GROWING your own produce fresh from the garden comes with many advantages – not only will it provide you with fresh and delicious produce, it is also a healthy activity and is great for educating children about where their food comes from.

Picking a good location in the garden is absolutely key! Try and choose a sunny spot – most vegetables need at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight a day, although some leafy veggies will tolerate some shade. Another must is having well drained soil – wet soil means wet roots, which can turn into rotted roots.

If you are growing vegetables for the first time I would recommend lettuce, tomatoes, radishes, cucumber and carrots. These vegetables will require very little care besides planting and watering.

TOP TIP – if you put banana skins on top of the soil where your tomatoes grow, it will ripen them quicker!

HERB GARDENS
Herbs are a must in any garden – not only can they be used in cooking, teas, cocktails and herbal remedies, they will also bring beautiful fragrant foliage to your garden!

The easiest herbs to grow are perennial herbs that you can buy in pots – these include rosemary, mint, chives and lavender, which will all thrive in full sun!

A few herbs will do well in dry conditions, including rosemary, sage, lavender and thyme, but they will need watering once a week. All other herbs should be watered more frequently, preferably every day.

Growing herbs in containers is a great way to be able to enjoy them on your decking, patio and outdoor spaces. This means they are at hand when cooking for the family in the summer! Whether you are having a barbecue, or enjoy a fresh slice of pizza, you will have fresh summer produce right at hand.

Pizza herb gardens have become very popular with the rise of alfresco dining in summer! If you have a pizza oven in your garden and would like to start your very own pizza-herb garden, pop in to Goulds Garden Centre where our friendly team can give you all the advice you may need. Happy gardening!

Join us in-store at Goulds Garden Centre for tasty pizza tastings!

Jack and Matt from Gozney will be cooking up delicious stone-baked pizzas in-store to demonstrate the Roccbox portable pizza oven and accessories. This portable pizza oven gives an authentic taste, crust and finish – and what’s more Jack and Matt can cook a pizza in 60 seconds! But don’t take our word for it, come along and taste for yourself on Saturday, May 20, from 11am.

SUE BUTTERWORTH
GouldsGC.co.uk

Sue Butterworth is in her 24th year at Goulds Garden Centre. She is the plant manager for this busy store and has been sourcing plants for award-winning gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show since 2018. She is an avid gardener, leading to numerous Britain in Bloom awards, including a 1st.