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Harvests, Heatwaves & Helpful Hacks – A Hot Week in the Garden

This week’s episode of The Veg Grower Podcast captures the ups and downs of gardening during a heatwave. With the sun blazing down, it’s been a challenge to stay on top of watering and weeds – but also a rewarding time for harvesting and experimenting with irrigation. Here’s what you’ll hear in this week’s episode: Allotment Update I began the week with a big tidy-up on the allotment. Weeds had started to get out of hand, so I put time into clearing paths, tidying beds, and giving everything a proper water. The combination of heat and rainfall has helped the soft fruits come along nicely – with blackcurrants, cherries and even some overwintered onions ready to harvest. After lifting the onions, I sowed a full bed of maincrop carrots. I talk about the importance of not leaving beds empty and making good use of the space we have. I also talk about the difference mulch has made this week – particularly straw mulch, which I’ve used on some beds to keep moisture in. While compost is my ...
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Exploring Gardeners’ World Live 2025 – People, Plants & Pollinators

This week’s episode of the Veg Grower Podcast takes you on a field trip to one of my favourite events of the year – Gardeners’ World Live in Birmingham. Each year this show brings together gardeners of every type — from balcony growers to estate keepers — and celebrates the joy of growing. It’s full of inspiration, brilliant displays, expert talks, and of course, the latest gardening trends. I’ve attended many times, and every time I come away buzzing with ideas. What’s in this week’s episode? I caught up with Ade Sellars , a long-time friend and head of the “In Conversation” stage, to talk about kitchen gardening, lifestyle changes, and why he still proudly calls it a “kitchen garden”. I sat in on some cost-saving gardening tips from Adam , who reminded us all that you don’t have to spend a fortune to garden well — especially with his tips on taking cuttings, bargain plants, and chop-and-drop mulching. I chatted with Kate , designer of the stunning Nectury Garden , a pollinato...
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Courgette & Feta Dip with Mint & Chilli

Hi, it’s Scott here with this week’s recipe – and as we settle into the heart of summer, I’ve got a light, refreshing dip that’s perfect for warm days, BBQ spreads, or simply dipping flatbreads in the garden: Courgette & Feta Dip with Mint & Chilli . This is a really simple one, with just a few ingredients, but don’t let that fool you – it’s full of flavour. The key is in how you cook the courgettes. They need to be either roasted hard and fast or slowly and gently, to help drive off excess water and concentrate their flavour. I go for a hot roast in this version, and it works a treat. So, let’s head to the kitchen and see how it’s made. As always, you can find this recipe and others on my Instagram page @seedtotableplot13 . Ingredients 3 medium courgettes (approx. 500g), halved lengthways 3 cloves garlic, sliced 100g feta cheese 1 red chilli, finely diced 5g fresh mint, chopped Juice of 1 lemon Olive oil Salt Method Salt the courgettes: Place the courgette ...
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Exploring Gardeners’ World Live 2025 – People, Plants & Pollinators

This week’s episode of the Veg Grower Podcast takes you on a field trip to one of my favourite events of the year – Gardeners’ World Live in Birmingham. Each year this show brings together gardeners of every type — from balcony growers to estate keepers — and celebrates the joy of growing. It’s full of inspiration, brilliant displays, expert talks, and of course, the latest gardening trends. I’ve attended many times, and every time I come away buzzing with ideas. What’s in this week’s episode? I caught up with Ade Sellars , a long-time friend and head of the “In Conversation” stage, to talk about kitchen gardening, lifestyle changes, and why he still proudly calls it a “kitchen garden”. I sat in on some cost-saving gardening tips from Adam , who reminded us all that you don’t have to spend a fortune to garden well — especially with his tips on taking cuttings, bargain plants, and chop-and-drop mulching. I chatted with Kate , designer of the stunning Nectury Garden , a pollinato...
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Courgette & Feta Dip with Mint & Chilli

Hi, it’s Scott here with this week’s recipe – and as we settle into the heart of summer, I’ve got a light, refreshing dip that’s perfect for warm days, BBQ spreads, or simply dipping flatbreads in the garden: Courgette & Feta Dip with Mint & Chilli . This is a really simple one, with just a few ingredients, but don’t let that fool you – it’s full of flavour. The key is in how you cook the courgettes. They need to be either roasted hard and fast or slowly and gently, to help drive off excess water and concentrate their flavour. I go for a hot roast in this version, and it works a treat. So, let’s head to the kitchen and see how it’s made. As always, you can find this recipe and others on my Instagram page @seedtotableplot13 . Ingredients 3 medium courgettes (approx. 500g), halved lengthways 3 cloves garlic, sliced 100g feta cheese 1 red chilli, finely diced 5g fresh mint, chopped Juice of 1 lemon Olive oil Salt Method Salt the courgettes: Place the courgette ...
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Roasted Kale with Chickpeas, Red Onion, Whipped Feta & Hot Honey

Hi, it’s Scott here with this week’s recipe – and it’s time for our Seed of the Month feature! This month, we’re celebrating kale – a reliable, productive leafy green that no kitchen garden should be without. This week’s dish is a bold and flavour-packed roasted kale recipe, paired with chickpeas, red onion, cumin and lemon. It’s finished with a generous smear of whipped feta and a drizzle of homemade hot honey – a perfect balance of savoury, creamy, and sweet heat. I’ve shared recipes for whipped feta and hot honey before, so rather than repeat myself, I’ve included them as sub-recipes below and in the full write-up on theveggrowerpodcast.co.uk . So, let’s head to the kitchen and see how it’s made! As usual, you’ll also find this recipe and others on my Instagram page @seedtotableplot13 . Ingredients (Serves 2–3) 2 red onions, cut into quarters 6 garlic cloves, peeled 1 tin of chickpeas, drained 1 lemon, halved 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander 200g kale Ol...
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Gluten-Free Rhubarb Crumble

Hi, it’s Scott here with this week’s recipe – and we’re keeping things simple, seasonal and absolutely delicious with a gluten-free rhubarb crumble . Now, I cook a fair bit of gluten-free food as I’ve got a family member who can’t eat gluten. Through doing so, I’ve found that some recipes don’t just cope without gluten – they’re actually better for it. And crumble, in my opinion, is one of those dishes. The oats, almonds and demerara sugar give the topping a lovely texture and depth of flavour – perfect for pairing with sharp, tangy rhubarb. So let’s head to the kitchen and see how it’s made. As always, you can find this recipe and others over at theveggrowerpodcast.co.uk and on my Instagram page: @seedtotableplot13 . Ingredients (Serves 4–6): For the crumble topping: 125g cold salted butter 100g gluten-free plain flour 100g gluten-free porridge oats 50g ground almonds 125g demerara sugar For the rhubarb filling: 500g rhubarb, cut into 3–4cm chunks Zest and juice of ...
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