2012 has probably been our worst year for growing vegetables on our allotment in Hitchin, Herts. The extremes of temperature and rainfull were just too much for many of our crop to grow well and have left us disappointed and frustrated. However my spirits were lifted a few weeks ago when we dug our first … Continue reading
On our Hitchin allotment in Hertfordshire we always grow a number of chilli plants in the summer. They thrive in our poytunnel and remain easy and undemanding plants. As part of my Christmas stocking last year I was given a packet of Black Pearl Chilli seeds by Unwins. I love growing new varieties of vegetables and seeing and tasting … Continue reading
Despite the wet weather and probably because of it this year has seen our best onion crop. On our Hitchin allotment we planted these red and yellow onion sets last autumn and the rain has made them grow and swell beautifully. Keen not to have a repeat of last year where the onions were left for … Continue reading
There is nothing to beat the taste of your first dug new potatoes. We sampled our first ones yesterday simply washed, boiled and covered with salt, pepper and a knob of butter – perfection! On our Hitchin allotment we get to dig our first early potatoes ahead of time as we plant them in our … Continue reading
Picking the first stems of rhubarb from our Hitchin allotment is always a thrill. There is little to bring home from the plot and enjoy at this time of year, April is more about preparation and seed sowing for the season ahead. I think because of this the first rhubarb picked and eaten has a … Continue reading
Imagine a vegetable that tastes like kale but has the texture of savoy cabbage and you’ve got Cavolo Nero. We’ve been growing it successfully on our allotment in Hitchin for several years now and love it. It’s an Italian cabbage that comes from Tuscany with very dark green almost black leaves. In fact ‘cavolo nero’ … Continue reading
Winter and stew are two words that go together in our house. As the weather gets colder and the days become greyer the need for comfort food rises. Root vegetables are at their best now and we are busy digging swede and turnip from our Hitchin allotment. Turnip is an easy vegetable to grow and will … Continue reading
If you’re a bean fan like me have a go at growing these ‘Cobra Beans’. They are a stringless climbing french bean that crops prolifically! We’ve been growing them on our Hitchin allotment sucessfully for a number of years. In fact we probably prefer them now to runner beans. I sow the seed in April … Continue reading
Many hours spent in the garden and on our Hitchin allotment mean my gardening gloves get a severe hammering. I was bought my first pair of ‘Gold Leaf Dry Touch’ gloves a few years ago as a present and I’ve been hooked ever since. They’re made with beautifully soft leather that in time moulds to … Continue reading
This weekend we harvested our broad beans from our Hitchin allotment. Thanks to the recent rain that had fallen the beans had swollen beautifully and we had a ‘bumper crop’ this year. Everyone took a turn at snapping the pods and removing the beans ready for me to put in the freezer. We tried growing … Continue reading
Karen Tizzard Garden Design 