Chris Collins and Fiona share tips on conserving water, the importance of nurturing your soil and your front garden. She shares the benefits of permeable paths and gravel gardens for absorbing run off. And growing a short flowering lawn – with beneficial plants - for attracting insects. Fiona and Emma also discuss how low hedges of lavender and herbs can function as pollinator corridors, and which wildlife habitats can be slotted into a small garden. Here are some crop idea lists to help you plan out your own food garden. Vegetable food garden crops

The August garden might be bursting at the seams but now’s a great time to be planning for next year.Fiona and Chris discuss the effect of this year’s changeable weather on their gardens and crops, looking at what’s done well and what hasn’t. Our first event ‘The Perfect Kitchen Garden’ was held on the 9 th and 10 th February and was a huge success! The workshop was perfect for gardening beginners or people looking to make the most out of their veg patch learning how to grow at home – no matter the size of your space! In the afternoon everyone enjoyed a locally-sourced 25 mile sharing lunch in The Folly with THE PIG-at Combe’s Head Chef, Dan Gavriilidis, taking them through the menu and their lunch, explaining the importance of our 25-mile suppliers. After lunch was the time to ask those all-important questions! Mark and Ollie held a Q&A session to end the day so we could really get into the nitty-gritty of growing at home. Vegetables grown in kitchen gardens include savoury leafy greens, beans, potatoes, corn, carrots, onions, tomatoes, peppers, asparagus, and peas. Fruit grown in a food garden includes sweet strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, grapes, and tree fruits like apples, pears, and plums.

Our ‘grow your own’ workshops are perfect for aspiring gardeners and the more green-fingered among us. You can expect tips, our seeds of knowledge from over the years of sowing, growing, and cooking across the litter and getting hands-on experimenting with forgotten foods and exploring new ways to grow.

Good news! We still have two workshops upcoming this year. Firstly, we have our ‘Fermenting the Garden’ workshop on Thursday 17 th March where you can spend the day learning all about fermentation. You will discover how different fermented fruit, vegetables and drinks have enriched our diets and improved health for centuries. You’ll enjoy interesting talks, demonstrations, lunch with our chef and much more! Chris and Fiona chat about growing potatoes for a Christmas crop and planting for the hunger gap in early spring. And discuss protecting your soil over autumn and winter with green manures. Delving deep into specific fields of study within horticulture, Mary Jane has an extensive knowledge base on sustainable gardening practices (including permaculture), soil science, and selecting cultivars well-suited to home gardeners. Her passion isn't just limited to plants; she's a staunch advocate for holistic, eco-friendly gardening techniques that benefit both flora and fauna. We're doing a lot of work conserving Scottish native flora, as well as plants that are dying out in the rest of the world,” says Kirsty. “It’s important to understand biodiversity and plant life – and the species that are struggling - so we can protect them…and raise awareness with governments.” Now let’s discuss how to create your own healthy garden full of edible food! Designing a food garden

Kirsty, a presenter on BBC Scotland’s Beechgrove Garden, explains the steps the garden is taking to help fight climate change, including preserving struggling plants, using green and clean technology and biocontrols for pests. He chats to Kirsty Wilson, herbaceous supervisor at the botanic gardens, to discover more about its 350-year-old living collection of plants and its research projects. A food garden can be anything from a few container pots on a patio to a large field of veggies. It can be a traditionally designed potager garden or an indoor countertop setup with LED plant lights. You can also surround your food garden with companion plants (for instance, evergreens make wonderful companion plants for berry bushes). And from the postbag, you can learn how to use nematodes, prevent blossom end rot and when to harvest your garlic.Mary Jane Duford is a passionate gardener and well-acclaimed authority in the world of horticulture. As a certified Master Gardener and Permaculture Garden Designer with over a decade of hands-on experience, she has honed her skills to cultivate a deeper understanding of the natural world around us. Beyond her gardening prowess, Mary Jane holds a distinct edge as a Professional Engineer, an expertise that often intertwines with her gardening methodologies, bringing a unique perspective to her readers. Finding spaces where human beings and nature can coexist is crucial,” says Pam. “And, for me, it’s all about sharing knowledge, not just showing. People learn better when they can do it for themselves.”