Emma Cooper

My latest blog for The City Planter is all about how to take the strain out of starting your own vegetable patch this year.

→ How to grow vegetables: simple ways to get started

My new blog for The City Planter looks at starting a new veg patch in the city – whether you’re short on sun, soil or space – as well as options to make it look lovely.

→ Planning a vegetable garden? Options for urban plots

Val Bourne has written a nice piece for the Telegraph, looking at which fruits and vegetables succeeded in the dry weather last year.

→ Plot to beat the drought

On Thursday 2nd August, Garden Organic Ryton is running short course on growing exotic vegetables, which includes an introduction to crops such as Calaloo from Jamaica, Dudi from Bangladesh, Methi from India and Chomolia from Zimbabwe. As well as growing tips and preparation advice, you’ll take a tour of the Exotic Garden to see these plants growing.

→ Growing Exotic Vegetables course

Alys Fowler is running a short course on fermenting at Garden Organic Ryton (in Coventry) on Saturday 8th September 2012. Click through for full details and booking instructions.

→ Fermentation Nation course

Lots of gardeners find a seed sowing calendar essential – it keeps them on track throughout the season and means that sowing/ planting and harvesting times don’t pass them by. But once you move off the beaten track it’s hard to find one that covers the more unusual vegetables, unless you make your own. But Jungle Seeds have come up with one that covers the seeds that they sell, and so includes such exotics as amaranth, orach, yard long beans and perilla alongside the more familiar vegetables. Click the link to download the PDF file.

→ Jungle Seeds sowing guide

A lovely post today from a Scottish forest garden, detailing perennial plants that are still productive in winter.

→ Perennial winter harvests

→ Making leaf mould

→ The Fruit Is A Lie

→ Save a space for staples