Carol Klein's Grow Your Own Veg Journal [antikvár]

starting to grow your own Growing your own food is a labour of love. You know exactly how it has been produced and that it has the lowest possible carbon footprint on its journey from your garden to the table. You can enjoy vegetables that taste more delicious than anything you could ever buy from a shop or restaurant, packed full of goodness and as fresh as can be. You can choose varieties for their flavour and culinary qualities rather than their blandness and uniformity. Plunging your hands into the soil to plant the first potatoes, carefully sowing seed and later harvesting the bounty your plot has produced is not just satisfying, it is a reminder of our part in a hugely important activity that has been practised by our forebears from time immemorial. From this common history comes a shared experience, but embarking on growing your own for the first time can nonetheless be daunting. When can I sow my first carrots? How many courgette plants do I need? Does it matter which way up these seeds go? And even the more experienced gardener will still appreciate a timely reminder about when to sow, stake or harvest. Planning and organizing the vegetable plot and the jobs that need doing in it are essential to success. If we are to avoid gluts and famines, crops must be sown at the right time and in the right amounts. When do we dig, incorporate manure or start a compost heap? The smaller the garden, the more vital it is to make full use of the space. I garden organically and try to ensure the health of the soil and their crops using companion planting, rotation and observation. No scheme is foolproof - conditions vary radically in different parts of the country and from garden to garden; the weather will be unpredictable. But I hope this journal will suggest and remind you of what to do when, wherever you live and whatever you grow. Happy gardening.