Ready when you are
Country Life UK|May 03, 2023
WE gardeners are used to taking every measure available to us when sowing seeds. We study the back of seed packets, listen to the weather forecast, check a phone app, stare at the sky; tea leaves may even be read in the search for optimal sowing.
Mark Diacono
Ready when you are
 

Although we dedicate ourselves to the start of our plants’ lives, we are not always so mindful about their end when we make our plans. I’m not the only person to have sown at the right time and then found himself wheeling a barrowful of runner beans to the house, the feeling of triumph mixed with that sinking sensation when I contemplate the amount of chutney that I (and everyone I know) will be eating over the coming year. Of course, there are times—such as when I’m making cider or raspberry jam—when I want a large haul, but, for the most part, a steady supply is what I’m looking for.

There is no aspect of gardening that I am emailed about more commonly than this; it is perhaps what we consider the most vital indicator of kitchen-garden success. Happily, successional harvesting is entirely achievable, with a little forethought.

This story is from the May 03, 2023 edition of Country Life UK.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the May 03, 2023 edition of Country Life UK.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM COUNTRY LIFE UKView All
All gone to pot
Country Life UK

All gone to pot

Jars, whether elegant in their glazed simplicity or exquisitely painted, starred in London's Asian Art sales, including an exceptionally rare pair that belonged to China's answer to Henry VIII

time-read
3 mins  |
December 04, 2024
Food for thought
Country Life UK

Food for thought

A SURE sign of winter in our household are evenings in front of the television.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 04, 2024
Beyond the beach
Country Life UK

Beyond the beach

Jewels of the natural world entrance the eyes of Steven King, as Jamaica's music moves his feet and heart together

time-read
5 mins  |
December 04, 2024
Savour the moment
Country Life UK

Savour the moment

I HAVE a small table and some chairs a bleary-eyed stumble from the kitchen door that provide me with the perfect spot to enjoy an early, reviving coffee.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 04, 2024
Size matters
Country Life UK

Size matters

Architectural Plants in West Sussex is no ordinary nursery. Stupendous specimens of some of the world's most dramatic plants are on display

time-read
5 mins  |
December 04, 2024
Paint the town red
Country Life UK

Paint the town red

Catriona Gray meets the young stars lighting up the London art scene, from auctioneers to artists and curators to historians

time-read
7 mins  |
December 04, 2024
The generation game
Country Life UK

The generation game

For a young, growing family, moving in with, or adjacent to, the grandparents could be just the thing

time-read
3 mins  |
December 04, 2024
Last orders
Country Life UK

Last orders

As the country-house market winds down for Christmas, two historic properties—one of which was home to the singer Kate Bush-may catch the eye of London buyers looking to move to the country next year

time-read
5 mins  |
December 04, 2024
Eyes wide shut
Country Life UK

Eyes wide shut

Sleep takes many shapes in art, whether sensual or drunken, deathly or full of nightmares, but it is rarely peaceful. Even slumbering babies can convey anxiety

time-read
6 mins  |
December 04, 2024
Piste de résistance
Country Life UK

Piste de résistance

Scotland's last ski-maker blends high-tech materials with Caledonian timber to create 'truly Scottish', one-off pieces of art that can cope with any type of terrain

time-read
3 mins  |
December 04, 2024