The guava tree is native to Central and South America and grows to around 20-33 ft in height. While the tree itself is reasonably attractive, it is most commonly cultivated for the delicious fruits. When sliced open, guava fruits can look very similar to watermelon, however the flavour is much stronger, often said to be … Read more
The bitter gourd is a vigorous vine that is native to the tropics and Asia. Also known as “balsam pear” and “bitter cucumber”, the fruits look rather like like bumpy cucumbers. If you’re looking to grow something a little bit “different” then you could do a lot worse than these unusual gourds. The odd-looking fruits … Read more
Growing a few vegetables each year is far from difficult. Even with some bad luck and a distinct lack of weeding most of us can produce at least a few crops each year. However maximizing those yields and getting the most vegetables possible – now that’s another challenge. Over the last few years I’ve slowly … Read more
If there’s one complaint that I hear about vegetable gardens it’s simply that they’re “ugly”. People often want to hide them away out of sight, and overlooking someone else’s vegetable plot can be a cause for neighbourly tensions. But things don’t have to be like that. With a little thought and effort your pride and … Read more
Over the last six years I have carefully maintained a community garden (known here in the UK as an allotment). In that time I have been amazed at how many other gardeners have come and gone – largely because they “don’t have the time”. Just as many have been kicked off their plots for lack … Read more
There are many gardeners who take pride in growing wholesome, organically-grown produce right throughout the year. But I’m not one of them. I’m a distinctly “fair weather gardener”. Living in the UK as I do, not only can winters get pretty chilly, but the wind and rain can cause some serious problems. The earth turns … Read more
This year I did something a little bit crazy; I went travelling for the entire summer and left my beloved vegetable plot in the hands of my mother-in-law. There were two impacts of this travel; firstly, I still wanted to produce fruits and vegetables if at all possible, and secondly I wanted to make the … Read more
Did you just bring in your latest harvest of beetroots and greens? You might be wondering how to store them for the winter. Short term storage is far easier than long term, and won’t take too much effort or time on your part. Long term storage opens more options up to you, but is also … Read more
Scotch bonnets are among the hottest peppers in the world. The name might sound fun and happy, but the pepper itself is anything but. The typical spice rating of a Scotch Bonnet pepper is the same as a habanero. You don’t usually find these peppers at supermarkets in the US, but you do have a … Read more
There can be fewer more powerful tastes of summer than the crisp, sweet, cool flesh of a watermelon. For many of us in cooler climates (like me in the UK) they conjure up images of hot, Mediterranean areas; Spain, perhaps, or Greece. Surely, nobody could grow watermelons in more temperate conditions? As it turn out, … Read more