Kew Experts, 7 - The Kew Gardener's Guide to Growing Vegetables : The Art and Science to Grow Your Own Vegetables

This guide from the experts of Kew Royal Botanical Gardens is filled with tips and advice to help you grow your best vegetable garden ever! In this book Kew's Kitchen Gardener, Helena Dove, combines practical elements with inspiration and beauty to make a comprehensive and informative guide with all you need to know to master theart of growing vegetables. She shows how to grow some of the most popular staple crops such as tomatoes, potatoes, radishes and rocket, and also some more unusual and exciting choices such as oca, tomatillo, seakale and yacon. She gives easy to follow instructions on how to be a successful vegetable gardener, plus 12 exciting projects to try throughout the year including forcing rhubarb, creating an asparagus border and growing in raised beds. From sowing, to planting young plants, to hardening off and harvesting, find out what you need to do and when, to produce the most magnificent harvests. All the advice is underpinned by the expertise and authority of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and illustrated from Kew's world-famous botanical collection. ​ With this book, you wil be able to reap a rich bounty of delicious vegetables from just a few packets of seed and some fertile ground! This book is from the Kew Experts series, in which the top gardeners and botanical scientists from Royal Botanic Kew Gardens offer up advice and information as well as suggesting handy projects on a range of gardening topics. Other titles include: Companion to Medicinal Plants, Guide to Growing Bulbs, Guide to Growing Fruit, Guide to Growing Orchids, Guide to Growing Roses, Guide to Growing Succulents and Cacti, Guide to Growing Trees, Guide to Growing Herbs and Guide to Growing House Plants. Cover......Page 1 Half Title......Page 3 Title......Page 5 Acknowledgments......Page 146 Contents......Page 6 INTRODUCTION TO GROWING VEGETABLES......Page 9 PLANTS......Page 31 Okra......Page 32 Leek......Page 33 Onion......Page 34 PROJECT 1: RAISED BEDS......Page 36 Shallot......Page 38 Spring onion......Page 39 Garlic......Page 40 American groundnut......Page 42 Celery......Page 43 Celeriac......Page 44 Peanut......Page 45 Asparagus......Page 46 PROJECT 2: CREATING AN ASPARAGUS BED......Page 48 Beetroot......Page 50 Chard......Page 51 Swede......Page 52 Kale......Page 53 Calabrese......Page 55 PROJECT 3: USING VEGETABLES AS A DECORATIVE DISPLAY......Page 56 Cauliflower......Page 58 Cabbage......Page 59 Brussels sprout......Page 61 Kohl rabi......Page 62 Sprouting broccoli......Page 63 Turnip......Page 64 Pak choi......Page 65 Mizuna......Page 66 Komatsuna......Page 67 Pepper......Page 68 Endive......Page 69 Chicory......Page 70 Miner’s lettuce......Page 71 Seakale......Page 72 Cucumber......Page 73 PROJECT 4: CREATING A WILDLIFE-FRIENDLY VEGETABLE GARDEN......Page 74 Courgette and summer squash......Page 76 Winter squash......Page 77 Pumpkin......Page 78 Globe artichoke......Page 79 Carrot......Page 80 PROJECT 5: BUILDING A ROOT CLAMP......Page 82 Rocket......Page 84 Florence fennel......Page 85 Soya bean......Page 86 Jerusalem artichoke......Page 88 Sweet potato......Page 89 PROJECT 6: SWEET-POTATO SLIPS......Page 90 Lettuce......Page 92 Cucamelon......Page 94 Watercress......Page 95 PROJECT 7: ROOTING WATERCRESS......Page 96 Oca......Page 98 Parsnip......Page 99 Parsley root......Page 100 Runner bean......Page 101 French bean......Page 102 Tomatillo......Page 103 Pea......Page 104 PROJECT 8: WINDOWSILL SALADS......Page 106 Mangetout and sugarsnap pea......Page 108 Radish......Page 109 Radish pod......Page 110 Rhubarb......Page 111 PROJECT 9: FORCED RHUBARB......Page 112 Buckler-leaf sorrel......Page 114 Agretti......Page 115 Yacon......Page 116 Tomato......Page 117 PROJECT 10: SEED SAVING......Page 120 Aubergine......Page 122 Potato......Page 123 PROJECT 11: FESTIVE WINTER VEGETABLES......Page 126 Spinach......Page 128 Lamb’s lettuce......Page 129 PROJECT 12: NATURAL SUPPORTS FOR BROAD BEANS......Page 130 Broad bean......Page 132 Sweetcorn......Page 133 Troubleshooting......Page 134 What to do when......Page 138 M......Page 144 Y......Page 145 Create your best vegetable garden ever with a few packets of seed and some fertile ground! In this book Kew's Kitchen Gardener, Helena Dove, combines practical elements with inspiration and beauty.She shows how to growsome of the most popular staplecropssuch as tomatoes, potatoes, radishes and rocket, and also some more unusual exciting choices such as oca, tomatillo, seakale and yacon. She gives easy to follow instructions on how to be a successful vegetable gardener, plus 12 exciting projects to try throughout the year including forcing rhubarb, creating an asparagus border and growing in raised beds. From sowing, to planting young plants, to hardening off and harvesting, find out what you need to do and when, to produce the most magnificent harvests. All the advice isunderpinned by the expertise and authority of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and illustrated from Kew's world-famous botanical collection. The Kew Guide to Growing Vegetables looks at some of the most common vegetables grown, and also some more unusual edibles. It gives easy to follow instructions on how to be a successful vegetable gardener, plus 12 exciting projects to try throughout the year. From sowing, to planting young plants, to hardening off and harvesting, Helena Dove, Kew's Kitchen Gardener shows what can be achieved with a few packets of seed and some fertile ground A combination of botanical beauty and practical advice in The Kew Gardener's Guide to Growing Vegetables will inspire beginners and experienced growers to love and grow 60 fantastic crops and 12 inspirational projects.