THIS MONTH, HIS & HERS’ GREEN-FINGERED COLUMNIST, JEAN HILL DOWNS HER GARDENING TOOLS TO SHARE HER TOP TIPS FOR SPRING…
At His & Hers, we love this time of year, be it in the garden, or on the patio or balcony. No matter what space is at your disposal, spring has sprung. With it comes a great display of zingy yellow and vibrant blue flowering bulbs. Thoughts turn to growing crops as well as flowers. Some gravitate towards large ambitious plans, some opt for more modest projects.
It is the time to plan trips to garden centres and flowers shows. The RHS Chelsea Flower Show attracts garden lovers from all over the world. Despite dazzling architectural design, the flowers are always the stars of the show. Last year at RHS Chelsea, there was a movement to use small plots to grow vegetables and herbs in sustainable and creative ways.
Speaking of growing veg and herbs, here are a few of my garden essentials for creating the ultimate kitchen garden no matter how much, or little, space you have:
Pots or hessian sacks to create your ultimate organic garden:
Organic gardening benefits birds and animals and doesn’t cost the earth! Plastic planters do not deliver on ecological grounds. Terracotta looks amazing and is permeable, but you would need a giant sized pot to grow potatoes. And then you might find the soil dries out too quickly. Hessian is a viable alternative. Sacks are woven from the skin of the jute plant. If you are American it is called burlap. Because it is a totally natural fabric, it is ideal for organic gardening. If you’re planning on growing your own veg, you can buy hessian sandbags in bulk to keep the cost down. They’re also handy when it comes to flood protection — the last thing you’d want is your beautiful garden being damaged by heavy rainfall!
Plant seeds to grow your own herbs, fruit or veg:
You can create a herb garden, or a strawberry planter with holes. Growing your own vegetables and herbs is a treat for your taste buds. Home-grown potatoes, freshly picked and cooked are a revelation. Brush against herbs such as mint, and a beautiful scent wafts through the garden. As we head into summer, I’m already looking forward to adding some freshly grown herbs, tomatoes and potatoes as well as strawberries and raspberries all freshly grown in the back garden into my cooking.
Inspiration from the experts:
If you don’t know where to start, it could be well worth paying a visit to your local garden centre or visiting a good flower show for some general inspiration. I’ll be covering the press day at the Chelsea Flower Show next month, which is always a great source of inspiration, and also attend RHS Tatton and the Southport Flower Show every year to see what everyone else is up to.
Happy gardening!
Jean Hill will be back soon with more culinary and gardening inspiration, and will be sharing her highlights from the Chelsea Flower Show press day. If you’d like any more gardening tips, please just post your question in the comments section below and we’ll get back to you swiftly.
Image: The LG Smart Garden at RHS Chelsea by Randle Siddeley.
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