Oadby Town Football Club - Aspire Magazine

Seasonal Gardening
In recent years, more and more people (including the Obamas and The Queen) have
been getting green-fingered and have given ‘growing your own’ a go. A number of
factors have aided in this revolution: firstly, the recession then following economic
hardship has made many of us question every penny we spend and growing your
own veggies is so much cheaper than buying them from a supermarket: secondly,
the increased awareness of where our food comes from and how far it travels from
field to plate has made many carbon-conscious wannabe gardeners give it a go:
finally, those that want to eat organic but can’t afford it have taken to growing their
own as they know exactly what has, and hasn’t, been sprayed on their veg.
If you’ve never given it a go, either because you’re not very green-fingered, or because
you don’t think you have the room, I’d like to encourage you to make 2012 the year you
do give it a go; there’s a whole host of fruit and veggies that can be grown in the smallest
of spaces and a wide variety that grow without much fuss, just a sunny spot and a daily
water is all that’s needed.
First thing is first, where are you going to grow said veggies; well, if you have an
established garden, you could convert one of your flower beds into a veggie patch, or
you could dig up a bit of lawn. For those of you who aren’t green-fingered at all so have
no idea what’s lurking in your garden, why not spend the afternoon clearing some space
and giving the soil a boost by adding some compost before you plant anything.
A great way to grow veggies is in a raised bed. These ease the strain on your back as you
bend over less when weeding and planting and they also warm up quicker, meaning
you’ll be enjoying crops before those ground-growing gardeners. Raised beds are also
ideal for those gardens with a heavy clay soil as they create good drainage; so obviously
if you have sandy soil in your garden, a raised bed may not be the best solution as you’ll
be constantly watering your veggies.
If you don’t have much room in your garden, or even no garden to speak of at all, you can
still grow your own vegetables. Certain veggies will grow happily in pots on windowsills,
in window boxes or even on balconies. Tumbling Tom tomatoes will flourish in hanging
baskets, whilst potatoes grow well in compost bags. Beans and peas, which grow
vertically, will be quite happy climbing up trellis, wooden frames or even bamboo sticks
in the shape of a wigwam.
If you’re new to gardening, it’s advisable to start with veggies that are relatively easy to
grow to ensure you have some reward for your hard work and time. Our top, easy-togrow
veggies include: courgettes, beetroot, garlic, lettuce, runner beans, potatoes and
tomatoes. However, the best vegetables to grow are ones that you actually enjoy eating
and will use in a variety of dishes – there’s no point being overrun by courgettes if you
will never cook with them. Once you get the hang of when to plant what and how often
to weed and water, your repertoire will increase and you can enjoy a whole host of
unusual and exotic vegetables and fruit.
Once your veggies are fighting fit, make sure you water them well in dry weather, and
keep the area free of weeds to ensure your crop is getting all the water and nutrients it
needs – a little bit of TLC will ensure you get a bumper crop of delicious vegetables for
the whole family to enjoy.
It’s a great idea to get your children involved as it may encourage them to eat a wider
variety of fruit and vegetables. Buy them some children’s tools and get them to check the
growth and progress of each veggie, and you’ll be amazed how many previously refused
veggies are now eaten with delight, and pride.
Don’t be disheartened and give up if your first year doesn’t go exactly to plan; everyone
has a few mishaps and disasters, so just keep trying and keep planting and you’ll soon be
enjoying home-grown food throughout the year!
Get Gardening… Then Cooking
A Beginners’ Guide To Garden Tools
You don’t need to spend hundreds of pounds on
the latest high-tech equipment, but there are a few
essentials every gardener needs…
• Spade – essential for digging, good spades
can break and move soil efficiently.
• Fork – potentially more useful than spades
when clearing new ground and breaking firm soil.
• Rake – you’ll need to level your soil once it’s been dug and
that’s when you’ll need this little piece of kit.
• Hoe – best used for chopping heads off annual weeds, a
hoe can make light work of weeding; make sure you
hoe on hot and dry days so weeds don’t re-root.
• Trowel – an invaluable digging tool, a trowel is
ideal for planting and weeding; use the pointed
end to make furrows when seed sowing.
• Shears – ideal for keeping plants and bushes under
control, as well as keeping your lawn edges looking neat
and tidy.
• String – it may seem primitive, but tying a length of string
to two sticks enables you to plant/sow in straight lines.
by Laura Hyde
What to Plant This Month:
As we’re now into late winter, the ground
is still hard with frost so planting should
be reserved to the greenhouse, indoor
window sills or mild areas – ensure to
protect any outdoor seedlings with
cloches.
• Bulb Onions
• Lettuce
• Beetroot
• Spinach
• Carrots
• Early Peas
• Broad Beans
So, what are you waiting for? Now that the warmer weather is on its way, get out into
your garden this weekend and start preparing to plant an array of vegetables that’ll taste
all the more delicious come harvest time because they’re grown by your own fair hand.
For more information about growing and eating seasonally, visit eatseasonably.co.uk
22 ASPIRE
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