WHEN Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey said that Brits should fight supermarket food shortages by eating more turnips, I was cock-a-hoop. After all, who doesn’t love a gin and tonic with a slice of turnip?
What’s caused the shelves to be empty (again) is a topic of hot debate. The government blames bad weather. Food importers point to post-Brexit import regulations turning the UK into a red-tape wrapped ‘marginal’ market. Whatever the truth, the why is out of our hands. But what we can grow to fill the gaps is filled with possibilities – for summer, at least.
Lacking a Mediterranean climate, year-round tomatoes, cucumbers and lemons will always be a stretch. But otherwise expensive-to-buy leafy rocket, spinach and oriental greens are easily within our grasp.
My favourite way of growing these salads is in raised beds or planters made from timber crates by the kitchen door. Seeds are sown cheek-by-jowl (1in/2.5cm apart) in blocks, and crops are harvested with kitchen scissors when they are a few inches tall. If cut above the lowest pair of buds, they happily ‘cutand-come-again’ three (even four) times.
Denne historien er fra April 01, 2023-utgaven av Amateur Gardening.
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Denne historien er fra April 01, 2023-utgaven av Amateur Gardening.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
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