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Episode 668: Allotment Adventures: Drought, Pot Sorting & Bee Updates

This week’s episode is all about focus, tidying, and keeping the garden productive during a long dry spell . Richard starts at the allotment, where he’s been tackling untidy borders, harvesting potatoes and filling gaps with new plantings. Back home, a big organisational job has transformed the plant‑pot collection into a neat, usable system. We also have a seasonal recipe, a timely listener email about grey water, and a quick update on the bees. Allotment Update: Borders, Potatoes and Continuous Planting Richard starts the week by assessing the allotment and creating a list of areas to concentrate on. The borders and edges, often the first places to become untidy, are prioritised for improvement. This structured approach helps break the plot into manageable zones. Potato harvesting continues, adding to the week’s produce. Newly cleared spaces are immediately replanted: Kale planted into gaps left by harvested crops Cabbages planned for planting soon This...
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A Tough Little Herb and a Tougher July

Thyme, drought, and a weekend of small fixes — this week’s Supporters Club episode has a bit of everything. With July in full swing, the plot is feeling the strain of the ongoing dry spell. Even with a brief shower this morning, the soil is still cracking in places, and it’s changing the way I think about the months ahead. In this week’s members‑only episode, I’m sharing what’s really happening behind the scenes — the challenges, the small wins, and the ideas forming for future resilience. I’m also featuring a brilliant little herb from this month’s seed pack. It’s tougher than it looks, surprisingly easy to grow from seed, and perfect for anyone wanting more flavour in the winter months. Supporters will hear the full story, the growing tips, and a personal reflection on how this year’s weather is reshaping the plot. If you’d like to listen in and become part of the Supporters Club, you can join today and get instant access to the episode. The post A Tough Little ...
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Baked Courgette and Tomato Gratin

A simple summer traybake for using up a glut of courgettes and making the most of sweet, ripe tomatoes. There comes a point in the growing year when the courgettes seem to appear almost overnight. One minute there is a promising flower, the next there is a full-sized courgette hiding under a leaf, ready for the kitchen. This week’s recipe is a relaxed, comforting baked courgette and tomato gratin: the kind of dish that turns a handful of garden produce into something warm, colourful and very satisfying. Courgettes are at their best through the summer months, and tomatoes bring sweetness and acidity that balance them beautifully. Baked together with garlic, herbs, cheese and a crisp topping, they make an easy lunch, a side dish for a barbecue, or a light supper with salad and crusty bread. Ingredients Serves: 2 as a main or 4 as a side Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 35–40 minutes 2 medium courgettes, sliced into rounds or long strips 4–5 ripe tomatoes, sli...
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The Veg Grower Podcast Wins Agricultural Podcast of the Year!

There are moments in a creator’s journey that make you stop, breathe, and really take in how far things have come. This week, I had one of those moments. The Veg Grower Podcast has been named Agricultural Podcast of the Year by SME News — an honour that genuinely means the world to me. When I started this podcast, it was simply a way to share my journey of growing food in my allotment and kitchen garden. As I often say at the start of each episode, “each week I share with you my journey of growing food in my allotment and my kitchen garden.” It was never about awards — it was about community, learning, and encouraging more people to grow even a little of their own food. Over the years, the podcast has grown into something bigger than I ever expected. We’ve explored everything from heatwave gardening and edible ponds to early‑morning watering routines and the joys (and occasional frustrations!) of allotment life. We’ve built a community of growers who tune in not just for ti...
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Episode 667- Mid‑July in the Garden: Caterpillars, Leeks and Soft Fruit

This week on the Veg Grower Podcast, Richard tackles caterpillars on the brassicas, gets his leeks planted at last, enjoys a strong run of summer harvests, completes a few kitchen‑garden jobs, shares a simple stir‑fried bean recipe, and looks at the best ways to store soft fruit. Allotment Update The allotment kept Richard busy with pests this week. While tending the broccoli, he spotted cabbage white caterpillars chewing through the leaves. Instead of using pesticides, he checked each leaf, picked off the caterpillars by hand, destroyed the eggs and took the caterpillars home for the chickens. Netting helps keep butterflies out, but it also makes day‑to‑day care awkward, so Richard plans to attract more birds to the plot with feeders and bird houses. The leeks — sown back in January — finally went into the ground after the garlic came out. Each leek dropped into a dibbed hole and received a good soak. Daily watering will help them settle in. Harvests this week included co...
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Summer Stir‑Fried Beans with Garlic, Ginger & Sesame

Late July is when the beans really start earning their keep. Whether you grow French beans, runner beans, or a mix of both, they come thick and fast — crisp, sweet, and absolutely perfect for quick cooking. With the weather still warm and the evenings long, this simple stir‑fried bean dish has become one of my go‑to summer plates. It’s fast, fresh, and full of flavour, and it turns a handful of beans into something genuinely exciting. Ideal as a side dish, or bulk it out with noodles or rice for a full meal. Ingredients 300–400g fresh beans (runner or French), trimmed 1 tbsp vegetable oil 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 thumb‑sized piece of ginger, grated 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tsp honey 1 tsp sesame oil 1 tbsp sesame seeds Optional extras: A pinch of chilli flakes A squeeze of lime A handful of spring onions, sliced Method 1. Prep the Beans Slice runner beans diagonally into thin strips, or leave French beans whole if...
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Episode 666: Grapevine Pruning, Potato Problems & A New Vegetable Garden BeginsEpisode 666-

Welcome to Episode 666 of the Veg Grower Podcast. This week Richard has been juggling warm, humid weather, kitchen‑garden pruning, allotment challenges, and an exciting new project helping a young couple start their very first vegetable garden. It’s a classic midsummer mix of maintenance, problem‑solving and inspiration. Here’s what’s been happening. In the Kitchen Garden The week began with early‑morning gardening sessions — the only time cool enough to work comfortably. Richard has been potting on cucumbers, cabbages, cauliflowers and kale, watering in the mornings to reduce slug activity, and making steady progress despite the heat. Grapevine Pruning A major job this week was pruning and training the productive grapevine. Richard explains how careful thinning improves fruit size and airflow, and shares his experiment with a Bramley apple grown from seed and trained as a step‑over tree. It’s decorative, compact, and a fun long‑term project. Water Conservatio...
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