PART 3 PEAK HARVEST AND WINTER CROPS
Although a skillful gardener can keep a supply of herbs, fruit, and veg going for most of the year, August is undoubtedly the best month for the vegetable garden.
It is an earthy business, growing veg, and all the better for that. There is nothing in the garden that gives me so much pleasure as going round the August vegetable plot, and gathering the amazingly rich harvest that can be found in even the smallest area.
No other month has such largesse to offer, combining the last of earlier crops, like garlic, peas, and broad beans, with the first of the later ones, such as French beans, sweetcorn, Florence fennel, and the very best, sweetest tomatoes of the year. Onions can be lifted and left to dry in the sun, ready for storage, and the ground turned over once more, ready for brassicas.
It is a time of change. The warm days and cool nights often result in a dew, which means seeds germinate fast and are less likely to bolt. Next spring's crops can be sown and planted just as you gather in this summer's harvest. But, above all, August is a celebration of the very best vegetables - fresh and seasonal, and grown with love. There is no better definition of good food.
Endless choice
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة August 2022 من Gardeners World.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة August 2022 من Gardeners World.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
A new plot for tasty crops
Taking on a new allotment needn't be hard work. By simply following a few easy tips you can have bumper crops in no time, just like Alessandro Vitale
We love July
July is an island floating between the joy of June and the slightly fatigued month of August. It's a grown-up month: the year has shrugged off its adolescent exuberances, the weather is (hopefully) warm enough for ice cream to be one of your five a day, the sea should be swimmable without (too much) danger of hypothermia and thoughts will be of holiday shenanigans and family barbecues. School's out this month, the next tranche of glorious summer colour is washing across our borders and it's my birthday. Lots of reasons to give three rousing cheers for July!
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Now, at the height of summer, Frances Tophill shows how to boost your plants' health and productivity with a timely cut
Hassle-free harvests
Flowers are out in abundance this month and for Jack Wallington, many of these blooms make delicious, low-effort pickings
Bite-sized bounties
Glorious doorstep harvests can easily turn into gluts, so let Rukmini Iyer's recipes help you savour every last bit
Upcycled outdoor living
Create unique and stylish garden features for minimal cost using reclaimed materials and simple DIY skills. Helen Riches shares four step-by-step projects and more inspiring eco tips
Secrets of a COLOURFUL GARDEN
Buildings and landscapes can play a vital role in supercharging your space, as Nick Bailey demonstrates
Greening up a city balcony
Looking for sustainable, small-space gardening ideas? Take inspiration from Oliver Hymans' transformed balcony garden in north-east London - now a lush, green haven for humans and wildlife
The dry and mighty garden
As we adapt our gardens to a more volatile climate, Alan Titchmarsh reveals how to create a drought-tolerant plot and picks his top plant performers
Nature knows best
Carol Klein explains how to choose plants for specific growing conditions, based on what has naturally adapted to thrive there