Asparagus

Asparagus, Asparagus Officinalis, a hardy perennial from the Liliaceae family. Asparagus is an ancient vegetable highly prized for its wonderful flavour as well as its nutritional and medicinal values, it produces tasty edible spears in mid spring. Asparagus may seem like a lot of work and a long wait to get started but once the [...]

Swiss Chard

Beta vulgaris Cicla Swiss Chard is an excellent all-rounder, tough, reliable and productive throughout the year, making it an excellent choice for a kitchen garden, and its a must grow in my garden. The leaves can be used like spinach and ribs are a delicious vegetable in their own right. Swiss Chard is called poirée, [...]

Tetragon (New Zealand Spinach)

Tetragoniaceae: Tetragonia tetragonioides Formerly classified as Aizoaceae (ice plant) Half-Hardy self-seeding perennial leafy plant Also known as New Zealand Spinach although it has no botanical relation to Spinach. Tetragon is a half-hardy perennial originating in temperate, subtropical and coastal regions of the Southern Hemisphere. It is a quick growing leafy vegetable with succulent like leaves and [...]

Pumpkins

Pumpkins are members of the Cucurbitaceae family which also includes: Cucumbers, Gourds, Squash, Melons and Courgettes & marrows. These half-hardy annuals make good potager plants because not only are they a great food source over the winter months but the leaves and flowers are attractive as well as the fruits. Most cucurbits will either trail [...]

Amaranth

Amaranth was one of the highlights of my garden last summer and it is time to start sowing it again so this is a timely heads up to anyone who hasn’t grown Amaranth before to give it a try. This plant has everything going for it, it is easy to propagate, doesn’t much care where [...]

Chayotes

Chayote, also called Vegetable Pear, Choko or Chow Chow Sechium edule. Cucurbitaceae I love trying new vegetables and I am always happy to find plants that will grow productively in the blistering heat of our polytunnel in summer, but chayotes turned out to be one of the best edibles I’ve grown. Chayote is not something I [...]

Chinese Greens

Also collectively referred to as, Oriental greens or  Chinese brassicas, this group of plants really deserve their place in my kitchen garden and should be more widely grown. These leafy vegetables are fast growing, versatile and nutritious, easy to cultivate and taste delicious. This group of brassicas have done particularly well in our unheated polytunnel, [...]

Herbs, East-Asian for the Kitchen

I try to grow most of what I need for the kitchen and this group of herbs are a little bit special because they are all essential ingredients for South East Asian cooking and some of my favourite foods.  Luckily most of these are pretty easy to grow and can fit in well with our [...]

Angelica Plant Profile

Angelica Angelica archangelica or Archangelica officinalis is an umbelliferous plant and member of the Apiaceae family. From December to April the fresh young leaves of Angelica are at their best and this year I’ve decided to make better use of our abundant supply of a lovely herb growing wild on our land.  It is a fascinating [...]

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