This week on the Veg Grower Podcast, I’ve been making the most of a week off work — and it’s amazing how much difference a few focused days can make. Daily visits to the allotment have helped me get on top of all those little jobs that build up, and the plot is looking better than it has in a long time. It really has been a week of garlic harvest and garden tidying, and everything is thriving for it.

The highlight of the week has been the garlic harvest. The bulbs grown on the allotment have outperformed those at home, with bigger bulbs and stronger stems. They’re now curing in the greenhouse ready for long‑term storage.

I’ve also been cutting back large clumps of comfrey for the compost bin. It’s growing vigorously at the moment, and while the bees love the flowers, the leaves make fantastic compost material.

Back home, the kitchen garden has had a proper tidy and reset. I’ve moved the HotBin composter to a more practical location and set up a new Autopot Spyder watering system — a product I genuinely rate highly. If you’d like to try Autopot yourself, you can use my affiliate code AUTO10RVG for 10% off on the Autopot website.

I’ve also spent time checking supports, tying in plants, and trimming back anything getting unruly. We’ve even had a nest of bumblebees set up near the chicken coop, which has been fascinating to watch.

This week’s recipe is a simple but delicious pea and mint crostini — perfect for using those early‑summer harvests and ideal as a quick garden‑side snack.

In the potting shed, I’m talking all about feeding our plants — when to feed, what to use, and how to avoid overdoing it. If you’re looking for reliable plant feeds, I recommend Empathy products.

They offer excellent seaweed feed, tomato feed, and specialist blends.

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Early June has brought that classic mix of heavy rain, strong winds and sudden sunshine — and the garden has certainly felt it. In this week’s episode, I’m sharing how the weather has shaped everything from seed sowing to weeding, plus an exciting update from the beehive as the colony continues to grow.

The kitchen garden has taken a real battering from the weather this week, but the plants are still powering on. Inside the shed, I’ve been making the most of the rain by sowing cucumbers, sweetcorn, kale, cabbage and beans in plug trays. Out in the Veggie Pod, more spring onions, radish and carrots have gone in — ideal quick crops for this time of year. There’s also been another round of cutting back the invasive climber along the fence line, which has taken full advantage of the warm, wet conditions.

Down on the allotment, everything has that early‑summer energy. The rain has made weeding incredibly satisfying, and the beds are looking much tidier for it. My early potatoes are still recovering from the May frost, while the main crop is thriving with strong, healthy foliage. The beans are climbing well, the boundary weeds are putting up their usual fight, and I’ve even planted some forgotten seed potatoes for a late experiment. It’s one of those weeks where the plot feels full of potential.

This week’s recipe is a simple early‑summer dish using chard and new potatoes fresh from the garden. Soft potatoes, sweet onions, garlic and colourful chard, finished with butter and lemon — a quick, fresh plate that tastes like summer. You’ll find the full recipe on the podcast page.

There’s exciting progress in the beehive this week as I add the colony’s first super, giving them space to expand and store surplus honey. I’m also diving into successional sowing — how often to sow different crops, what you can still sow right now in the UK, and how this simple habit keeps food coming all summer long. If you want steady harvests and fewer gluts, this is the segment to listen to.

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Early summer has truly arrived, and with it comes one of my favourite celebrations in the gardening calendar—Tomato Fortnight. As I shared in this week’s Veg Grower Podcast, the allotment and kitchen garden are bursting with activity, from staking tomatoes to sowing French beans, harvesting peas, and even spotting new life on my citrus tree.

Down on the allotment, the heat has been intense, but the tomatoes are thriving. I grow around eight different varieties, each chosen for a specific purpose—beefsteaks for sandwiches, salad tomatoes for everyday use, cherries for hanging baskets, and plum tomatoes for passata. As I said in the episode: “There are so many different varieties, hundreds and hundreds of varieties… that is why I grow so many different varieties of tomatoes.”

Between home and the allotment, that adds up to around 30 plants—and honestly, I could still grow more.

Greenhouse tomatoes crop earlier but lack the depth of flavour of outdoor-grown fruit. Outdoors, I rely on blight‑resistant varieties like Crimson Crush and Crimson Blush to help avoid devastation from late‑season blight. “Any tomatoes growing outside, unless they are blight resistant, are susceptible… it can literally rot your crop within a week.”

Consistent watering is key to avoiding split fruit and blossom end rot. I mulch heavily with straw to lock in moisture and feed weekly with seaweed until flowering, then switch to tomato feed.

The allotment beds are now fully planted. Sweetcorn has gone in as a block, not rows, to ensure good wind pollination. Squash and courgettes are thriving in the straw bales, settling in nicely after the recent cold snap.

Interestingly, my maincrop potatoes have overtaken the first earlies due to that cold spell: “The cold snap… just set those first earlies back a little bit.”

Back home, I’ve been racing to put out buckets and containers ahead of the forecast rain. “It has been a very dry year so far… I want to catch as much rainwater as I can.”

With 16 water butts running low, every drop counts.

June’s seed of the month is one of my absolute favourites—French climbing beans. They’re fast, productive, and perfect for filling gaps as spring crops finish.

Sowing is simple:

Beans aren’t hungry plants, but they do need something to climb. I use hazel-stick frames, drilling holes with a soil auger to get the sticks firmly into the ground. “They simply curl their way up around the stick… I find it fascinating.”

I also grow Borlotto for both fresh pods and dried beans—beautiful, versatile, and easy to store.

Harvests are rolling in: lettuce, radish, spring onions, peas, strawberries, raspberries, and the first courgettes of the year.

To celebrate the courgette glut, this week’s recipe is Early Summer Courgette & Mint Fritters with Lemon Yoghurt—crisp, fresh, and perfect for lunch. “These fritters are crisp on the outside, soft in the middle… lifted beautifully by fresh mint.”

My weekly apiary visit brought brilliant news: “The bees have incredibly settled in… we’re now up to eight frames of bees.”

Even better—I finally spotted the queen. Supers will be going on soon, meaning honey isn’t far away.

May’s unexpected Book of the Month was Home Brewing by Kevin Forbes. With elderflowers in full swing, I used it to make cordial and even started elderflower wine. “This book made it sound very, very easy.”

For June, I’ll be diving into The Victorian Kitchen Garden by Jennifer Davies.

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This week’s bank holiday brought record‑breaking heat, and like many gardeners, I’ve spent most of my time simply trying to keep plants alive. Between fast‑drying soil, thirsty young crops, and a greenhouse that felt more like an oven, it’s been a week of adapting, improvising, and learning a few new tricks to keep everything going.

It’s been a scorching bank holiday, and most of my time has gone into simply keeping plants alive. Watering has been the big job this week, especially with young plants and pots drying out so quickly.

The greenhouse has been a challenge too — my auto‑pots are brilliant, but even they struggled as the tank water evaporated in the heat. I’ve opened the window permanently and really should fit an auto‑vent.

A small win: using the Ryobi stick pump with a hosepipe has cut watering time from an hour to about 20 minutes. That’s been a lifesaver.

We’ve planted out beans, rosemary and sage, and harvested peas, rhubarb, and our first strawberries.

Watering is harder here, with troughs several plots away, but the straw mulch continues to make a huge difference.

A reminder from this week: not everything needs watering daily. Newly planted crops, yes. Established plants, no — a deep weekly soak is often enough.

I’ve been working early mornings to beat the heat and planted out more beans using hazel supports. The soil is rock‑hard, so I used a drill and auger to get the canes in.

New potatoes with garden greens and herb oil — simple, seasonal, and full of flavour. Full recipe is on the website.

My first hive inspection went well. More bees, new comb, nectar, and larvae — all signs the queen is laying, even though I didn’t spot her. A good start for the colony.

A brief visit to Chelsea left me inspired. The gardens were stunning, and it got me thinking: why shouldn’t a vegetable garden look beautiful too?

After also visiting Amberley Museum, I’ve settled on a more rustic kitchen garden style — hazel supports, herbs edging the beds, fan‑trained fruit trees, and reducing visible plastic where possible. It’s a long‑term project, but it finally feels like the right direction.

If you want the full story, including all the details and thoughts behind these changes, have a listen to this week’s episode.

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This week’s episode of The Veg Grower Podcast is a real mix of surprises, setbacks, and exciting new beginnings. From unexpected frost damage on the allotment to big changes in the kitchen garden — and the moment Richard finally becomes a beekeeper — there’s plenty to dive into. If you want the full story, the sounds, and the emotions behind it all, make sure you give the episode a listen.

Richard kicks off the week with a weather surprise — a mid‑May frost that caught many growers off guard. As he said, “This week we have had some frosts… temperatures have certainly dipped overnight.” Potatoes blackened, cucumbers wiped out, and a few tomatoes took a hit. It’s a lesson in not planting tender crops too early, even when the forecast looks safe.

But it’s not all doom and gloom — Richard shares how he’s bouncing back and what he’ll do differently next year.

With planting paused, Richard focused on weed control — essential at this time of year when everything grows at full speed. He also harvested rhubarb and asparagus, though the spears have been thinner than usual.

On the garlic front, the straw mulch continues to help reduce leek rust, though a few spots have appeared. As he explains in the podcast, removing affected leaves now gives the bulbs the best chance to finish strong.

Back home, the sheltered kitchen garden escaped most of the frost damage. Richard has been sorting through his many pots — and discovered that around 75% of his fruit bushes and trees didn’t survive winter.

He talks through what happened, what he’s replacing, and why he’s switching to matching pots and decorative stone mulch.

There’s still time to sow plenty, so this week included:

Richard shares why he’s sowing these now and how they fit into his late‑spring plan.

This week’s kitchen segment features a creamy spring onion and potato soup — simple, seasonal, and perfect if you’re harvesting early potatoes. Listen for the full method and tips.

The big moment has arrived — Richard is officially a beekeeper. He collected his nuc on Saturday, transported it safely, and transferred the frames into his hive. As he described, “Within another couple of hours, the bees seem to have settled in.”

He also shares the full story of getting stung, settling the bees, and how he found the perfect field site.

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This week has been one of those classic early‑May weeks where everything seems to need doing at once. I’ve been sowing our Seed of the Month, tackling slugs and snails in the kitchen garden, trying to stay on top of the allotment before inspections begin, and finishing our April Book of the Month: RHS Can I Grow Potatoes in Pots? by Sally Nex. There’s plenty to share, so let’s get into it.

This week in the kitchen garden we’ve been sowing our Seed of the Month: Winter Cabbage. I’m a little later than planned, but May and June are still perfect months to get these hardy brassicas started. Winter cabbages are one of my favourite crops because they stand strong through the cold months and give you that wonderful feeling of harvesting fresh veg when everything else has slowed down. There’s nothing quite like cutting a crisp cabbage on Christmas Day.

Somvarities I recommend are:

I sow mine in root trainers filled with a good quality seed compost, making a hole about a centimetre deep and dropping in one seed per cell. They don’t need heat at this time of year — just a cool, bright spot in the shed. Once the roots show at the bottom, they’re ready for potting on. I’ll be planting mine out in the bed where my first early potatoes have been growing, once those are harvested in June.

Alongside the cabbages, the kitchen garden has been full of activity. Lots of plants have gone into the ground, but the slugs and snails have been causing havoc, especially on my squash and sweetcorn. Thankfully there’s still time to sow replacements, and I even picked up a couple of courgette plants from the garden centre — different varieties to what I usually grow, but I’m always happy to experiment.

To help manage the slug problem, I’ve been using an upturned clay pot as a trap. The slugs hide inside during the day, making them easy to collect and feed to the chickens. It’s simple, effective, and nothing goes to waste. Some of my brassicas, especially the purple sprouting broccoli and kale, are still in flower and taking up a lot of space, but I’m determined to save more of my own seed this year, so I’m letting them finish their cycle before clearing the beds.

It’s been incredibly busy on the allotment. We’re only a third of the way through the year, but everything seems to have hit at once. I’ll admit I’ve been feeling a bit overwhelmed — a combination of dry weather, lots of planting, and the knowledge that allotment inspections are just around the corner.

To stay on top of things, I sit down every Thursday evening and write a list of weekend tasks, sorted by priority:

This week I’ve been planting out cucumbers, which are now climbing up hazel sticks harvested from my own tree. They look great once they’re in, even if the sticks are a bit of a battle to get into the ground.

I’ve also been cutting back comfrey. It’s a brilliant plant for compost, mulch, and homemade plant feed, though it does have a habit of popping up everywhere. The leaves make a great mulch for tomatoes and cucumbers, adding potassium and helping retain moisture.

The allotment is looking good overall. Potatoes are up, asparagus and rhubarb are coming thick and fast, and the garlic is looking excellent with no sign of leek rust. Even the elephant garlic is starting to form flower heads — which I’ll snap off and use in the kitchen.

This week’s recipe is a simple but delicious Broad Bean Smash, perfect for early‑season broad beans that have overwintered beautifully.

You’ll find the full recipe on the Veg Grower Podcast website. It’s quick, fresh, and works brilliantly on toast, with new potatoes, or alongside grilled halloumi or chicken.

Throughout April I’ve been reading Can I Grow Potatoes in Pots? by Sally Nex, part of the RHS practical Q&A series. Despite the title, it’s not just about potatoes. It’s a compact but incredibly useful guide covering a wide range of fruit and veg, with advice on choosing varieties, troubleshooting pests, and growing more sustainably.

The Q&A format makes it very easy to dip into. Instead of long chapters, you can jump straight to the question you need answered — whether it’s thinning beetroot, growing veg in pots, or dealing with pests without harming wildlife.

Sally Nex writes in a practical, down‑to‑earth style. With over 20 years of experience feeding her family from her garden, her advice is realistic and achievable. I particularly appreciate the sustainability angle — reducing plastic, working with wildlife, and growing food in a low‑impact way.

You can pick up a copy here!

It’s been a busy week, but a productive one. From sowing winter cabbages to battling slugs, planting cucumbers, cutting comfrey, and reviewing a great little RHS book, there’s been plenty going on both in the garden and on the allotment.

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Until next time, happy growing.

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This week has been a little different here at the Veg Grower Podcast. While the allotment and kitchen garden have mostly seen me planting out the last of the season’s young plants, the real highlight has been my annual trip to the Gardener’s World Spring Fair at Beaulieu. It’s a show I look forward to every single year, and once again it didn’t disappoint. From catching up with friends like Aid Sellers and Lucy Chamberlain to exploring the inspiring show gardens and stalls, it was a day packed with ideas, conversations, and a good dose of gardening joy. Here’s what I’ve been up to.

One of the things I love most about these events is the people. Gardeners often work alone in their plots, but shows like this remind us that we’re part of a huge, enthusiastic community.

I caught up with Ade Sellers, who was hosting the “In Conversation With” stage. Aid spoke passionately about the joy of seeing audiences engage with speakers — from seasoned growers to complete beginners. He described those moments when someone hears a single nugget of advice and you can almost see the lightbulb switch on. That’s what these shows are all about.

Later, I met up with Lucy Chamberlain, who, alongside De Graft, created the “Make a Metre Matter” garden. Divided into nine one‑metre squares, it showcased everything from punchy salad leaves to wildlife habitats, including a beautifully crafted hedgehog nest made entirely from natural, easy‑to‑source materials. Lucy’s enthusiasm for small‑space growing was infectious — proof that even a single square metre can transform a space.

Of course, no day out is complete without food, and this week’s Recipe of the Week was designed with picnics in mind: a Spring Garden Quiche filled with asparagus, spring onions, herbs, and a creamy egg mixture. I cheated with shop‑bought pastry (don’t judge!), but the result was delicious — perfect for eating on the lawn between exploring the gardens and stalls. The full recipe is on the website if you fancy giving it a go.

We arrived at Beaulieu just as the gates opened, with Amanda and Roxy joining me thanks to a mercifully cloudy forecast. The gardens were my first stop — they always are — and the designers had done a fantastic job. From wildlife‑friendly planting to clever small‑space ideas, there was plenty to take home and try.

As always, I couldn’t resist a bit of shopping. I came away with:

The afternoon brought rain, and the showground emptied almost instantly, but even that didn’t dampen the mood. It was a brilliant day out — full of ideas, friendly faces, and that unmistakable buzz that only a gardening show can bring.

I’m already looking forward to Gardeners’ World Live in June and Audley End in September, where Lucy will be creating another Make a Metre Matter garden. If you’ve never been to one of these shows, I can’t recommend them enough. They’re friendly, practical, and packed with inspiration for gardeners of all levels.

If you were at the Spring Fair, I’d love to hear what you thought. And as always, if you enjoy the podcast, a rating or review helps more people discover the joy of growing their own food.

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We’re at the end of April and everything suddenly feels early this year. Warm days, fast growth, and that sense that the season has properly kicked into gear. I’ve taken a few risks in the kitchen garden, made good progress down on the allotment, and had a beekeeping experience that’s left me more excited than ever about keeping my own hive. Here’s what’s been happening.

I’ve done something I don’t normally do at this time of year: I planted out all my tender plants. Tomatoes, aubergines, chillies, peppers, courgettes — they’re all in the ground. It’s a gamble, but with fleece ready and plenty of backup plants, I’m willing to take the chance.

The kitchen garden looks full now, even though a few brassicas are still flowering before they come out. A big job finally ticked off was moving the Belfast sinks that hold our herbs. With my brother’s help, they’re now in front of the potting shed and look much better there.

Seed sowing is calming down, although I did lose a batch of sweetcorn after leaving them too long in the heated propagator. A reminder that airflow matters. I’ve also sown Crown Prince pumpkins — one of my favourites — and I’m hoping to save seed from them later in the year.

Watering has suddenly become a daily job. Mulching with compost is helping, but if this dry spell continues, we’ll be relying heavily on the water butts.

It’s been warm enough that I regretted not taking water with me, so a reminder to take fluids, sunscreen and a hat. I’ve made myself ill before by ignoring that.

The last of the potatoes went in this week — King Edwards — finishing off six weeks of staggered planting. Compost is always tight, but we had just enough to mulch the bed.

The brassicas are all planted out too: sprouts, cabbages, cauliflowers, kale. A bit of lime, firm soil, and a good watering. The pigeons have already shown interest, but instead of netting, I’ve put up children’s windmill toys. They move in the breeze, scare off pigeons, and still let the smaller birds in to deal with slugs and snails.

A quick mow made the whole plot look better, and the asparagus bed is now producing well. I picked a good handful this week, and more spears are appearing every day.

With early peas and fresh mint ready, I made a simple pea and mint soup. Butter, onion, garlic, peas, stock, fresh mint — blended until smooth and served with crusty bread. It tastes like spring in a bowl and is a great way to use those first early peas.

For my birthday, my wife booked me onto a beekeeping experience day, and it was fascinating. The beekeeper I visited manages 140 hives across Sussex, and as we arrived, a swarm was already moving between trees. Standing in the middle of thousands of bees was incredible — they weren’t aggressive, just busy.

We suited up and went through several hives, checking for eggs, honey stores, pollen and queen cells. I learned a huge amount, including how to spot signs of swarming. One hive was a bit angry, and after we took our suits off, I did get stung twice, but it hasn’t put me off at all.

What it has done is confirm that keeping bees at home isn’t suitable — too close to neighbours. The allotment is the better option, but the council requires experience before granting permission, which is tricky when you can’t get experience without keeping bees. I’m working with them to find a way forward.

I’m more excited than ever to start keeping bees properly.

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This week on the Veg Grower Podcast, Richard takes us through that wonderful mid‑April moment when everything suddenly bursts into life. The allotment is waking up fast, the kitchen garden is buzzing with activity, and even the potting shed has a surprisingly important topic to tackle. There’s been planting, sowing, weeding, rescuing, and—thanks to a small accident—some very seasonal cooking too. It’s been a full and productive week, and Richard shares it all.

Richard begins the week down on the allotment, where the next batch of potatoes has gone into the ground. This time it’s the Maris Piper, the first of the maincrop varieties and one of Richard’s favourites for roasting and chipping. The method stays simple: a hole, a seed potato, a sprinkle of fertiliser, a layer of compost and a good watering.

There’s excitement too, because the Rocket potatoes planted earlier in the season have now pushed their first leaves through the soil. Those tiny green shoots are always a reassuring sight, a sign that the season is moving forward and that the first harvest isn’t too far away.

A few weeks ago Richard sowed carrots and parsnips on the south side of the greenhouse, and they’ve now germinated. They’re still tiny, but they’re up, and that’s what matters. They’ll need careful watering, but it’s another sign that spring is well underway.

Richard has also planted out onions grown from seed—a fiddly job, but one that should pay off with fewer bolted onions later in the year. And the broad beans have gone in too, both the overwintered plants and the January‑sown experiment. They’re now tucked into the old straw bale bed and mulched with straw to help keep the moisture in.

Seed saving is a big focus for Richard this year, so a couple of parsnip plants have been left in the ground to flower. They still look like ordinary parsnips for now, but once they bolt, they’ll provide seed for next year.

And while weeding the asparagus bed, Richard accidentally snapped off a couple of spears. Not ideal, but they came home and ended up inspiring this week’s recipe.

Back home, the kitchen garden has been just as busy. The greenhouse has been warm—very warm—and the autopots have kept the tomatoes, cucumbers, chillies and peppers perfectly watered. They’re growing strongly and won’t be long before they start flowering.

The cold frame, however, has been a battleground. Slugs and snails have found their way in and eaten Richard’s cucumbers. Because he doesn’t use pellets, it’s back to the usual routine of nightly slug patrols, a bucket, and the chickens enjoying the spoils the next morning. The upside‑down clay pot trick is still working well, giving the slugs a cool hiding place that makes them easy to collect.

Out in the main beds, Richard has been tackling the weeding in small, manageable sections. One area by the shed had become a bit of a dumping ground for pots, so he cleared it, trimmed the grass, and planted an apple tree there instead. It won’t fruit this year, but it’s a long‑term improvement to the space.

Some of the potted fruit trees haven’t survived last year’s dry summer and this winter’s cold snap, including the citrus. A few might still come back, but replacements may be needed. Meanwhile, the seed sowing continues in the shed—more beans, more sweetcorn, more of everything really—and the heated propagators have now been switched off for the season.

This week’s recipe came about thanks to those accidentally harvested asparagus spears. Asparagus has such a short season and such a delicate flavour that when it’s ready, you really do have to make the most of it.

Richard made a simple asparagus and potato traybake with a lemon and herb dressing. Potatoes were roasted first, then chopped asparagus and red onion were added along with a little more oil and seasoning. While that finished cooking, Richard whisked together olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, parsley, salt and pepper. Once the tray came out of the oven, the dressing was drizzled over the top and served immediately. Fresh, bright, and absolutely delicious.

In the potting shed this week, Richard turns his attention to something that doesn’t sound glamorous but makes a huge difference: labels.

Richard labels everything—seed trays, pots, fruit trees, permanent plantings—because you never remember what’s what later on. Over the years he’s tried all sorts. Plastic labels with pencil remain his go‑to for seedlings because they’re cheap, reusable and don’t fade. Wooden lollipop sticks rot too quickly. Copper labels are brilliant for fruit trees and bushes because they last forever, though once something is engraved, that’s it.

This weekend Richard made a batch of larger wooden labels for outdoor beds. He cut timber into thirty‑centimetre lengths, painted them white, and hand‑painted the plant names and varieties in black. Inspired by the labels at West Dean Gardens, they look smart, stand out well, and should last a good while. It’s a small thing, but it makes the whole garden feel more organised and more intentional.

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This week’s episode takes us from a sun‑soaked kitchen garden to a windswept allotment and finally into the potting shed, where a familiar spring pest has been causing more trouble than usual. With seedlings on the move, potatoes going into the ground, and straw bales warming up for the season ahead, Episode 653 is packed with early‑season momentum — and a few challenges along the way.

The week began with one of those in‑between moments — waiting for the hairdresser to arrive, not enough time for a big job, but too much time to sit still. So Richard grabbed his gloves and did what many gardeners do: a quick “just a few weeds” session.

That small job revealed something wonderful.

The brassicas left to flower — Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbages, cauliflower — were alive with bees. Clouds of them. A simple decision to let plants bolt for seed saving has turned into a pollinator magnet, proving how tiny choices can make a huge difference to wildlife.

Another major task was finally moving the large VegePod to join the small and medium pods near the shed. After harvesting the last beetroot and parsnips, all the compost was dug out, refreshed with perlite and new compost, and the whole unit shifted a metre back to free up patio space. Freshly sown carrots, parsnips, beetroot and more are already settling into their new home.

And of course — it’s April — so it’s been a manic sowing week. Pumpkins, melons, courgettes, squash, French beans, runner beans, cannellini beans… the seed trays are filling fast. Potting on continues daily, though a damaged cold frame lid (thanks to strong winds) has added a small frustration to the week.

Despite the wind, the allotment has been basking in sunshine, and the first walk‑around revealed a plot full of promise.

But one bed has raised a question: the winter tares green manure sown in autumn has exploded into lush growth, shading out weeds beautifully. With tomatoes and cucumbers due to go into that bed in four weeks, the debate is whether to cut it now or let it keep working. A classic gardener’s quandary.

Potatoes were next on the list — this week’s variety was Wilja, the final second early before main crops begin next week. They went into freshly dug holes with potato fertiliser and a generous topping of homemade compost from the insulated “fridge door” compost bin, which has produced rich, black, crumbly material at impressive speed.

Shallots also made an appearance. After struggling to find sets this year, a bag of Red Sun was finally sourced and planted. The plan? Save some for replanting next year.

And finally, the straw bale garden is back for another season. Last year’s bales have broken down into gorgeous compost, and this year’s bales are now in the conditioning phase — urea, water, and soon nettle tea. Squash plants will be the stars of this year’s straw bale experiment.

The final segment of the episode dives into a problem many gardeners are facing right now: aphids on young seedlings.

Richard noticed the tell‑tale signs — curled leaves, sticky residue, slow growth — and soon spotted whitefly and greenfly clustered on plants grown indoors. The warm, still air of the kitchen had become a perfect breeding ground.

Moving the seedlings to the shed made an immediate difference. Cooler nights and natural airflow helped slow the aphids down, proving once again that environment matters just as much as intervention.

True to his ethos, Richard avoids insecticides — even organic ones. Instead, he relies on gentle water sprays, manual checking, and letting nature take the lead.

That’s where the ladybirds come in.

Inspired by a visit to Autopot, where trays of ladybird larvae were used as natural pest control, Richard looked into buying some — but they were expensive and hard to source. Then nature stepped in: a ladybird appeared in the garden, and it was gently relocated into the shed like a tiny, polka‑dotted superhero.

Ladybirds and their larvae can eat dozens of aphids a day, and while they may come and go freely, the hope is that they’ll help restore balance. Mint and companion herbs haven’t made a difference this year, so predators seem the best route.

Aphids aren’t a sign of failure — just opportunists. And with airflow, movement, and a few natural allies, the seedlings are already looking better.

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