How to grow an avocado from seed in the UK
Avocado trees are native to Mexico and Central America, and grow in warm, humid environments. In the UK, it is possible to grow avocados from seed, starting…
I’d like to grow leeks for winter – when should I start?
If you love your garden but need advice on how to keep it looking lush and welcoming all year round, top head gardener Tom Brown can help. In…
Gardening jobs to do in April: a guide to borders, wildlife gardening and vegetable plots
This is the perfect time to divide and replant any perennials that flower late in the summer, such as echinaceas, heleniums and Michaelmas daisies, giving them plenty…
How to get rid of garden pests and treat plant diseases in the UK
Pests and diseases can plague gardens relentlessly by causing damage all year round – affecting seedlings, spoiling ornamental plants and rotting vegetables. The Royal Horticultural Society are often…
How to grow maximum veg in a minimum garden space
Urban homes increasingly don’t have gardens, but many do have a small outside space such as a balcony, patio, or concrete front yard with space for some…
How to create the cottagecore look in your garden in one day
There are many reasons to stake or support plants, and certain garden situations lend themselves to certain techniques and materials. Border supports Many border stalwarts have a…
How the Russian war is putting unfashionable food back on our plates
For Professor Tim Lang, author of Feeding Britain, the Ukrainian war is a timely wake-up. “Britain has a disproportionate reliance on others to feed ourselves,” he says….
How to start growing potatoes in a garden container
Very few vegetables can rival the excitement that comes with growing your own potatoes. Size of garden need not be a barrier here as potatoes will grow…
How to grow tomatoes from seed in your garden
This is the result of having produced far more plants than I need over the years and having more tomatoes than friends (sad, but true). By arranging…
Shop for victory! Now is the time to buy British food
We must face that it’s crunch time for British food shoppers – and not just because of Russia. According to market research specialists Kantar, grocery price inflation…
I’m a lifelong vegetarian, how did I produce three ravenous carnivores?
Growing up with a vegetarian mum (and 90 per cent vegetarian stepdad) meant animals and fish never came into my category of “things to eat”. The look,…
Why packing your diet with vegetables may not guarantee a healthy heart
Study participants were enrolled between 2006 and 2010 and asked about their diet, lifestyle, medical and reproductive history, and other factors. Responses to questions about how many…
Why gardening is good for your gut
Before we start, just a warning to those of a sensitive disposition: this article is about poo. Not just any old poo either – human poo. It…
How you can ditch your weekly shop, and still have all the veg you want
The average shopping bill has, like everything else, risen upwards: fruit costs five per cent more than it did pre-pandemic, while onions jumped in price by 5.1…
Five of the best herbs to grow in winter
My pots of tender salvias and succulents are tucked firmly away under cover and I’ve replaced them on the terrace table with a collection of my favourite…
The amazing secrets of everyday plants and how they rule our lives
After 10 years perfecting the new fabric, as well as the machinery to produce it, he was ready to patent his invention: the wait was worthwhile, for…
Why it’s good to cry when you chop onions
In his 2015 book The Dorito Effect, Mark Schatzker argues that for almost 100 years, industrialised food production and intensive farming methods have focused on yield, pest…
Is it possible to have a completely British Christmas?
I don’t know about you, but for me the exotic aromas of cinnamon and cloves are the smells of Christmas. This year, though, I’m going to mull…