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Episode 661: Early June Chaos: Wild Weather, Busy Bees and Successional Sowing

Early June has brought that classic mix of heavy rain, strong winds and sudden sunshine — and the garden has certainly felt it. In this week’s episode, I’m sharing how the weather has shaped everything from seed sowing to weeding, plus an exciting update from the beehive as the colony continues to grow. Kitchen Garden Update: Wild Weather and Big Sowing Sessions The kitchen garden has taken a real battering from the weather this week, but the plants are still powering on. Inside the shed, I’ve been making the most of the rain by sowing cucumbers, sweetcorn, kale, cabbage and beans in plug trays. Out in the Veggie Pod, more spring onions, radish and carrots have gone in — ideal quick crops for this time of year. There’s also been another round of cutting back the invasive climber along the fence line, which has taken full advantage of the warm, wet conditions. Allotment Update: Growth Spurts, Weeds and Potato Progress Down on the allotment, everything has that early‑sum...
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Early‑Summer Chard & New Potato Frying Pan Dish

A simple, comforting recipe that celebrates the very start of summer on the veg patch. Early June is that in‑between moment in the garden — the last of the overwintered crops are hanging on, the first new potatoes are ready to lift, and the chard is just starting to think about bolting. This quick frying‑pan dish is a brilliant way to use both while they’re at their best. It’s one of those meals that tastes like the garden: soft new potatoes, wilted chard, a bit of garlic, and a squeeze of lemon to brighten everything up. It works as a side dish or a light lunch on its own. Ingredients (Serves 2–3) 400g new potatoes, scrubbed and halved A large handful of chard (stems and leaves), roughly chopped 1 small onion, sliced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tbsp olive oil A knob of butter Salt and pepper ½ lemon (juice only) Optional: chilli flakes or grated hard cheese Method Boil the potatoes in salted water for 10–12 minutes until just...
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Episode 660: Embracing Tomato Fortnight & Sowing French Beans in Early Summer

Early summer has truly arrived, and with it comes one of my favourite celebrations in the gardening calendar— Tomato Fortnight . As I shared in this week’s Veg Grower Podcast, the allotment and kitchen garden are bursting with activity, from staking tomatoes to sowing French beans, harvesting peas, and even spotting new life on my citrus tree. Tomato Fortnight: Why I Grow So Many Varieties Down on the allotment, the heat has been intense, but the tomatoes are thriving. I grow around eight different varieties , each chosen for a specific purpose—beefsteaks for sandwiches, salad tomatoes for everyday use, cherries for hanging baskets, and plum tomatoes for passata. As I said in the episode: “There are so many different varieties, hundreds and hundreds of varieties… that is why I grow so many different varieties of tomatoes.” Between home and the allotment, that adds up to around 30 plants —and honestly, I could still grow more. Greenhouse vs. Outdoor Tomatoes Greenho...
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Recipe of the Week: Early Summer Courgette & Mint Fritters with Lemon Yogurt

There’s a moment every year — usually right around now — when the courgette plants shift from “promising” to “relentless”. One minute you’re admiring the first tiny fruits, the next you’re wondering how on earth they’ve doubled in size overnight. It’s the annual dance we all know too well, and it always makes me smile. This week’s recipe leans right into that early glut. It’s simple, quick, and uses ingredients most of us have growing or tucked away in the fridge. These fritters are crisp on the outside, soft in the middle, and lifted beautifully by fresh mint and a bright lemon yogurt. They make a cracking light lunch, a garden‑bench snack, or a side dish for a barbecue. On the Allotment This Week Courgettes are just starting to come into their stride, mint is at its most fragrant before flowering, and the hens (if you keep them) are laying well — which makes this the perfect moment for a fritter recipe. If you’ve got spring onions or chives, they slot in nicely too. ...
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Episode 659: Battling the Heatwave & Finding a Rustic Vision for the Kitchen Garden

This week’s bank holiday brought record‑breaking heat, and like many gardeners, I’ve spent most of my time simply trying to keep plants alive. Between fast‑drying soil, thirsty young crops, and a greenhouse that felt more like an oven, it’s been a week of adapting, improvising, and learning a few new tricks to keep everything going. In the Kitchen Garden It’s been a scorching bank holiday, and most of my time has gone into simply keeping plants alive. Watering has been the big job this week, especially with young plants and pots drying out so quickly. The greenhouse has been a challenge too — my auto‑pots are brilliant, but even they struggled as the tank water evaporated in the heat. I’ve opened the window permanently and really should fit an auto‑vent. A small win: using the Ryobi stick pump with a hosepipe has cut watering time from an hour to about 20 minutes. That’s been a lifesaver. We’ve planted out beans, rosemary and sage, and harvested peas, rhubarb, and ...
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Recipe of the Week: One‑Pan New Potatoes with Garden Greens & Herb Oil

Late May is that magical moment when the first new potatoes are ready to lift — small, thin‑skinned, earthy, and nothing like the supermarket versions. Even if you’re growing in containers, a single pot can give you enough for a cracking meal. Pair them with whatever greens are ready (spinach, chard, kale shoots, or even a handful of pea tops), and you’ve got a dish that tastes like the turning of the season. This recipe is simple, comforting, and built entirely from the kind of harvests small‑space growers can pull off right now. Ingredients (Serves 2) 500g new potatoes, scrubbed 2 large handfuls mixed garden greens (spinach, chard, kale shoots, beet leaves, or pea tops) 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced 3 tbsp olive oil Small knob of butter (optional but lovely) Zest of 1 lemon Salt & pepper For the herb oil: Small bunch soft herbs (parsley, chives, mint, basil — whatever’s growing) 3 tbsp olive oil Pinch of salt Method ...
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Episode 658: The Week the Weather Turned… and I Finally Got My Bees

This week’s episode of The Veg Grower Podcast is a real mix of surprises, setbacks, and exciting new beginnings. From unexpected frost damage on the allotment to big changes in the kitchen garden — and the moment Richard finally becomes a beekeeper — there’s plenty to dive into. If you want the full story, the sounds, and the emotions behind it all, make sure you give the episode a listen. Down on the Allotment Richard kicks off the week with a weather surprise — a mid‑May frost that caught many growers off guard. As he said, “This week we have had some frosts… temperatures have certainly dipped overnight.” Potatoes blackened, cucumbers wiped out, and a few tomatoes took a hit. It’s a lesson in not planting tender crops too early, even when the forecast looks safe. But it’s not all doom and gloom — Richard shares how he’s bouncing back and what he’ll do differently next year. Weeding, Asparagus & Garlic Watch With planting paused, Richard focused on weed cont...
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