4 Herts Advertiser Follow us on Twitter: @hertsadproperty Thursday, August 4, 2016

Garden

Why growing your own is more popular than ever

Going green

Growing your own food is

becoming more popular. We

are more aware of green

issues, resourcefulness is

trendy and many people are

keen to turn away from a consumerist

lifestyle and get back to basics, for a

simpler natural existence, as Caroline

Thain discovers.

Local waiting lists for allotments are

always full, which is not surprising,

as they are affordable valuable green

spaces providing opportunities to

improve quality of life by healthier

eating, exercise and get involved in the

community.

There is a lively campaign to

encourage residents to grow their own,

which is part of the work of Transition

St Albans - a group committed to positive

change in the district, especially in

relation to climate change, a low-carbon

economy and sustainable living.

As part of FoodSmiles St Albans, a

local community food growing project,

around 25 locals work their patch of

organic land at Hammonds End Farm

and produce vegetable boxes in return

for their labour.

Several St Albans residents are

opening their gardens to the public this

summer through Transition St Albans’

Open Food Gardens event, aiming to

inspire and motivate others to take up

this pastime, which reduces carbon

footprints and saves money.

You probably won’t be able to

avoid food shopping but planting and

nurturing fruit, vegetables and herbs

until you can pick, prepare and eat them

is a way to get outside, save pennies and

feel self sufficient.

But it can be daunting, so we have

cherry-picked six fruits and vegetables

that are easy to grow:

PeasThey are easy

peasy to grow!

You can start

them off

inside, in a

homemade

recycled

newspaper

pots,

organic

compost

and seeds. They are interesting as they

can be grown up a trellis and they flower.

They grow all summer, which leads

to gardening fun throughout the long

school holidays. Remember, the seeds

are poisonous: if you do plant them with

children, make sure they wash their

hands.

Strawberries

Everyone loves a strawberry, right? This

is like a treasure hunt straight from

Mother Nature - you have to peek under

the leaves to check on them. Homegrown

strawberries are sweeter than grocery

store counterparts. They can take up a

small or large part of garden, depending

on whatever space you have. Enjoy them

as a tasty snack, in desserts or salad.

Walking Stick KaleOnce you have grown the kale and taken

off the leaves, branches and roots, it

becomes a handy walking stick! It is

quirky because it grows up to 10 feet

tall and is reminiscent of Jack and the

Beanstalk. In one square foot of space,

you can grow loads.

Herts Advertiser 5 hertsad.co.uk/propertyThursday, August 4, 2016

RadishesThese grow quickly meaning you get

good bang for your buck. They are

simple to grow in 25 days and ideal in a

container. One seed makes one radish

so be sure to plant enough. Pulling them

out of the soil when they are ready

adds to the attraction. They are intense

in flavour but cooked in butter taste

delicious.

Home grown goodness: A baked potato can make a great, hearty meal Choosing low-maintenance edibles is key to success but there are creative ways to adapt your unconventional space to suit the foods you want to grow.

Kat Kenklies, 38, is a semi-professional gardener who happily grew many different types of fruit, vegetables and herbs from her London Road home, until she moved abroad for work.

She said: “I only grew food I liked eating and ones that were easy to grow and look after. I didn’t have the time to look after a proper veggie patch or even a greenhouse.

“Since my garden in St Albans didn’t have a suitable area for a dedicated vegetable bed, I incorporated my edibles into the flower beds. I grew cherry tomatoes in front of a south-facing wall along with tall sunflowers and smaller flowers in front, which worked well.

“Artichokes don’t do well in pots but when planted outside need very little looking after and grow spectacular silver foliage. I love green beans or runner beans, which I grew in ‘tipi tents’, made from five stakes tied together at the top, in the back of a flowerbed. They’re very forgiving and grow like crazy without much help.”

Her herbs were a delight too, with self-grown fresh oregano a must for cooking. Kat uses the flowering tips, which are full of flavour - and she says they are far superior to supermarket packages that often contain low-grade leaves and stems.

She also enjoyed growing redcurrants and gooseberries, because they reminded her of her grandmother’s garden. Though she didn’t have enough to make jam, she found it satisfying picking and eating them straight from the bush.

And generous Kat doesn’t mind sharing her produce with the odd creepy crawly either. “I have always grown edibles with an attitude of low maintenance. I can hover over my salad every day and pick up all the slugs but I didn’t want to. If the slugs got the salad, I still had tomatoes,” she added.

”I only grew food I

liked eating!”

Semi-

professional

gardener

Kat Kenklies

Three St Albans mums explain why they love to grow their own food

Amanda Carnell, 37, from the Cell Barnes area, said: “We do strawberries and cherry tomatoes every year and we also have a cherry tree and gooseberry bush in the garden.“The tomatoes are probably the hardest to do, as you have to take off additional bits, so they don’t go too thin. This year hasn’t been great as there has been a lack of sunshine.“We don’t really do it to save money but it’s nice to show the kids where food comes from and they love picking things straight from the plant.”

Fiona Zobole, 55, from Abbey Avenue, said: “I love growing enough to eat and give away to neighbours and friends. Spuds, carrots, beans, peas, peppers and chillies, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbages, marrows and courgettes, raspberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants. Spinach and chard last ages. I do it to save money and feed kids good food.”

Katie Brinkworth, 36, from Oaklands, said: “We grow our own food because it is a fun hands-on activity to do together that opens up discussions about so many different things; healthy eating and nutrition, where our food comes from, packaging, cost. All sorts of conversations come up. “I think it’s good for my daughter to have experience of growing food and digging in the soil. It is also a great sensory activity for her too. Last but not least, it is good for our health, environment and wallet too.”

CabbageSome varieties grow enormous reaching

50lbs, adding to the fun. They are great

to grow with children, as they can get

big in 10 weeks, which gives them a

visual reward. They might even eat it!

If your family is not keen on cabbage

in its original form, try making it in to

wonderful coleslaw.

PotatoesIt is too late this year but make a

note for next year: potatoes can

be planted between February

and May. There is a mini science

project involved with starting a

potato seed, which must sit in

daylight until it develops eyes

and leaves. The potato is then

transplanted to a clean bucket

or the garden and left to grow. A

jacket potato you grew is one way

to make your summer barbecue

even more smashing. Or should

that be, erm, mashing. (Sorry.)

Growing your own

food can be a fun

family activity.