Pungent marigolds are used to deter pests from attacking vegetable crops, but does this work?
I WAS doing a talk on growing vegetables recently. I've grown vegetables all my life, because I was born in the pre-war ‘Dig for Victory' era. Money was tight and food was in short supply, so lots of suburban London gardens had a vegetable patch and some even kept chickens. I've carried on growing my own vegetables organically ever since, because I can eat super-fresh food and save money. My Yorkshire grandmother, Lucy Elizabeth Hardy, would be proud of me!
Charles Dowding, one of the pioneers of 'no-dig' gardening
I trained as a teacher in Birmingham during the mini-skirt era - which makes me feel very old. I went for plenty of interviews, all unsuccessful, and it think it was the pelmet skirt! When a job came up at the National Vegetable Research Station in Wellesbourne, Warwickshire, off I went and weeks later my plant breeder boss told me that I'd got the job because of my legs! I carried on growing vegetables when I was a poor parent of two daughters who could eat for England, and now it's a way of life.
Val planting broad beans in one of her no-dig vegetable beds
Esta historia es de la edición April 16, 2022 de Amateur Gardening.
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Esta historia es de la edición April 16, 2022 de Amateur Gardening.
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To dig or not to dig?
Should we be carrying out a full dig on plots now? Bob considers the pros and cons of the 'autumn dig' debate
The box ball blues
As if his beleaguered box hadn't already taken a beating, Toby now has to deal with some hungry box caterpillars
Save your own seeds
Masterclass on: seed saving
Strange sightings
Three unusual insects turn up in Val's garden in one day
A bolt from the blue!
Cornflowers are perfect for garden and vase
Winter moth prevention
Ruth shows you how to avoid maggoty tree fruits
Create a winter container
There are as many options as in summer
Lightweight gardening tools
AS well as being good for our mental health, gardening is also great exercise.
Autumn price round-up
AG finds better bargains in lesser-known brands
Rudbeckias
Rudbeckias are ideal for sunny summer patios and borders, with some able to survive our coldest winters