Author: Shannon Butcher

Shannon Butcher is an editorial contributor who has a Journalism degree from the University of Lincoln. When she’s not creating content she can be found visiting many of the UK's beautiful countryside locations with her dog, Pilot. 01507 529529 | [email protected]

Planting fruit

Tips and Advice
Catalogues offer you tree and soft fruit grown in two different ways. Fruit growers who also supply gardeners will usually grow their plants in the field planted directly into the nursery soil. These are lifted when the plants are dormant from October to March and sent to you with no or very little soil on the roots – hence they…
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Where to grow fruit

Tips and Advice
Most people can find space in their garden, whatever its size, for growing fruit. Here are a few suggestions: Use Minarette or Pillarette fruit trees (single pole trees) in flower borders or put a line of them at the end of your allotment to act as a screen. Several different varieties can be grown to give a wonderful choice of…
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Talking Heritage

Features
Rob Smith takes a tour of yesteryear with a look at some of his favourite heritage varieties that are neither gone nor forgotten. We gardeners are inundated with fantastic seed catalogues and an overwhelming number of new varieties of veg to choose from. With this in mind it’s sometimes tough deciding what to grow; after all, we know we want…
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Super Sumac

Features
Gather the flowers of Rhus typhina and you can turn them into a home-made sumac spice, adding flavour to both food and drink, says gardening writer Sally Cunningham. For most gardeners, stag’s horn sumac (also spelt sumach), Rhus typhina, is one of those shrubs you admire in other people’s gardens while being very glad it’s not in your own! The…
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A n image of the front and back covers of the Let's Grow and Cook book

Review: Let’s Grow and Cook

Reviews
More and more people are starting to appreciate the benefits of growing their own fresh fruit and veg and are seeking out their own patch to do just that. Let’s Grow and Cook is the perfect book to help you get stared. Home-grown produce is not just fresher than anything you’ll find in the shops,in growing it you’ll have got…
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Review: How to grow Organic

Reviews
Creating and maintaining a beautiful garden that is safe and natural is becoming increasingly popular as we begin to understand the benefits of adopting an organic way of life. This guide is an indispensable guide to using organic methods to create flourishing ornamental and wildlife gardens. There is also a vital section on kitchen gardening that reflects our growing interest…
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Pests and diseases

Tips and Advice
Slugs and snails Enemy number one for most vegetable growers, slugs and snails, love damp conditions and thrive in a warm, wet summer. Crops affected: Virtually any crop –snails above ground, slugs both above and below soil level. Worst affected are brassicas, carrots, potatoes, seedlings. Symptoms: Nibbled leaves and roots can be confused with other pests such as caterpillars. Look…
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Growing undercover

Tips and Advice
The vast majority of popular fruit and vegetable crops can be grown outside in the UK; however our growing season is relatively short and can be quite variable weather-wise to say the least. Photo: iStock/Alicia Garcia Monedero As you get into your hobby you will soon appreciate the benefits a protected growing space, in the form of a greenhouse or…
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Feeding and watering

Tips and Advice
Watering is particularly important at seed sowing time, planting out and just after seedlings emerge. Once vegetables become established it is less important unless you garden on very free-draining soil. Root level irrigation On very dry soils or for crops that prefer a moist soil such as celery or celeriac then you could consider using porous pipes that are connected…
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