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Our ‘grow your own’ workshops are perfect for aspiring gardeners and the more green-fingered among us. You can expect tips, our seeds of knowledge from over the years of sowing, growing, and cooking across the litter and getting hands-on experimenting with forgotten foods and exploring new ways to grow. Everything we do at THE PIGs is drive by the Kitchen Garden, and we know so many people share our passion for all things plot to plate! New for 2022, we have launched an exciting series of ‘grow your own' workshops at THE PIG-at Combe, our Elizabethan gem in the Otter Valley – ‘Kitchen Garden Gurus’. These workshops are hosted by our Group Head Kitchen Gardener Ollie Hutson and a local friend of ours Mark Diacono along with a few members of THE PIG team. From the postbag, Emma and Chris chew over your gardening questions including what causes tomato leaf curl and how to regrow supermarket herbs. And you can discover more about a little weed called nipplewort.
In a fascinating discussion for our September Organic Gardening Podcast, the former Welsh Government minister shares her organic gardening trials and triumphs in North Pembrokeshire, and the importance of the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act, which she spearheaded. Delving deep into specific fields of study within horticulture, Mary Jane has an extensive knowledge base on sustainable gardening practices (including permaculture), soil science, and selecting cultivars well-suited to home gardeners. Her passion isn't just limited to plants; she's a staunch advocate for holistic, eco-friendly gardening techniques that benefit both flora and fauna. We’ve lost 70 per cent of species in my lifetime…and we’re likely to exceed the crucial 1.5 degrees this year - and that's a massive wake-up call,” says Jane, who is Chair of Wales Net Zero 2035. “I'm absolutely passionate about the idea that if we teach young children about the value of nature, then we actually breed habits that can sustain forevermore.We're doing a lot of work conserving Scottish native flora, as well as plants that are dying out in the rest of the world,” says Kirsty. “It’s important to understand biodiversity and plant life – and the species that are struggling - so we can protect them…and raise awareness with governments.” Chris shares insights into tomato blight, and how to bring a pop of autumn colour into your planting schemes. And from the postbag, Anton discusses harvesting carrots and parsnips and autumn seed sowing. Nuts include almonds, macadamia, hazelnut, and pecan. Grains include quinoa, amaranth, and oat. Culinary herbs include flavourful oregano, rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley, basil, bay, and chives. Spice plants include horseradish, ginger, garlic, and wasabi. Teas grown in the food garden include peppermint, fennel, chamomile, lemon balm, and bergamot.
In the afternoon everyone enjoyed a locally-sourced 25 mile sharing lunch in The Folly with THE PIG-at Combe’s Head Chef, Dan Gavriilidis, taking them through the menu and their lunch, explaining the importance of our 25-mile suppliers. After lunch was the time to ask those all-important questions! Mark and Ollie held a Q&A session to end the day so we could really get into the nitty-gritty of growing at home. The day started with a light breakfast on arrival in The Folly, followed by an introduction to Mark and Ollie and then teas and coffees – of course! Our group then headed to explore the Kitchen Garden to take a look at everything our team are growing currently which includes various different mustards, various brightly coloured chards and oyster mushrooms. We all then enjoyed a delicious garden-inspired soft tipple followed by Mark and Ollie discussing how to start your own Kitchen Garden and top tips for growing undercover. Kirsty, a presenter on BBC Scotland’s Beechgrove Garden, explains the steps the garden is taking to help fight climate change, including preserving struggling plants, using green and clean technology and biocontrols for pests. He chats to Kirsty Wilson, herbaceous supervisor at the botanic gardens, to discover more about its 350-year-old living collection of plants and its research projects.This month’s delicious Organic Gardening Podcast offers 50-minutes of organic gardening advice and growing stories from our experts at the height of the harvest. If you don’t have the space to dig in a traditional vegetable garden with rows, or to install a raised bed or two, there are plenty of options that give green thumbs the opportunity to grow edibles. Sneak food plants into your ornamental garden among the perennials” Gardening Your Front Yard: Projects and Ideas for Big and Small Spaces, by Tara Nolan Crop idea list for food gardens
The purpose of a food garden is, of course, to grow food. A garden may be to supplement a bit of your produce, grow and can a year’s worth of pasta sauce, or feed your entire family. Whatever your garden goal, planning out the food garden is a key part of success. Vegetables grown in kitchen gardens include savoury leafy greens, beans, potatoes, corn, carrots, onions, tomatoes, peppers, asparagus, and peas. Fruit grown in a food garden includes sweet strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, grapes, and tree fruits like apples, pears, and plums.In this month’s podcast, Fiona chats to environmentalist Jane Davidson – our new Vice President - about the impact of climate change on her life and her gardening. A food garden can be anything from a few container pots on a patio to a large field of veggies. It can be a traditionally designed potager garden or an indoor countertop setup with LED plant lights. You can also surround your food garden with companion plants (for instance, evergreens make wonderful companion plants for berry bushes). And from the postbag, you can learn how to use nematodes, prevent blossom end rot and when to harvest your garlic. When putting these workshops together we couldn’t think of anyone better to join us than Mark Diacono! Local to THE PIG-at Combe and with over two decades of experience pioneering Kitchen Gardening across the generations with River Cottage and Otter Farm, Mark brings a wealth of knowledge to share alongside our own PIG expertise.
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