Kitchen Garden - December 2017
YOU & YOUR PLOT
6 ON THE VEG PATCH
Start winter digging, install water butts,
harvest chard and sprouts, prune vines, fruit
trees and bushes, start a bean trench, check
stored potatoes
10 IN THE GREENHOUSE
Plant a cherry, tend to winter greens, harvest
the last of peppers, clean fallen leaves from
vines, watch out for rodents, repair raised beds
12 WHAT’S NEW?
The latest news, comment and advice from the
world of kitchen gardening
14 YOUR LETTERS AND TIPS
Learn what other KG readers have been up to
and pick up some great first-hand advice
20 QUESTION TIME
Our panel of leading experts from the gardening
industry answer your gardening queries
32 PASSIONATE PLOTTER 2017
We reveal the winners in our competition to
find the cream of the crop among our readers
66 OH WHAT A BEAUTY!
They have been measured, weighed and
photographed. Now you can see them for
yourselves – the winners of our giant marrow
competition
79 NEXT MONTH
Some of the highlights to be found in your
January issue plus news of great free gifts
98 LAST WORD
A massive marrow competition is simple
enough, right? Well as deputy editor Emma
Rawlings explains, nothing is as easy as it first
seems!
GET GROWING
WHAT TO BUY
16 ON THE PLOT WITH THE
THREE MUDKETEERS
This month the muddies are juicing apples,
harvesting ‘Uchiki Kuri’ squash and covering
the soil for winter
22 NEW VARIETY ON TRIAL
KG editor Steve Ott gives juicing carrot
‘Cidera’ a try
26 AN IRISH GEM
Joyce and Ben Russell travel to Glebe
Gardens in Baltimore, south-west Ireland
36 MONEY GROWS ON TREES
Julie Moore explains how to make best use
of the annual windfall of autumn leaves
40 SPROUTS: NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS
Heritage veg enthusiast Rob Smith reveals
his favourite varieties and encourages sprouthaters
to give them a try
44 MAKING A CASE FOR NUTS
Nut trees are easy to grow, productive and
beautiful, but which is best for your garden?
Gardening writer Sue Stickland visits a
Devon-based nut tree plantation to find out
48 LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
Gardening expert Ben Vanheems has all the
advice you need if you intend to make a new
veg plot in your garden
NEW SERIES
53 CUT FLOWERS FROM YOUR PATCH
In the first of our new mini growing guides
we take a look at fragrant sweet peas
54 LAGOM – THE SWEDISH ART OF
EATING HARMONIOUSLY
Food author Steffi Knowles-Dellner brings us
some delicious recipes from her native home
of Sweden
58 EXOTIC MARVELS:
MASHUA & MACA
Sally Cunningham explains how to grow these
tasty South American tubers
60 SMALL BUT PERFECTLY FORMED
Would you like to grow your own apples
and pears, but have very limited room? Fruit
expert David Patch explains how you can grow
bumper crops in the smallest of spaces
63 MAKE A KITCHEN HERB GARDEN
Joyce Russell brings us a great little project
that will provide you with fresh herbs all
winter long
69 A TIME FOR GLEE
KG staff writer Tony Flanagan travels to one of
the biggest gardening trade shows in the UK
to seek out the latest products for 2018
72 BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR!
When organic gardener Wendy Pillar took
on a one-acre garden, she discovered that
there was much to learn before achieving
her dream
76 FEED THE BIRDS
Expert advice from the RSPB to help your
feathered friends thrive this winter
WHAT TO BUY
80 TRIED AND TESTED –
GIFTS FOR GARDENERS
The KG team try out some products that
may give you some inspiration for the festive
season ahead
84 GREAT READER OFFERS
Claim your free* sow now seed collection
worth £18.60 (*just pay p&p), plus even more
savings on a great range of seeds for the
2018 season
86 GREAT GIVEAWAYS WORTH
OVER £1947
This month you could win power tools, pots
and planters, storage solutions, artworks and
seed collections
88 INSTANT SAVERS
This month save up to 34% on great gardening
brands with our exclusive offers
90 GARDEN STORE
Great Christmas gift ideas for gardeners