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In old weather lore, and especially in continental Europe, mid-May brings a key annual landmark for gardeners known as the ‘Ice Saints’. This is the time, so it’s said, when you might see the last cold snap in spring – and after which even your tender plants can finally go outdoors. It’s when the long winter wait finally comes to an end! 

The Three Sisters is one of the best-known traditional companion planting techniques. It involves growing sweetcorn, beans and squashes together in the same area. Which may sound like there’s nothing much to it – but in fact this is a sophisticated growing system that evolved over many years using three crops that complement each other in functional ways. The sweetcorn grows tall, providing a climbing support for the beans. The beans fix nitrogen in the soil via symbiosis in their root system, providing extra nutrients. The squashes spread across the ground, shading the soil and helping to retain moisture. The result is a plant system that protects the soil, uses space efficiently, and yields several crops at once.

Advent calendars don’t have to have chocolates inside – instead, how about a calendar with 24 packets of seeds to transform your vegetable patch, raised bed or allotment into a colourful and edible oasis? The Grow-Your-Own Garden Feast organic seed advent calendar gives you a new open-pollinated organic variety day by day in December – bringing joy not just in Advent but through a whole year full of growing, harvesting and seasonal variety.

Salad leaves are a truly multi-talented garden crop – they can be tender, spicy or crispy, ranging from classic lettuces and rocket salad across an astonishing range of different varieties, leaf shapes and flavours. Some are great for growing a quick crop in spring – others will survive the first frosts and give you fresh green leaves through into winter. In this post we’re taking a look at twelve different salad categories

Have you heard of mulching? Maybe you’ve seen the ground in a garden or park covered with bark mulch, straw or grass clippings. But what’s this done for? And how can you use it in your own garden? Mulching is a simple but effective technique that will help you grow stronger, healthier vegetables, flowers and shrubs – and with very little effort!

Imagine your garden being full of fresh vegetables all year round.  The secret? A continuous planting plan, good crop rotation and effective plant combinations. The never-ending veg plot is a concept you can apply anywhere, whether you’re growing in a raised bed, a traditional vegetable patch or a balcony garden.