Julian Cassell's DIY Blog

Growing lettuce is a great idea for any vegetable garden, and with some good planning you can provide lettuce for your family all summer and into autumn. There are plenty of options in terms of choice – some of my favourites include ‘cut and come again’ varieties that you harvest after just four weeks. You can simply pull single leaves from each lettuce as required, or cut a plant 3cm above the base and let it sprout again. The lettuce just keeps on growing! read more »

Growing peas is yet another great option for your garden. You do need to be a little careful about the time of year you sow, but in general, peas are very straightforward to plant and look after. A good idea, in small gardens, is to sow peas in ground that can afterwards be used for salad, leeks, or cabbage. Also be aware that peas need plenty of water to thrive. read more »

Growing your own vegetables is a good idea on so many levels. It’s convenient, you can be organic, you can grow far more varieties than you can buy in the shops, you can experiment with unusual varieties, it’s fun, and of course, it is a great money-saving option to grow vegetables yourself. All you need is an open well-drained plot, and even if that’s not an option, vegetables can be grown in containers, grow bags, and even window boxes. Therefore, large or small scale, it is nearly always possible to grow some of your own vegetables at home. read more »

Because so many recipes make use of onions, shallots or garlic, growing them in your garden always seems like a sensible option to me. Not only are they all very easy to grow, these indispensable vegetables are simple to store for future use. Onions of ordinary size and quality can be grown in most soils. Always, check the specific instructions provided by your supplier, but the basics of growing onions, shallots and garlic, are laid out below. read more »

Growing potatoes is one of the most satisfying of all vegetable gardening adventures. Furthermore, potatoes are an excellent crop for new or neglected gardens as the root system breaks up the soil and improves its structure. There are few soils in which potatoes won’t grow reasonably well and the sequence below shows how simple the process can be. You do need to do a bit of preparation in getting your seed potatoes ready for planting, and because there are many varieties to choose from, always pay particular attention to the supplier’s guidelines on when exactly to plant. read more »