Author Archives: Steve Jones

How to Freeze Runner Beans Without Blanching

All gardeners will have been faced with this problem at some point in their garden, and to be honest it’s not a bad problem to have. You’ve grown a few runner bean plants and they’ve massively over produced. You don’t have time to blanche them so what do you do? Well here’s the answer to your problem, how to freeze runner beans without blanching. It’s quick, simple and saves wasting all those wonderful runner beans you’ve grown. This easy step by step guide is all you need to freeze runner beans (as long as you have a freezer). How to… → Read More

Companion Planting Sweet Potatoes

Despite their name, sweet potatoes are not really potatoes at all, they are in fact members of the same family as morning glory and bindweed. The leaves and tubers of sweet potatoes are edible and they are relatively easy to grow. Companion planting sweet potatoes not only saves space but can also be beneficial to both plants. Unlike conventional potatoes, sweet potatoes do not grow from a tuber, but from the roots of a “slip”. A slip is a small plant with roots that can be purchased from all good suppliers. Alternatively you can grow your own from shop bought… → Read More

How To Make A Healthy Leek And Potato Soup

There are many recipes out there for leek and potato soup but most use additional ingredients that are not necessary. As well as being unnecessary they are usually unhealthy. So join me as I show you how to make a healthy leek and potato soup. How To Make A Healthy Leek And Potato Soup I could just as easily called this how to make a simple leek and potato soup, because not only is it healthy, it’s also easy to make. With no additives at all it is the healthiest and easiest soup recipe I know. Which suits me as… → Read More

Companion Planting Leeks

A popular member of the allium family, the leek can be useful as a companion plant. By companion planting leeks you can help to protect many plants from pests. Read on to discover all the benefits of companion planting leeks. Companion Planting Leeks The plants that do best when companion planted with leeks to keep pests away include:- Apple Trees and Leeks By planting leeks under apple trees you will help prevent scab on the apples. For more information on companion planting apple trees click here. Strawberries and Leeks Strawberries do well with any member of the allium family, and… → Read More

kale companion plants

Kale is a member of the brassica family and has similar growing requirements to others of this plant group. Companion planting is beneficial to plants for a number of reasons, soil and watering compatiblity, health and insect deterrence. The kale companion plants listed below will also be fine to grow with all other brassicas. kale companion plants There are some plants that should never be grown anywhere near kale but more on these later, for now let’s concentrate on the best companions for kale. Just before we start, there are some reports that artichokes make a good companion plant to… → Read More

swiss chard companion plants

Although swiss chard looks similar to spinach they are not related, chard is actually a member of the beet family. The majority of plants will benefit from growing with other types of plant and swiss chard is no exception. Swiss chard companion plants will be of benefit to your plants in some way. swiss chard companion plants Like it’s near relative beetroot, swiss chard is relatively easy to grow with not much in the way of pests, with the exception of slugs and snails attacking young leaves. There are various types of chard, look out for rainbow chard which comes… → Read More

Growing Tomatoes In Hemp Protein

Every year I grow a lot of tomatoes and this year is no exception. I also think it’s important to experiment to see if I can improve on last years crop. So this years tomato experiment is growing tomatoes in hemp protein, primarily a bit of fun but who knows, it could just work out. A few years ago I experimented with using epsom salts and garden lime in with my tomatoes. That proved to be a success and I do it every year now. To see the post Do Tomato Plants Benefit From Garden Lime and Epsom Salts click… → Read More

companion plants for chillies

Whether it’s through a lack of space, or just for a healthier, larger crop companion planting is always a good idea. The companion plants for chillies are all listed below and you should try to include at least some in your planting plan. They will help in either attracting pollinators or deterring pests or improving the conditions for your chillies to grow in. companion plants for chillies There are many plants that will help to enhance the health and vitality of your chillies, try to include as many as possible into your planting plan. Alliums and Chillies The allium family… → Read More

Tomato Varieties I Grew This Year

This is a fairly self indulgent post really, see the thing is my memory’s not too good. Which means by the time I get round to sowing my tomato seed next season I’ll have forgotten which varieties had the best flavour and yield. So I plan to write a short post about the tomato varieties I grew this year and how I found them to be. Tomato Varieties I Grew This Year Gardeners Delight This is an old favourite and I mainly grow them for my grand daughter she absolutely adores them. I find them to be a good yielding… → Read More

10 Vegetables To Grow In September

Just because Summer is officially over, it doesn’t mean that’s the end of the growing season. There’s still time to sow and harvest a few crops and it’s a good time to start preparing for next season. So here’s 10 vegetables to grow in September. 10 Vegetables To Grow In September The 1st of September officially marks the start of Autumn, a time when things start winding down. But not for us gardeners, it’s time for us to get in a few late crops for Winter harvest and to start on next Springs crops as well. Radish September is the… → Read More