Grow Your Own at RHS Flower Shows

By Michael Smith (Veshengro)

Grow Your Own is more and more in evidence at the various RHS shows and not just this year.

While Grow You Own (GYO), in “speed mode”, has been around for some time now, it is getting more and more main stage at the shows now. This was certainly not the case some years back

That GYO is reaching the main stage of the shows could very much be seen by the RHS Edible Garden at the 2011 Hampton Court Palace Flower Show as well as by a similar RHS show garden at the show last year.

GYO is, we all know, not new at all but the interest and the phenomenon os how it is taking off nowadays certainly is.

Allotment gardens have been around for now some time and the Diggers were the first who were trying to archive the GYO already centuries ago.

Seed merchants, gardening equipment manufacturers and supplies, etc., all are gearing up more and more to this market, including the many books on the subject now being produced. Even gardening suppliers, such as Haxnicks and seed companies such as Marchalls have brought out “grow your own vegetables” guide books.

As said, the grow your own vegetable “movement” is not a new one. During the two world wars there were the “Dig for Victory” campaigns and many of those images are being used by seed companies and others to promote the growing of your own vegetables. The Mr. DIGWELL Seeds are but one example of using this kind of retro as regards of grow your own veg. It must be welcomed, however, as this is the way things should be, in order to also ensure some kind of food security for the nation as a whole.

© 2011

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RHS Director of Horticulture picks tasty plants for Grow Your Owners

By Michael Smith (Veshengro)

To celebrate the abundance of 'Grow Your Own' inspiration at the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show this year Jim Gardiner, RHS Director of Horticulture, has picked his favorite herb, fruit and vegetable plants, which offer great results, to share with gardeners.

Jim compiled his list of choice plants from thousands of RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM) fruit, vegetables and herb cultivars. The RHS AGM is the highest accolade a plant can have. They are the best plants for gardeners to grow and have been selected by experts on their merits of taste, yields, resistance to pests and diseases and performance.

Speaking about his favorite herbs, fruit and vegetable cultivars, Jim said: “We're passionate about getting people growing food and enjoying the best results when gardening, which is why I've pulled together a list of some of my favorite 'Grow Your Own' plants that have performed incredibly well for me this year. They offer great results and taste wonderful. I hope the lists helps people with their plant selections and that they get fantastic results too.”

Herbs

Lemon verbena – Aloysia citrodora AGM

The leaves of this herb smell of lemon sherbets. They not only make a refreshing herbal tea, but can also be used to flavor cakes and puddings. Grow this delicious shrub either against a wall to give added protection in the winter or in a container that can be brought into a cold greenhouse.

Please do not confuse Lemon verbena with Lemon balm. The latter is Melissa officialis and they are not related. Lemon balm does make a great calming tea though and also should not be missing, in my opinion, in a garden.

Rosemary – Rosmarinus officialis 'Severn Sea' AGM

Rosemary 'Severn Sea' not only tastes good in cooking and can be used all year round, but also has an attractive arching habit with very dark blue flowers so looks great in the garden or in a container.

Purple sage – Salvia officialis 'Purpurascens' AGM

The attractive purple foliage of this culinary sage is milder in flavor than the standard sage so it combines well with vegetables and some cheese. In summer it produces very beautiful flue flowers with when combined with the leaves makes it a very attractive herb for a sunny well drained part of the garden.

As luck would have it I managed to acquire a pot of those when they were on give away to us journalists on the Press Day of the Hampton Court Palace Flower show and I just must get the growing and care instructions for it.

Vegetables

Sweet pepper 'Gypsy' AGM

This is a F1 hybrid. It crops early and is easy to grow. It grows well both in the open ground and in the greenhouse. The sweet full-flavored fruit ripen from pale green to attractive bright red.

I guess I must get hold of some seed of this in order to give it a try next year and report on the findings as to how it worked for me.

Chard Bright Lights AGM

This plant can be grown for 'salad leaves' or as full sized plants for both leaves and chards – just steam for a delicious taste. It produces a good, colorful mix, including reds, yellows and whites; very ornamental and decorative. This chard is a colorful and versatile addition to the kitchen garden or potager. It is easy to grow; likes a sunny location and light soil. Good for successional sowing for long cropping season.

Kohlrabi 'Kolibri' AGM

This is such an under-rated vegetable – and I can but agree. The can be sown and eaten in eight weeks. This variety produces small purple-skinned white-fleshed bulbs on the soil surface. All gardeners have to do is to wash and slice or grate on your salad; leaves and stems and be added to salads as well. No waste. Absolutely delicious little vegetable.

Runner Bean 'Wisley Magic' AGM

One of the best selling vegetables. It was part of the RHS Bicentenary Plant collection in 2004 and still performs brilliantly.

Fruit

Pear 'Buerre Superfin' AGM

Lives up to its name; buttery, very juicy flesh, sweet yet balanced with lots of lemony flavor. A very reliable cropper.

Apple 'Ellison's Orange' AGM

Wonderful flavor – taste of aniseed develops after picking, juicy flesh; easy to grow.

Raspberry 'Tulameen' AGM

Best raspberry in the RHS Raspberry trial; excellent flavor; disease free, but vigorous, with tall canes.

While these are Jim Gardiner/s choices other folks, including gardening experts, may have their own favorites and if you are an experienced gardener you may also have others that you would recommend.

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The RHS Edible Garden

The RHS Edible Garden at Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2011

By Michael Smith (Veshengro)

The RHS Edible Garden, designed by Jon Wheatley and Anita Foy (this would not be a Wheatley related to Kevin, the actor, and thus to the former owner of the big house at Nonsuch Park and one of the ancestors being an expert in gardening?), formed the centerpiece of the 2011 Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.

The Edible Garden showcased the very best of Grow Your Own, with a fantastic range and array of beautiful, mainly edible, plants and it was a true feast for the eye.

Artisan, rather than commercial, products, production and uses were the focus of this exhibit and it ranged from beer production, over fruit and nut orchard, cider orchard, fruit, flower and vegetable garden to “food for free” and basically everything in between including a tropic hothouse and giant vegetables.

The RHS Edible Garden, like so many other Grow Your Own gardens, small and large, at the 2011 RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, has shown that a vegetable garden does not have to be hidden away and, like it used to be, vegetables can be grown alongside flowers for bedding and for cutting.

In days of old cut flowers always used to be grown in the cottage garden right alongside the vegetables or amongst them. Or was it the case of the vegetables being amongst the flowers?
Whichever way, vegetables and flowers and bedding plants, some of which can be most beneficial to vegetable growing, can live happily side-by-side and can even benefit each other.

At the same time you can use every available space without having to worry how that might look to the neighbors and the council. Nicely arranged and grown such beds, planters, or what-have-you, look good out back or in the front.

Arranging such planting is not rocket science though it might be a good idea not to have one overpower the other too much in height and bulk. All plants need a little breathing space even though with the deep soil method things can get packed very tightly.

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