this time around as I'm out and about, hunting down new products - but that hasn't stopped me developing a solution to mice, raising my vegetable cage and creating a support frame for my Stephanie's Kitchen Garden tomatoes ...

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

The Heavy Duty Steel Fruit Cage arrives and the paths take shape

The Kitchen Garden is now Rabbit proof - or is it?

Seventeen degrees celcius certainly seems to indicate that Spring is finally here, and the Kitchen Garden is starting to awaken!

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

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

Spring is here - no it's not! What is happening with our weather? Unperturbed, March sees potatoes planted, strawberries given a trim and some new additions to Stephanie's Kitchen Garden...

There's been a seed sowing frenzy in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden this month as our horticultural trainee Courtney gets set for the season. She's taken a break from her seed trays, propagator and vermiculite to plant out potatoes and set some horseradish roots

Spring strolls into the Kitchen Garden armed with the deadly combination of warm, sunny days and cold, frosty nights - just the kind of extremes of conditions the trays and trays of seedlings in the greenhouse don't want. And it's the greenhouse where 90% of our March garden time has been spent, with a few trips outside to weed, feed and plant. Find out more about how we've coped with spring in the Kitchen Garden below...

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 and Kate's got hedges to trim

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.

This month, I've got the feedback from Chelsea and another RHS show date for your diary; aphids are proving a pest and I'll tell you why my runner beans are sure to be a success this year - all in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden Diary ...

Arguably the busiest month of the gardening year, May in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden is no exception. Dropped in at the vegetable growing deep end is Lynn, our new horticultural advisor and you can read about what she's been up to in her first couple of weeks at the helm! And with aubergine-keen slugs and snails to battle with and the preparations for the RHS Chelsea Show, there's never a dull moment...

With even more products appearing in the horticultural marketplace, it's been decided to boost the staff numbers in the Kitchen Garden too

November in the Kitchen Garden and there is that familiar sound again, the soft rustle of a million leaves just waiting to fall

Winter has well and truly arrived at the Kitchen Garden but as all good gardeners know, there's still plenty to keep us occupied through the bleakest months of the year. Leaf clearing continues apace, we've compost to tend to and mice to battle with as well as harvesting and preparing all those lovely winter root veg - find out more below...

Time for Courtney to make her literary bow as my Kitchen Garden trainee takes you through the final two months of the year.

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!

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.

October sees the Kitchen Garden - and me - recovering after a frantic summer, so it's back to a monthly report. There's still loads going on; I'm harvesting the last of the summer fruit, planting garlic and cleaning down the greenhouse - and that's just for starters...

It's the season of leaves in the Kitchen Garden but our vegetable growing activities run alongside sweeping up; we've been building a carrot clamp, unearthing our parsnips and trying to coax our sprouts into a pre-Xmas growth spurt. With garlic to plant and beans and peas popping into rootrainers under glass for an early 2012 crop, October has been another busy month in the Kitchen Garden...

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.

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...

You can certainly feel the chill of the autumnal air now and the leaves on the trees are starting to change colour and fall, you could begin to think that there is not much to do in the kitchen now but don't be fooled by the change of season as September was a busy month in the garden with a flurry of seed sowing, harvesting and general jobs to do before the chilly weather sets in. Read on to see what Lynn has been up to this month in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden.

At last Spring has arrived here in the Kitchen Garden. The sunshine has arrived in force and, despite some chilly nights lingering on, everything is starting to grow. With the first half of April being so cold, the Kitchen Garden is behind on where we would normally expect our vegetables to be at this time of year, but the recent warm weather has given us the chance to start growing in earnest.

As I write this, the sun is beating down on yet another hot and sunny day. August has been a month of beautiful summer weather, but dare I say we are praying for some rain in the Harrod Kitchen Garden. The crops are revelling in the lovely warm conditions, but our water butts are now empty and we are using mains water for all our watering. A good rainfall would soon have the water butts full again...

August has been a month of extremes, beginning with hot sunny weather and ending with chilly autumn nights and plenty of rain. This has brought its share of challenges and kept us on our toes. It's been a month of successes and failures.

December has been a very productive month in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden. The weather has been very cold, but also dry allowing us to crack on with lots of structural and maintenance jobs. It's an ideal time of year to make changes to the garden whilst most of it is in its winter dormancy and less likely to be damaged or disturbed.

It has felt more like Easter than Christmas this month, as the weather has been incredibly mild. Unfortunately the sun has been conspicuous by its absence and we have lots of grey days and plenty of rain. No sign of a white Christmas in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden this year.

It now feels like it has been Winter forever, and that Spring will never arrive. Sunny days have been few and far between in the Kitchen Garden. Most of February has been cloudy, dark and very cold. Inside our greenhouse, however, Spring has already arrived in force.

Spring has well and truly sprung in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden this month. We've been enjoying some mild temperatures and the sun has come out at last. We've had very few frosts and the garden is beginning to awaken from its winter sleep. The birds have been enjoying the new feeding stations and, on sunny days, they are showing their appreciation by filling the air with birdsong. We've even seen our first bee!

It is hard to believe that this time last year the Kitchen Garden was covered with a thick blanket of snow. The weather has certainly been milder this winter and it shows. The overwintering crops are enjoying the conditions and are well forward on last year. However, as all kitchen gardeners know only too well, the weather can change in a heartbeat, so the fleece and cloches are on hand just in case....

The new year has at last brought some seasonal cold and frosty weather to Stephanie's Kitchen Garden. For me these are ideal conditions for a healthy garden, as sub zero temperatures help to cleanse the garden of some overwintering pests and diseases. It also sweetens the brussel sprouts and parsnips to make them tastier than ever. Better still the blue skies and sunshine bring an added beauty to the garden that has been missing during the dark, grey days we've seen so often of late.

Phew! What a scorcher July has been. Here in the Kitchen Garden temperatures have been soaring. Our crops have been thriving with so much sun and warmth and we have been harvesting aplenty. With the all watering, feeding and harvesting, it's been busy, busy, busy!

We are now well into the main harvesting season in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden this month with trugs full of beautiful fruit and vegetables being delivered to the kitchen on a regular basis. The weather has been a healthy combination of hot, sunny and showers providing perfect growing conditions for all our crops.

Typical - we develop a water saving irrigation plan for Stephanie's Kitchen Garden and it finally pours with rain! In this month's update you can find out from new Kitchen Gardener Lynn how the extensive new watering system will benefit the garden; there's a pest update and you can find out what we're picking too! All in all, another busy month in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden...

At last the harvest has begun in earnest in the Kitchen Garden. It feels like it's been a long time coming as we are obviously delayed this year due to the weather. This month we have been harvesting kale, sprouting broccoli, cucumbers, tomatoes, strawberries, salad leaves, spring onions, rocket, rhubarb and new potatoes. Picking lots of delicious organic produce is so satisfying and the very best part of kitchen gardening.

The growing season is in full swing here in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden. The garden and greenhouse are packed with crops and we have been harvesting lots of lovely fruit and vegetables all month. June is one of the busiest months of the growing year and I sometimes have to remind myself to stop for a moment and take some time to simply admire how lovely the garden is looking. These moments don't last for long, however, as the urge to grab a spade or secateurs is often too much for me to resist!

As I am writing this, the sun has briefly peeped through the clouds, an uncommon sight in the Kitchen Garden recently. We have been lucky enough to have escaped the latest load of snow, but a biting fierce easterly wind is dragging the temperatures down and we are suffering harsh night time frosts. Cloches and fleece have been our best friends in the Kitchen Garden, protecting our precious crops from the awful weather.

What a difference a year makes. Last year in March we still had snow and freezing temperatures and spring was nowhere in sight. This year, the garden is enjoying warm, sunny days and the crops are much further forward. We are harvesting broccoli, rhubarb, chard, spinach and kale and our broad beans are flowering and covered in bees. Our parsnip seedlings are already appearing through the soil.

We have had the perfect growing weather in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden this month. It's been a mixture of warm sunshine and steady rain and the crops are really thriving. Unfortunately so are the weeds! And the pests are beginning to arrive as well....

I love November. The first light frosts have arrived, but still there are days warm enough to garden in your shirt sleeves. This month has been all about finishing the clearing and tidying of the garden and preparing for Winter. This is one of my favourite jobs of the year. The clear, freshly dug ground is oozing with the promise of what's to come next year. I already have it all planned in my head!

November has been a cold and miserable month in the Kitchen Garden. The sun has put in a few brief appearances, but on the whole it has been damp and grey. However, whatever the weather, there is always plenty of work to be done. When the rain is pouring down, I head into the greenhouse and shed to catch up with the Big Winter Tidy Up.

We have had some really wild weather in the Kitchen Garden in November - high winds, storms, torrential downpours and generally wet, mild days. The winds have brought the leaves down off the trees in abundance, with plenty more still to come. As regular readers will know, I am not a lover of clearing leaves and wet ones are even worse! I am hoping that December will bring us some calmer, brighter days.....

November in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden has been a busy and eventful one. The weather has certainly kept us on our toes. We've experienced high winds and heavy rain along and later on, the first frosts of the year. But November 2015 will probably long be remembered as the month that box blight hit the garden.

Happy Halloween everyone! Congratulations if you have grown some great pumpkins this year, with the weather we've had to contend with this summer you have done very well! Now Autumn is upon us or maybe Winter has arrived early? The shorter and darker days are here too so less gardening time for all those keen gardeners out there. All I know is that it's been very chilly of late and everything is looking decidedly messy in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden, all the rain and the falling leaves have kick started our Autumn clean up with a vengeance. Read on to see what else we've been up to this month in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden we hope you will find some inspiration to get out there and get stuck in!

The harvest has been gathered and stored and the big tidy up has begun in earnest in the Kitchen Garden this month.

The harvest is in and our larder is now well stocked with squashes, potatoes and sweet potatoes. The freezer is full of French beans, runner beans, raspberries and blackberries. They should keep us going through the long winter ahead, along with the sprouts, leeks, celeriac, parsnips and broccoli still to be harvested.

September has been a busy month with the harvest in full swing in the Kitchen Garden. We've also had a taste of Winter weather which was quite a shock after the long hot summer. But at last some rain, so our waterbutts are full again and the garden is looking refreshed.

We've been enjoying an Indian summer in the Kitchen Garden this month. We have seen the longest dry spell of the summer and the irrigation all around the garden has been working hard to keep our crops happy. The warm temperatures have meant that many summer crops are still being harvested well into the autumn. It's certainly been a bumper harvest this year.

September has seen Autumn sneak slowly in to Stephanie's Kitchen Garden. The days have still been warm and sunny, but the nights have turned cold and the effects are being shown all around the garden. Leaves are beginning to change colour and it won't be long before the Great British Rake Off begins!

Depending on where you live in the country, Spring has usually arrived by mid-March. The milder weather means it’s time to get busy sowing seeds, cutting back winter shrubs and generally tidying up around the garden preparing for the busy growing season ahead!

Spring bulbs will be fading now and the flower borders growing in leaps and bounds, summer is on it’s way.

And just like that, October has rolled around once again! Although this season is a beautiful time of year, we’re still holding out hope for some better days with crisp blue skies...

Although we had some cooler days in September autumn is now definitely here for real and it feels colder. It is a beautiful time of year with the trees changing colour!

Well what a battering we have taken this week in the kitchen garden. This time it was the turn of storm Gareth passing over us, reported to be 1000 miles wide. But at last the strongest of the wind has gone and now the tidy-up starts.

It has been a month of storms, strong winds and rain, but still not as cold as it should be at this time of year. In the kitchen garden it has all been about tidying up and preparation for the upcoming growing season.

Whilst over half of the country was being hit by gale force winds and rain, here on the East coast we have seen temperatures reaching 17c, with wasps and bluebottles still flying around and even a Red Admiral butterfly flew past me on Tuesday, what strange weather we are having!

This week in the kitchen garden it has been a week of planting out, the last of the runner beans (Enorma) have been put in. This year we are doing more successional sowing, to give a longer harvest period and to hopefully avoid a glut of any one vegetable.

The summer harvest continues in earnest this week in Stephanie?s Kitchen Garden and spaces are beginning to appear in our vegetable beds. We have already dug the garlic and shallots up and they are currently drying in the sunshine.

During the past week, summer has begun to make way for autumn in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden. The night-time temperatures have dipped and the weather has become squally with the strong wind and rain setting in.

What a change in the weather this last week - from lots of much needed rain last week to beautiful sunshine this week, the Kitchen Garden has really burst into life!

Transform your patio space this summer with these gorgeous garden accessories...

September has been hot in Stephanie's Kitchen Gardenas and for most of the month the heatwave continued, with temperatures only returning to normal within the last week.

Time to harvest one of our favourite crops in the garden, sweet potato, not only do we love the tasty tubers but the plant always looks fantastic trained up an obelisk in one of the raised beds.

Sweetcorn is an extremely popular crop and children love it too! The reason is simply the sweet tender taste of a freshly harvested sweetcorn cob with hot dripping butter ? you can?t beat it. It is very healthy (without the butter) and is a good source of fibre and Vitamin B.

Highly nutritious and one of the easiest vegetables to grow, it will withstand a certain amount of neglect and still brighten up your vegetable patch. Some people find it bitter but with the correct cooking and seasoning can become an essential crop to be used like spinach or the stems stir fried in oriental cooking ? well worth a shot at growing.

With interest in Grow Your Own flourishing, Fruit Cages are fast becoming staple additions to the garden. There is nothing more upsetting than discovering your tasty strawberries, raspberries, leeks, or other such delights have been devoured by garden pests and animals. A fruit cage increases the amount of produce that makes it from the veggie patch to the table.

Following the arrival of spring, the garden has put on a growth spurt and it would appear that Mother Nature is trying to make up for lost time. The peonies are quite literally growing as we watch and we just managed to pop the plant supports over them before their stems became too tall.

It's that time of year when we have our big autumnal tidy up, clearing and getting ready for winter.

The big summer harvest has reached a crescendo in the kitchen garden this month, with large trugs full of produce making their way to the kitchen. We have been picking huge bowls full of blueberries, raspberries and, in the last few days, blackberries. French and runner beans and courgettes have also been providing a bumper crop with much more to come. The greenhouse is producing more cucumbers and tomatoes than we can eat and the aubergine harvest has been the best we have had in recent years.

The last few days of February are at last drawing to a close and we enter my absolute favourite time of the year. The days are getting ever longer and the sun has some real warmth to it now. The promise of the growing season stretches out ahead of us as the green shoots of spring begin to emerge.

The fruit and veg gardening podcast from Grow Your Own magazine that celebrates the failures on your allotment as much as the successes!

The long Easter weekend has given us plenty of opportunity to tend to the maintenance of the garden and we have been busy jet washing paving and oiling decking. The grime and algae of the winter has been washed away. Necessary and satisfying work, but time spent away from the main task of growing.

The harvest has continued to reward all our hard work with trugs full of produce in August and there is no sign of it slowing up as we head into September. We are currently experiencing a glut of beans and tomatoes and enjoying every minute of it! Despite its cold start, the weather has been warm and sunny for most of the month; a joy for crops and gardeners alike. Consequently, much of our work this month has involved watering and harvesting.

We are at that stage in the Kitchen Gardening year where there doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day. The watering and feeding regime is still at its peak despite summer showers helping us out. The weeds have slowed down their growth a little, but still require regular attention. And the harvest is now occupying much of our time; picking beans and berries, tomatoes, aubergines, and many other delicious crops.

The kale and early sprouting broccoli are growing well we are continuing to add feed to soil around them in the form of seaweed meal, a little sprinkle every few weeks. This seems to be working well, liquid feeds this time of year just don't really get the job done as we have had so much wet weather.

Unfortunately the vegetables you are attempting to grow for your own consumption are also much loved by lots of pests which exist in your garden - here are our most common garden pests .

We have had our first taste of spring weather over the weekend; a welcome sign that the winter will not last forever! It was but a brief reprieve and the grey skies and cold winds have returned. As February approaches, it is time to start off some early crops in the greenhouse. Impatient as ever, we sowed ours last week and now have tiny shoots of green appearing in the seeds trays in our heated propagator.

The Royal Horticultural Society Quite possibly three of the most well known letters in horticulture.

For the first time in its 108-year history, RHS Chelsea will be taking place in September and we are beyond enthralled to be to be showcasing on of our traditional bespoke pergolas on Gaze Burvill’s trade stand.

The warmer weather has finally arrived in the Kitchen Garden and we have been enjoying some sunny spring conditions. The rhohodendron buds are showing subtle hints of the colour that is soon to come and the weeds are beginning to grow. A sure sign that the temperature is rising!

Summer is almost upon us and the garden is reveling in the warm temperatures and long daylight hours. Unfortunately, the weeds seem to be reveling in it too and are popping up all over the garden literally growing overnight. It is important to keep on top of them while they are small and before they have the chance to set seed.

For the past week the garden has been suspended in frozen animation by the Beast from the East Siberian weather system. Somewhere under the inches of snow and ice are the green shoots of spring that had just begun to peep through the soil, and hopefully they will have survived the extreme subzero temperatures. It's a timely reminder to us all that the true Head Gardener on all our plots is Mother Nature.

The weather has been extremely hot here with glorious sunshine, which has meant I have been doing lots and lots of watering. But the vegetables have loved it and are growing really well and getting big especially the sweetcorn which has now got kernels, not quite ready for picking yet but I think it is going to be a very good year for sweetcorn.

It's still feeling a little chilly in the kitchen garden, but the weather is definitely improving a bit now. The forecast for the coming weekend is warm and sunny and we will be making the most of the welcome fine conditions to get on with the many jobs that need doing at this time of the year.

This week in we will be thinning out the apples and pears on our fruit trees. Nature has its own attempt at this job with the June Drop, where trees naturally shed some of its fruit. This is the time to go over the trees and thin the apples further to allow the remaining fruit to grow to its optimum size.

This week in the Kitchen Garden, we will be planting out peas. We have been growing Pea 'Norli?' in root trainers in the cold frame and they are now at a really good size to be planted out. We will be training them up an obelisk.

Despite a very wet winter, we have had lovely dry warm weather of late which has dried out the soil. April is a crucial month for garlic as the bulbs are forming ready for harvest in a couple of month?s time.

Tomatoes produce abundant delicious fruits in many different colours, shapes and sizes. They are easily grown in gardens, greenhouses or containers and are loved by children and adults alike. A must grow for any budding fruit & vegetable grower.

If you need a gift for the Gardener in your life, our Top 10 Gifts for Gardeners will give you some great inspiration.

Whether it's slugs, aphids, carrot root fly, rabbits or birds causing you sleepless nights, we have compiled a rogue's gallery of the top 10 grow your own garden pests. Often identification is the most difficult part of the conundrum and getting to the root of the problem is easy once you know which pest you are tackling.

Gardening with children is a great way to get some fresh air, exercise and have fun together. As the summer holidays approach, all parents and grandparents are probably looking for ideas to stave off the inevitable 'I am bored' statement for as long as possible.

Our Top Ten Gardening Tools - like any other hobby with gardening there are endless tools and equipment you can buy if you have the money to invest however we have compiled our list of our ten favourite tools

If August is holiday time for you, plans may be needed soon to enlist the help of friends and family to look after the garden when you are away. August can be one of the hottest months of the year and this makes watering essential.

The turnip seems to have become an unfashionable addition to the vegetable plot, but here in the Harrod Kitchen Garden, it has earned its place. Easy to grow, it provides delicious baby roots as well as peppery leaves for the salad bowl, all with very little effort required.

Over the last week there seems to have been a surge in pests in the kitchen garden, with the calabrese plants being the worst hit by an unknown culprit!

It is certainly becoming an unusual growing season this year, with the serious lack of spring rain and the late cold temperatures. Mother Nature is challenging the Kitchen Gardener and it will be interesting to see what effect it has on our harvests.

The cold weather means that the woodfire is now being used in the house and we regularly collect the ash to use in the kitchen garden. The wood ash is a great helper in the garden

We have long been an advocate of Remin's Volcanic Rock Dust - a soil and compost remineraliser proven to rejuvenate soils, helping boost soil fertility and plant growth.

The start of this week was still unseasonably warm and dry so regular watering continued in the Kitchen Garden and the greenhouse, but the end of the week saw the arrival of gale force winds that have wreaked havoc! The garden is full of leaves but they will remain until next week as another possible storm is coming on Sunday with some more much needed rain, even now the ground is still very dry when you dig down just a few inches.

With lots of activity over the last couple of weeks the Harrod Horticultural HQ greenhouse and raised beds are coming along really well, helped by the sun finally making an appearance!

Watering your vegetable garden efficiently and effectively saves time, money, the environment and promotes success. Believe it or not, there are simple water-wise tips for vegetable gardens that can really make every drop count!

August has been a month of successes and struggles in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden. It has certainly been a busy month for the watering cans as the weather has been really kind to us and we have enjoyed hot sunny conditions for most of the month.

With no decent rainfall and higher than average temperatures across the last week, the main job has been watering, watering and more watering!

With drought summers increasingly predicted due to global warming, accompanied by hose pipe bans likely to come again in many areas, it certainly makes sense to wise up to potential water shortages in your garden.

Despite meteorological spring being only days away, we are still very much in the throes of winter in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden. As I write, heavy snow is falling and the temperature is -1C. A blast of arctic weather is keeping the garden chilled and covered in snow. It has been a long winter in the garden and it's not over yet.

This week we have started our autumnal jobs around the garden. The beds have been weeded, the lawns have been scarified and some areas re-seeded and the lavender and roses have had their autumn prune.

Here at Stephanie?s Kitchen Garden this week we are going to be planting out our leeks. The seeds were sown into a raised bed back in March and are now a good size to be transplanted into the ground.

Here at Stephanie's Kitchen Garden this week we will be planting out our Spring Cabbages. These have been growing away in our cold frame waiting for a space to become available in our vegetable cage.

This week In Stephanie's Kitchen Garden we will be continuing with our regular feeding regime. We have been feeding established crops and newly planted vegetables with fish, blood and bone or poultry manure. These need to be reapplied every six weeks during the growing season.

Here at Stephanie?s Kitchen Garden this week we have been giving the greenhouse windows a thorough clean.

The weather has at last warmed up and our crops now need more care and attention to keep them productive. We like to use fish, blood and bone every six weeks on our leafy crops such as brassicas, spinach and chard, and seaweed feed on flowering crops such as courgettes and beans.

There are lots of jobs planned this week as the season gets into full swing - beans to be planted out, potatoes to be earthed up again and even more seed sowing!

Here at Stephanie's Kitchen Garden this week we will be harvesting our blackcurrants. The branches of our blackcurrant bushes are laden with plump juicy berries. Armed with a trug and a kneeler we'll choose a sunny day and head into the fruit cage to pick and string the berries. Then it will be off to the kitchen to make delicious jam.

Here at Stephanie's Kitchen Garden this week we will be harvesting the pears from our pear arch. After they have been picked the pears will be put through a fruit press to be turned into delicious organic pear juice. A real treat!

Here at Stephanie's Kitchen Garden this week we will be planting our potatoes. These have been chitting in trays for several weeks and have healthy shoots forming. The ground has already been prepared by digging in well rotted manure and some home made compost.

It's an exciting time at the kitchen garden - some of our seedlings are starting to emerge in the heated propagator and really starting to get the feeling that Spring is on its way...

Here at Stephanie?s Kitchen Garden this week we will be setting up our irrigation ready for the coming season. We are currently experiencing a dry spell in East Anglia and haven?t had significant rainfall for a couple of weeks. Pots and beds are looking dry and we have already had to water our onion and garlic crops to try and prevent rust setting in later on.

We have been working hard to prepare a raised bed for our sweet potato crop - they looked so good last year on our pyramid obelisk we just had to do it again.

This week In the Kitchen Garden we will be planting out the remaining tender vegetables currently taking shelter in our cold frame. Courgettes and squash will be planted out into the last remaining places in the garden. The garden will then be full with only small spaces for salads to be squeezed in.

The heated propagator and growlight have been cleaned and assembled and are ready for the first sowings of the year. We will begin with aubergines, tomatoes, peppers, chillies, celery and celeriac.

Here at Stephanie?s Kitchen Garden this week we will be starting the war on slugs and snails. According to recent press reports, this year is predicted to be a bad one when it comes to our slimy enemies, so we will be taking steps to ensure they don?t get the upper hand in our garden.

The recent welcome change in the weather has seen the garden hit the fast forward button and everything seems to be growing before our very eyes.

What a difference a week makes weather wise, gone are the beautiful sunny skies and warmer temperatures. I have to admit it has caught me out as I thought the risk of frost had gone, only to wake up this morning and hear the dreaded weatherman say there is a chance of frost over the weekend.

Guest Blog Post by Sophie van Gerwen of Old House in the Shires - Spring is always a busy time in the garden but I think the lockdown in the UK has increased everyones connection to their garden or outdoor space.

The days are getting colder and the trees are shedding their leaves (continuously), but this is no time to let your veggie patch deteriorate. Though you should be reaping the rewards of an abundant harvest from the warmer months, sometimes we just long for something fresh and crunchy.

Another year another golden opportunity to make this one the best yet! At Harrod Horticultural, we wanted to share our excitement with you about our variety of NEW products for 2013 as well as our NEW website too. There are plenty of inspirational, imaginative and practical products for the ornamental and kitchen garden boasting both traditional and contemporary designs and here's a few of the highlights

It's at this time of the year that nature takes over in the garden and if you're not careful, things can get a bit out of control - so there's no better time to unveil our Easter Catalogue and give you a helping horticultural hand

Perennials in borders often grow strong heavy growth that makes them easily susceptible to damage by wind and heavy rain if they are not well supported...

To celebrate the launch of our new Harrod Longrow Cloche, we're giving you the chance to win 1 of 5 this week!

The runner bean trench has now been dug, we have had to dig this quite deep as we have lots of tree roots invading the ground and we want to make sure we get them all out. This also means we have a nice deep trench to fill with lovely manure and water retaining mediums.

Winter is slowly creeping in and now is the time to start preparing your garden for next year!

Apart from the occasional sharp frost, the winter is now a distant memory and the growing season is in full swing in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden. Everywhere you look green shoots are emerging and we are working at full speed to keep up with the sowing, pricking out and planting.

The first of the winter storms has just arrived at Stephanie's Kitchen Garden and this week we will be clearing up the aftermath. Storm Angus has swept across the country causing gardeners everywhere to open their curtains and despair at the mess it has left in its wake. It has ripped leaves from the trees and scattered them wide across the garden. We also have a few branches down and our first job of the week will be to clear and tidy away.

We have had some lovely winter sunshine this week in the kitchen garden, and some very active squirrels who have been busy burying the horse chestnuts that are now falling from the trees.

Discover the advantages of gardening with nature whether you have a large garden or just a window box. By actively encouraging birds, mammals and insects into your garden you can successfully control garden pests naturally whilst looking after the wildlife too!