CATEGORIES

A MAN OF MANY PARTS

Martin Fish is one of the UK's most respected and loved horticulturalists. He has been a regular on TV and radio for nearly 30 years, while at the same time a prolific writer in national magazines and books. Here he chats with Grapevine podcast presenter Daniel Heighes

A NORTHERN OASIS

Martin Fish is at Kiplin Hall in North Yorkshire, finding out about its rich history and exploring its restored walled garden

TAKE cover

Stephanie Hafferty has been loving developing a new plot with no-dig beds but she was really excited when her new polytunnel arrived

WHAT A CHARMER!

It looks good, it tastes good, it's versatile and you get good value for your money. Yes, it's a charmed life with chard, says Tony Flanagan

WHEN A MINER PROBLEM IS NOT A MINOR PROBLEM

The allium leaf miner is a garden pest that is spreading across the country and is especially detrimental to leeks. Dr Anton Rosenfeld, knowledge officer of Garden Organic, explains what to look for... and the best method of prevention

ROB' S PLOT Playing it cool!

August certainly can be a sizzler of a month in the kitchen garden, with greenhouse temperatures soaring and watering becoming the key to success, explains Rob Smith

TAKE THE CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGE

Scientists have been warning us about climate change since the 1960s. Ecologist and keen veg grower Becky Searle looks at what a changing climate means to gardeners and how we can help to mitigate it

THE BEARDED GROWERS

Two school pals met up by chance after nearly 20 years and before they knew it they had their own gardening radio show. KG editor Steve Ott caught up with John (JJ) and Chris (Bish) for a chinwag!

TIME TO TRIM and train

Surely fruit pruning is something we do in the winter months. Not so, says nurseryman David Patch as he explains why summer pruning is also essential

OUR PLOTTER OF THE MONTH

Last year we officially launched a competition to find 12 readers and their plots that would feature in Kitchen Garden magazine this year. Here we present a talented winning twosome

UNDER COVER

We've all heard of a spring clean, but a thorough autumn clean can be just as powerful, particularly in the greenhouse.

TOP JOBS FOR SEPTEMBER

ESSENTIAL TASKS FOR YOUR VEG PATCH AND PROTECTED CROPS

How and when to repot

Masterclass on: Repotting essentials

Extreme heather

Once regarded as rather dull, heathers now command respect from Toby for showing a new and forceful edge

My compost woes

MANY of us who like to raise our own plants have been suffering compost woes, whether we’re trying to go peat-free or not! This year many of my plants failed to thrive: they developed chlorotic (or yellowing foliage) and withered away. At first, I put this down to the cool temperatures of spring, but they failed to recover once the nights and days warmed up. I have to deduce that the compost is probably to blame. Much of the compost I’ve used this year is not encouraging growth as it should.

This week... Anemones

You can grow anemones in borders, around trees and shrubs or in containers

Blanket the garden with colour

Hardy perennials are a bright delight, says Ruth

Dividing Siberian irises

Split big clumps to keep them flowering well, says Ruth

Potting up seedlings

I’m moving some seedlings into larger pots, says Ruth

Butterfly magnets

Lure butterflies to the garden by growing their favourite flowers, says Hazel Sillver, as she looks at the best plants to supply these beautiful insects with nectar for months

Walking on the wild side

In prairie, naturalistic or ‘new perennial’ gardens, plants are chosen to suit their environment and grow in a more natural way, says Anne Swithinbank

Propagating flag iris

Steve and Val Bradley explain how to divide these colourful perennials

What to prune in midsummer

Give a post-flowering trim for shape and health, says Ruth

This week... Marguerites

Plant marguerites for lots of daisy-like flowers during summer in a range of colours

Red-hot Pokers

With their upright stems and sizzling colours, red-hot pokers are wonderful garden perennials flowering in summer and autumn. Anne Swithinbank reveals her favourites

Shrubs that flower throughout summer

There are plenty of shrubs that are great for adding colour, scent and structure to our gardens through summer, says Camilla Phelps, as she reveals some of her favourites

Sickly looking rhododendrons

Snapping away dead flower heads of rhododendrons is not strictly necessary, but if you have a sickly plant, relieving it from the burden of making seeds is a sensible plan

Time to prune ramblers

Rambling roses put on a gorgeous display but at this time of year they benefit from some careful pruning, says Toby

Love bugs

Val looks at the importance of insects for wildlife and man

Honesty is the best biennial!

Flowers and seedheads are both delightful, says Ruth