Five herbs to grow for tea
Posted on 08. Aug, 2011 by Kate Schrire in Food & Drink
Growing your own herbs is easy (yes, even in winter) and so much more satisfying than buying your daily brew from the supermarket. Here are my top five herbs to grow and make your own herbal infusions from. I use ‘tea’ and ‘infusion’ to mean the same thing but, technically, ‘tea’ only refers to brews [...]
The often-overlooked pleasures of winter vegetable gardening
Posted on 14. Jul, 2011 by Kate Schrire in Food & Drink
When new gardeners begin to dabble in growing vegetables, they are usually drawn to summer fare: tomatoes, zucchini, melons, cucumbers. As someone who prefers summer to winter and is obsessed with tomatoes, I totally understand this automatic interest in the showier, brighter trophies a veggie patch can yield. But now, entering my fourth winter as [...]
What are heirloom vegetables?
Posted on 14. Jul, 2011 by Kate Schrire in Food & Drink
Heirloom (US) or heritage (UK) vegetables are old varieties of food plants that have evolved and survived through careful seed saving, often passed down through generations of farmers and gardeners. Modern hybrid plants were developed to meet the needs of industrial agriculture, such as uniform size, attractive appearance, and keeping well over long distance transportation. [...]
Brassicas and leaf crops
Posted on 14. Jul, 2011 by Kate Schrire in Food & Drink
For the third year in a row, I am experimenting with cauliflowers, cabbages and broccoli. With two years of total failure under my belt, I have learned not to place too much expectation on what is a tricky and nutrient-heavy exercise. They need consistent amounts of water, fertilizer at every stage of development, suddenly start [...]
Roots and radishes
Posted on 14. Jul, 2011 by Kate Schrire in Food & Drink
Yes, I know, no one really adores radishes. Some people detest them, most are indifferent to them, and generally we can do without them. Growing your own won’t make them your hands-down favourite, but they do offer an immensely quick crop (30-45 days) in what is generally a slow-growing season, and are relatively indestructible. You [...]
Legumes, the sweeties of the garden world
Posted on 14. Jul, 2011 by Kate Schrire in Food & Drink
Peas and broad beans are two of the most exciting winter crops. I don’t really need to tell you why peas are so exciting; they are the sweeties of the garden world, usually eaten straight off the plant, cooking be damned. You get more bang for your buck if you grow a sugarsnap or mangetout [...]
