A Fresh Start

Crispy cold mornings and soaking wet days tend to make up the majority of January. It can be a tricky time to feel energised about your garden, but being a diligent organic grower doesn’t always mean having wet socks and numb hands at this time of year. It is now, in the colder months that the most important job is done. No matter the size of your space, having a clear vision for varieties, layout and design will help you maximise your potential and gives you a chance to plan your successive growing. Planning your plot in this way gives you the best foundation for being a great veg grower in the coming year, and it all can be done fireside…

Keeping a garden diary has saved me innumerable times, acting as my aide-memoire from previous years and giving me the ability to learn from mistakes. I try and record everything: what varieties were sown, when I sowed them, weather conditions and the final result, including yield, taste and disease resistance. This gives me valuable knowledge of the best and worst varieties to grow in the garden. It is easy to forget what grew well where. Specific knowledge on your own growing environment, your soil, microclimate and capability can only be acquired through your own documentation. It doesn’t have to be reams of information, just prompts for use during winter planning.

The first step I take is to think about what I grew last year. Did it grow well in the soil? Did I have too much/too little? And most importantly, was it delicious? If it’s your first time growing fruit and veg, or you’ve got a fresh plot, the question to ask yourself is simple: “what do I like to eat?”. It seems obvious, but it still amazes me that many people grow what they think they should, rather than what they like. If you are limited on space, it is advisable to grow the high value crops such as salad, herbs and tomatoes. This has a big impact on the plate as well as helpfully reducing your shopping bill. And happily, the high ticket items tend to be the easiest to grow, with roots and brassicas throwing up more problems for the home grower.

Try at least one new variety to grow every year. Growing new things will offer new challenges in the garden and bring new flavours to your kitchen. There are a plethora of organic varieties available to the home grower, offering far more diversity than produce available to buy. When you flick through the seed catalogues (or growing menus, you might say), let it stir up anticipation of new ideas, both in the garden and on the plate.

Regardless of space, there is potential in every garden to grow a little of what you eat. My own philosophy is to blur the lines of edible and ornamental. I feel that veg gardens are too often pushed to the sidelines, with borders, beds and boring lawns taking centre stage. The diversity that you can create is staggering, and by incorporating edible varieties, cut flowers, tall perennials, fruit and nuts, you can create a beautiful and productive space in any situation. Suddenly your garden serves a bigger purpose and the energy you put into it year round is reflected in your kitchen.

This post originally appeared as an article in the January 2019 edition of the Bridport Times and can be read online at www.bridporttimes.co.uk.