tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21167261292589651402012-02-14T15:35:08.702ZThe London Vegetable Garden - follow the exploits of a London city gardener, trying to grow vegetables on an urban balcony and reach self-sufficiency (for a meal or two at least) ...Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.comBlogger1571100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-1912293845073448202011-10-28T11:53:00.002+01:002011-10-28T11:56:41.198+01:00

I recently received an email from the team at My Garden School: they have just recently launched and wanted me to try one their online gardening courses (one of the perks of having a gardening blog!). I haven't had time to participate in one of the courses yet due to moving house and starting a new job, but I looked at their site and what they have to offer. I have to say, it’s very original,

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-90617981036878736102011-06-26T19:13:00.011+01:002011-06-26T19:37:01.498+01:00

For those of us who reside in England's capital, exploring the 'great outdoors' is made very possible by the abundance of splendid public parks dotted around London. Those with a penchant for plants however, will find that their passions will be infinitely better served by a visit to London's globally-renowned Kew Gardens.Within easy reach for Londoners and visitors to the capital alike, the

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-86922387830516121262011-06-09T09:04:00.004+01:002011-06-09T13:45:29.195+01:00

Let’s face it; Fathers’ Day is very much like Christmas in the fact that dads everywhere expect a deluge of tired, unoriginal presents – cue copious quantities of socks, aftershave and slippers!So with Fathers’ Day fast approaching in the UK, what inspiration can one fine in the garden, down on the allotment or even on the balcony? What seasonal shrubbery can create a unique Fathers’ day gift?In

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-78152462654173082112011-01-19T19:18:00.003Z2011-01-19T19:22:54.852Z

I have clearly been guilty of far more procrastination than planting, since my records indicate my last post to the London Vegetable Garden was on October 11th! Although the winter months are barren, my barren blogging spell has in fact been down to a number of reasons: hectic periods at work and home, coupled with the fact that I had to give up the allotment in November.Those of you who

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-39602038206351906442010-10-11T18:29:00.002+01:002010-10-11T18:31:33.040+01:00

...or vegetables to be precise! That's right; although the UK basked in radiant autumnal sunshine and warmth this weekend, the heady heights of summer's vegetable growing are now well and truly over.I went for a morning run up to the allotment this morning before work to see if there was anything left for me to salvage before I started putting the bed to bed for the winter. I've managed to pick

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-34903565368531128132010-09-19T10:25:00.005+01:002010-09-19T10:31:03.847+01:00

With September now getting chillier by the day, it's time to start clearing up the allotment and sorting out seeds for next year. My runner bean plants are still providing me with a handful of runner beans each visit, but there are many pods that have shrivelled up and turned brown and papery.However, this is all according to plan, since these pods will now contain seeds...

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-83130491323223386032010-09-13T21:15:00.002+01:002010-09-13T21:19:32.531+01:00

The English gardener needs no overt sign that summer is on the wan; indeed, there exists a multitude of subtle signs indicating that the garden is now slowing down as it prepares for autumn and the long days of winter.The vivid burst and flourish of summer activity, only weeks old in the memory, has now given way to the turning of leaves, gloomier evenings and colder mornings. Indeed, as I went

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-12308602457387886922010-09-01T11:27:00.003+01:002010-09-01T11:27:00.614+01:00

One of the things I learnt from growing tomatoes on my balcony last year was that they need constant care and attention. I took a lot of time on my tomatoes last year, which resulted in a productive period of cropping on the London Vegetable Garden balcony!Now that the London Vegetable Garden has moved to an allotment, my tomato growing of 2010 has been a very different experience entirely. I

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-45481058932450822282010-08-30T18:19:00.002+01:002010-08-30T18:21:02.223+01:00

Another weekend, another harvest! It's that time of year where allotments can quickly get overrun with produce, which is no bad thing for the urban gardener!This August has seen plenty of rain in London, as well as plenty of muggy weather, which has been perfect for the London Vegetable Garden allotment. As stated before, getting to and from the allotment takes planning – and usually involves a

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-75822039038126748622010-08-08T13:02:00.002+01:002010-08-08T13:15:34.260+01:00

This time of year often leads to inactivity on gardening blogs – the London Vegetable Garden included. Why? Well, in respect of myself, there's been holiday, busy times at work, lazy evenings walking along the river and even a rounders night thrown in.But the main reason for inactivity on the London Vegetable Garden over the last month has been... plenty of activity on the allotment! The busy

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-69269082223446828792010-07-05T21:28:00.007+01:002010-07-05T21:33:17.817+01:00

One of the most charming things about having an allotment next to a stream is that it provides a picturesque retreat – a secluded urban oasis that is perfect for escaping the trappings of modern life. This evening, my girlfriend and I walked up to the allotment for a quiet evening picnic; the functional purpose of plant-watering given added incentive by the thought of escaping noisy neighbours

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-48963452874135559702010-07-03T18:00:00.003+01:002010-07-03T18:04:32.325+01:00

Stick your head outside one of the windows at my flat and you'll inevitably be treated to a constant cacophony of screeching planes on their final approach to Heathrow airport. Invasive aviation aside, popping your head outside of the window is also likely to result in a brush with all manner of plants and pots, which I have been growing from seed over the past few weeks.Along with courgette and

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-80653929686894065562010-07-03T17:37:00.005+01:002010-07-03T17:42:13.038+01:00

In regards to vegetable growing, the great outdoors is a hard mistress to please. The transition from balcony to allotment has undeniably been a difficult one; however the number of pitfalls, perils and pests has surpassed even my own expectations.There's no doubt that much of this year's gardening has been a learning curve of huge magnitude; an education which has been supported by many of my

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-6912240942335726212010-06-27T17:25:00.007+01:002010-06-27T19:50:17.445+01:00

Pigeons, ants, blackfly and slugs: there's no doubting that these are tough times down at the London Vegetable Garden allotment. Today, I took a 3-minute video showing what's been going on, what's growing and how I'm battling a plethora of pests in order to keep the organic odyssey going...

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-89725622974498759662010-06-20T11:20:00.002+01:002010-06-20T11:22:27.271+01:00

By my own admission, I am a vegetable gardener with Jekyll and Hyde tendencies! That is to say, that whilst this weekend has been full of gloom, doom and disheartenment (see previous post!), this post is all about positive potato progress!The potato plants were one of the first vegetables I planted back in April and so far, seem to be the only plant that's thriving – probably due to the fact

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-61315579076688080492010-06-20T10:55:00.001+01:002010-06-20T10:57:09.741+01:00

There's no escaping the fact that this is the first blog post in a while. Whilst the World Cup has admittedly played its part in the lack of gardening updates, another factor is plain and simply that, for the first time in my very short gardening life, I am feeling thoroughly unmotivated and disheartened - and judging by the picture above, it's not hard to see why!I've no doubt that every

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-72173141770629498032010-05-31T21:03:00.013+01:002010-05-31T21:16:02.705+01:00

As the sun sets on May and June ebbs in to announce the 'official' months of summer, gardeners everywhere are looking forward to a solid 3 months of predictable, dependable British weather. OK, so perhaps there is no such thing as a reliable British summer, but nevertheless, now is the busy season – and here's how things currently stand on the London Vegetable Garden allotment...Potatoes – a

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-47557580998677833502010-05-31T20:18:00.002+01:002010-05-31T20:20:53.313+01:00

The London Vegetable Garden has been a quiet gardening blog over the past few days, chiefly due to a long visit to Yorkshire with my other half. However, posting activity has also been quiet as I've sat back and waited to see how Wednesday's 'slug defences' have fared...Well, upon yet another Bank Holiday visit to the allotment (these have been frequent in recent weeks!), the first thing I did

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-77991256537145924682010-05-28T20:33:00.000+01:002010-05-31T20:37:31.228+01:00

More regular readers of the London Vegetable Garden blog may remember that a few months ago, I sent off for a 'Rocket Gardens' pack of baby vegetable plants. Well, this week I received an email from the Cornwall-based company stating that my baby vegetable plants would be delivered within the next 5-10 working days.As always, all progress will be reported here, on the blog, the minute it happens

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-28107586779580426012010-05-27T11:30:00.000+01:002010-05-27T11:30:00.237+01:00

There's a famous adage that reads 'leave no stone unturned' – and I'm glad I took heed of this maxim. The other evening, I knocked over one of the many bricks that lines the London Vegetable Garden allotment plot and discovered this:Now, my immediate reaction was one of pure guilt. For the past 2 weeks I have been cursing slugs and snails for chomping up my crops, when in actuality, these

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-51850868718823092042010-05-26T07:32:00.006+01:002010-05-26T07:39:01.207+01:00

Armed with a bag full of copper tape, cans of bitter, plastic bottles and a steely resolve, I set off to the allotment after work last night fully geared up for urban gardening warfare. My runner beans have been taking such a battering over the past couple of weeks that I decided to raid Google and the London Vegetable Garden's various Social Media outlets for advice on dealing with my mollusc

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-43318873960841707912010-05-26T07:15:00.000+01:002010-05-26T07:46:43.179+01:00

Another day, another seedling update. As you all know by now, I'm growing tomatoes (2 varieties), courgettes and cucumbers from seed at home in the flat, ready to transplant to the allotment as soon as they're big enough.It's now been 10 days since I planted the seeds and the weekend's cucumber and courgette arrivals have now been joined by both sets of tomatoes – and the basil too. I'm not

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-2588674109294521462010-05-26T07:00:00.001+01:002010-05-26T07:02:38.836+01:00

I'd like to say a huge thank you to Isabelle Palmer over at The Balcony Gardener website for featuring me in her latest blog post. As the name suggests, The Balcony Gardener is a fantastic gardening website dedicated to everything from plants to garden furniture – everything needed to make your outside space special, whatever it's size – which is something I relate to!Anyway, in the latest

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-26066054678410397772010-05-24T11:30:00.001+01:002010-05-24T11:30:00.592+01:00

A week ago last Sunday, I went into organic overload and planted up a variety of vegetable seeds in the London Vegetable Garden potting shed – also known as 'the kitchen'. I managed to successfully tidy up the mess I made; the array of flowerpots dotted around the flat are the only signs of my earthy exploits.As I explained in last week's post, I have been keeping these pots beneath a warm

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-27046575474957895732010-05-23T16:00:00.000+01:002010-05-23T16:00:01.552+01:00

Last week, I happened to be enjoying an ice-cold beer in a beer garden (I forget where – this could be due to the beer!), when my mobile phone started to ring. It was none other than Charles, a.k.a. Grumblemouse, who through the wonder of Social Media, has become a firm friend and passionate partner in plant crime! He informed me that there was a rare plant fair being held at the Inner Temple

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-60459087945376288852010-05-23T15:18:00.002+01:002010-05-23T15:21:10.518+01:00

I was on my way to a rare plant fair in central London earlier today (write-up tomorrow) and paused to take this picture on the South Bank. Beautiful.

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-13393706566527860482010-05-23T09:36:00.005+01:002010-05-23T09:39:05.922+01:00

It has now been a little over a month since I arrived in Richmond and started gardening on the London Vegetable Garden allotment. This weekend was fantastic for visible progress and along with the potatoes and carrots, the runner beans and onions are now shooting up as well. If I can keep the slugs and snails at bay, it looks like it could be a very good year for the London Vegetable Garden!

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-76764282564871977482010-05-23T09:27:00.004+01:002010-05-23T09:31:13.622+01:00

A few weeks back, I posted a blog about Rocket Gardens, the company that grows baby vegetable plants down in west Cornwall and then posts these to you to pot out in window boxes, in pots on the balcony, in the garden or down at the allotment – perfect for urban gardeners. I received an email from the company the other day saying that their plants were taking a little longer this year, due to the

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-57559471720585961802010-05-23T08:48:00.007+01:002010-05-23T08:55:39.600+01:00

With Britain basking in truly glorious warmth and sunshine this weekend, a full day down at the London Vegetable Garden allotment was inevitable – and much needed as it transpired. Whilst the Concrete Jungle is full of fag-ends, litter and pollution, the real jungle of an urban allotment is teeming with all sorts of hazards – hazards that like to eat!As you can see from the pictures above (you

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-16494983058005589432010-05-20T20:52:00.003+01:002010-05-20T20:57:30.646+01:00

There's no doubt that the days are now really drawing out, with sun-soaked evenings giving urban gardeners nationwide an extra few hours each day to amble on the allotment, brush up on the balcony or potter on the patio. The season is unquestionably changing, with the flourish of springtime blooms and activity now making way for the warm climes of the British summer – perfect for growing plenty

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-47057780692399565362010-05-17T19:25:00.004+01:002010-05-17T19:31:10.481+01:00

For too long now, gardening has been perceived as a genteel pursuit enjoyed solely by members of Middle England’s bourgeoisie, or retirees with sweeping expanses of garden. Whilst this is, to a certain degree, very much the case, there also exists a grass-roots community of passionate,

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-72389526279692703392010-05-16T20:29:00.003+01:002010-05-16T20:35:28.077+01:00

In recent weeks, I have focused both my gardening and blogging attentions on the London Vegetable Garden allotment. However, now is the time to focus once more on growing vegetables 'sans-garden' and demonstrate to all urban gardeners that enjoyment, plants and edible produce can all be had regardless of space.Following yesterday's vegetable plant purchases, my conscience has deemed it

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-79460150161309098022010-05-15T14:29:00.006+01:002010-05-15T14:32:02.854+01:00

I have a confession to make. I have just purchased some strawberry and tomato plants from the garden centre. I have not grown these from seed. I am a bad, naughty urban gardener!OK, so maybe I'm being a little hard on myself. Work constraints have meant that I haven't got my act together and planted any tomatoes from seed so far this year, so I have made the decision to buy a couple of plants

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-85579605706231581802010-05-15T14:17:00.004+01:002010-05-15T14:20:48.546+01:00

In addition to my 'main' 16' by 11' allotment plot, I also have a couple of beds. The smaller of the two has been well documented with the ongoing 'will-the-carrots-grow-or-won't-they' fiasco. The other bed however, roughly 6' by 6', has so far sat dormant.Inspired by the beautiful weather, I decided to spend the morning digging the soil over and setting up a raised section at the top of this

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-92103974957414828772010-05-15T13:53:00.004+01:002010-05-15T14:03:54.874+01:00

In addition to this morning's pleasing potato progress, I was also stunned to see that the carrot seeds I had given up on were poking through the stony, lumpy soil!Whilst these seedlings aren't in lines as uniform as some of the incredible allotments that surround me, there is a definite order to them and I am so thrilled that they've managed to fight their way through the awful soil.For future

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-86476545354613963202010-05-15T13:48:00.004+01:002010-05-15T13:52:35.798+01:00

The other morning, I woke up at 6:30am and took off for a pre-work walk along the Thames. Despite being absorbed in a Sherlock Holmes audiobook, I noticed from my vantage point atop Richmond Hill that a lot of the surrounding area was covered in a very light frost.Now, young potato plants are especially susceptible to frost, so this morning's visit to the allotment was one that contained a fair

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-39447594884380840172010-05-11T19:45:00.006+01:002010-05-12T10:37:38.788+01:00

Cast your minds back to late March (which, with the current cold snap, is no hard task), and you'll remember that the London Vegetable Garden launched a competition to mark the International Year of Biodiversity.In conjunction with The RHS, I asked urban gardeners to submit entries showing how they are promoting biodiversity on their balconies, patios, windowsills and gardens. Well, I am

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-71632822319146941322010-05-04T19:23:00.004+01:002010-05-04T19:27:49.596+01:00

...with worms!Even though my days of digging about on the allotment have not yet reached 1 month, I have dug up more worms than I can count! The soil is full of these wonderful creatures and I've no doubt that such an abundance will only do my vegetables a world of good!

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-5981134394571976212010-05-04T19:17:00.007+01:002010-05-04T19:22:44.596+01:00

Aside from the usual bad weather, Britain's May Day Bank Holiday 2010 will be remembered (by myself at least) as the days my potatoes starting showing. A few weeks after the chitted tubers went into the ground, tight clusters of leaves are breaking their way through the soil and showing that life on the London Vegetable Garden allotment is very much underway.The picture at the top of the page

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-53205739399420091112010-05-04T19:00:00.008+01:002010-05-04T19:07:15.643+01:00

Potatoes, tomatoes, lettuces, carrots – any allotment will undoubtedly be crammed full of crisp, tasty staples such as these, their flavours and freshness unparalleled in comparison to standard supermarket fare. But so many gardeners (and I include myself in this statement) often fail to realise that allotments, balconies and patios – any viable growing space – can all be used to grow food that

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-12827693878111232022010-05-04T18:33:00.003+01:002010-05-04T18:34:45.534+01:00

A more detailed Bank Holiday blog will follow shortly, but for now, here's a minute of video showcasing the state of a windswept London Vegetable Garden allotment!

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-42064682366426633452010-04-27T21:04:00.009+01:002010-04-27T21:15:24.961+01:00

Whilst last summer's balcony efforts did not afford me the title of 'self-sufficient urban bald Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall-type' – not by a long way – they did result in some impressive feats of urban vegetable gardening. One of the few 'runaway' successes (if you'll permit the pun) was indeed the humble runner bean – a much misunderstood and undervalued vegetable.Anyway, inspired by last

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-56711075454989412882010-04-27T20:17:00.006+01:002010-04-27T20:30:52.836+01:00

Whilst the allocation of an allotment (what fantastic alliteration so early on in this post!) remedied one problem – that of having no space – it transpires that the Great Outdoors presents its very own set of difficulties.I made a trip up to the allotment this weekend, only to discover that my raised beds had made some rather unwelcome bedfellows. This rear bed, next to the stream, is

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-28052826719040278762010-04-20T21:01:00.002+01:002010-04-27T17:29:05.086+01:00

In addition to planting potatoes, Sunday's visit to the London Vegetable Garden allotment included the planting of some carrots.If you followed me last year, you'll remember that I didn't have much success with growing carrots, namely because they like to grow downwards, which is problematic when one is only growing in shallow pots! But I also learnt that you need to plant carrots thinly if you

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-78755606086988384942010-04-20T20:41:00.005+01:002010-04-20T20:49:35.333+01:00

Firstly, welcome to the very first London Vegetable Garden blog post from Richmond! It's been a couple of weeks since I last posted, due to a hectic move and sporadic internet access; however I now have a few spare moments in which to update you all with gardening goings-on.This Sunday, my girlfriend and I went up to the new allotment and spent a few hours acclimatising to our new environment.

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-3661929300905765722010-04-08T18:31:00.005+01:002010-04-08T18:51:31.209+01:00

It's the eve of moving to Richmond! Which means, quite simply, time to say a fond farewell to the tiny piece of concrete that afforded me the opportunity to discover this love for gardening...

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-48295505384174037102010-04-06T19:13:00.005+01:002010-04-06T19:23:17.386+01:00

Forgive the frequency with which these blog posts are coming; however I'm keen to rattle off a few before a weekend that will be spent moving, sorting out a million different things and waiting for internet access! Anyway, as promised, here's the very first vegetable venture of 2010 – and it's one that any of you with a balcony, patio or generous doorstep can join me in as well.When I knew that

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-74398198214163535112010-04-05T19:43:00.003+01:002010-04-05T19:51:18.621+01:00

Whilst the excitement caused by Saturday's allotment visit has not yet abated, reality has certainly started to kick in. Along with packing copious boxes ready for the impending move, all the energy of recent weeks has been spent looking for land, rather than thinking about what to put into it! Now that the London Vegetable Garden has secured a new home and the move is but a few days away, it's

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-82341396709001296372010-04-03T21:53:00.011+01:002010-04-03T22:29:34.932+01:00

If you're not one of the London Vegetable Garden's more regular readers, a perusal of previous posts will inform you that my better half and I will imminently be moving to pastures new – pastures, if you'll permit the allegory, that do not come with a balcony.But fear not, dear reader! Delve deeper into posts and you'll also be informed that after much campaigning, I have kindly been handed half

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-8200998742039002342010-03-24T08:02:00.004Z2010-03-24T08:09:11.779Z

To help celebrate the International Year of Biodiversity, The London Vegetable Garden has teamed up with The Royal Horticultural Society to offer one lucky winner a year's free membership!In order to enter this fantastic competition, simply email us a photo of your garden and tell us in 100 words what you are doing to promote biodiversity in your garden. The winner will be chosen on {insert date

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-84189287191539368912010-03-24T07:54:00.005Z2010-03-24T08:02:36.625Z

For many, the concept of 'urban gardening' is limited to filling a flat with foliage, placing pots sporadically on the balcony, or even pottering around Kew Gardens one afternoon. As the London Vegetable Garden project prepares to celebrate its first birthday, I hope that many of these blinkered views have at the very least, been allayed; the simple truth however is that city dwellers remain

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-25635479494076280922010-03-18T13:37:00.003Z2010-03-18T13:40:29.159Z

What with packing boxes for the move, re-arranging flights at the last minute for a wedding this weekend (thank you SO much British Airways), walking 17 miles for charity yesterday and generally being rushed off my feet at work, it’s been a busy few weeks!In my previous blog post, I told you all how I was looking to try and find a small plot of land – be it an allotment or some garden space – to

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-3966140105901437402010-03-10T20:56:00.000Z2010-03-18T21:00:13.923Z

A while back, a journalist contact of mine interviewed me regarding urban gardening and my attempts to grow vegetables from the constraints of a tiny London balcony! You can read the full interview, in which Fiona Reynolds, director general of the National Trust, and I discuss the current trend for 'window food' by clicking here.

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-89799086582970343202010-03-01T14:02:00.003Z2010-03-01T14:06:47.705Z

Well folks, it’s official – the London Vegetable Garden is, quite literally, moving on to pastures new!After an incredibly enjoyable year attempting (and in some cases, succeeding!) to grow vegetables from the confines of a Hackney balcony, my better half and I are moving to Richmond.Now, our new flat has no garden or balcony, but I am determined not to let this stop my progress and passion for

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-81353549791590792272010-01-23T09:04:00.003Z2010-01-23T09:17:08.641Z

When re-reading this post before publishing, I noticed a typo – 'blub update' – although this may be more of an apt title! I have been shedding plenty of tears (in my mind, at least) over the bulbs I purchased a few weeks back.This cold weather has really hit the London Vegetable Garden balcony hard. I think that all of my plants out there at the moment must be distant cousins of Bear Grylls!

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-35620909839651978262010-01-23T08:56:00.003Z2010-01-23T09:03:03.722Z

Regular followers of the London Vegetable Garden – or indeed, those that have read the previous post – will no doubt be aware that I have turned my hand to water propagation over these winter months. Inspired by the success of my spider plant propagation activities (see the 'before and after' picture immediately below), I took some cuttings from various hedges and set them up in glasses dotted

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-63266186918934889932010-01-07T12:00:00.001Z2010-01-07T12:00:00.790Z

Let's be honest: growing vegetables in pots, from seed, on a balcony, in January, is a task as impossible as resurrecting Tiger Woods' career. In spite of this however, the London Vegetable Garden balcony need not be a barren space that occasionally houses a full clothes horse!In addition to planting a few daffodil bulbs, as documented in my previous post, I have also turned my gardening

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-4715077839628819792010-01-06T15:02:00.007Z2010-01-06T15:08:15.217Z

With pretty much all of the UK under several inches of snow, this is hardly unique, but nevertheless, here's the view from the London Vegetable Garden at 3pm today...(The first picture is worth clicking on to enlarge!)

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-34203641671090607202010-01-04T22:06:00.006Z2010-01-04T22:33:25.789Z

So here we are: January 2010.The London Vegetable Garden may not be under several inches of snow like its northern compatriots, but the scene is equally bleak, as demonstrated by the picture above! I've finally got around to cleaning up the balcony and sorting things out in preparation for the year ahead – wherever that may be...Inspired by dreams of a better way of life (and hopefully,

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-39762014677926662312009-12-31T14:33:00.001Z2010-01-02T15:01:12.648Z

PressAlthough not quite Alan Titchmarsh, I've certainly had my fair share of the spotlight this year, with articles about the London Vegetable Garden cropping up in newspapers and websites. The aim has always been to promote urban gardening and encourage those with a lack of space, showing them that they need not be deterred! Click below to read any of the London Vegetable Garden

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-36103843078866366022009-12-31T14:29:00.000Z2010-01-02T14:33:01.348Z

Although the London Vegetable Garden is all about vegetables and growing your own produce in urban spaces, my balcony has not solely been occupied by vegetables! The spring, summer and autumn have seen some beautiful flowers make their home within the London Vegetable Garden, adding more joy and enthusiasm for gardening. Here is a few snaps of flowers throughout 2009:

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-15117386006997043462009-12-31T14:17:00.001Z2010-01-02T14:27:04.416Z

Quite simply, what an incredible year it's been.It was in fact, only nine months ago that I started the London Vegetable Garden project, although back in April, the 'project' was simply a few seeds and a few scribbles on a brand new blog. As 2009 draws to a close, I've taken time to reflect upon everything that has happened along the way, all of which has accompanied a budding passion for

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-70947269719630534322009-12-30T10:36:00.005Z2009-12-30T10:38:40.778Z

First off, sincere apologies for the lack of posts. What with the natural advancement of the winter season and increased work demands, giving due time and attention to the London Vegetable Garden blog has been a task harder than growing things in pots these bleak months!There is not a lot happening on the London Vegetable Garden at the moment. I have had some spring onions sat in a pot for a

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-74749163183656524042009-11-23T10:24:00.000Z2009-12-30T10:26:53.460Z

As you all know, I have managed to have some success regarding radishes on the London Vegetable Garden balcony. I received a free packet of seeds with one of the various garden magazines I've been perusing to help me on my gardening quest – I forget which one – but was intrigued by the purple variety contained within.I planted these several weeks back in one of my window boxes. One of the main

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-84976545561563590572009-10-03T11:06:00.003+01:002009-10-03T11:12:18.381+01:00

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-39707748467884781732009-09-20T16:03:00.008+01:002009-09-20T16:10:43.161+01:00

So, this afternoon's trip to the local garden centre didn't 'bear fruit', so to speak. With no winter seeds in stock and October only two weeks away, I've had to turn to the Internet for a selection of winter seeds – more to follow on this at a later date.The trip wasn't a complete waste of time however, as I returned laden with some more bedding plants to replace withering window boxes. The

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-2768568726715738452009-09-20T10:03:00.002+01:002009-09-20T10:22:20.262+01:00

My recent arrival back from a late summer holiday really has marked the end of the summer and the beginning of autumn. The London Vegetable Garden balcony has been very quiet in recent weeks, since I didn't want to grow seedlings and leave these for a week, and many of the summer crops have now gone. So, as I throw myself into my first proper autumn gardening period, what do I have on the go?

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-26419552517471848682009-09-20T09:33:00.003+01:002009-09-20T09:54:48.938+01:00

Undeniably one of the biggest joys on the London Vegetable Garden, the tomato plants have sadly come to the end of their lives. Although they've been waning for a while now, they've still been producing some small cherry tomatoes, but even this growth has now dried up.So yesterday, with heavy heart, I cleared the balcony of these old plants. When planting these, I added a bottomless flowerpot

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-19388917690479827092009-09-20T09:30:00.000+01:002009-09-20T10:01:52.183+01:00

One of the very (few) real benefits of gardening on an urban balcony, is that high-rise gardeners are not plagued with pests. I've had many a conversation with fellow gardening enthusiasts bemoaning the snails and slugs wreaking havoc on their plots! Well, it seems that nature always finds a way: when clearing the old tomato plants from the London Vegetable Garden yesterday, I came across not

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-46200407361991430232009-09-19T09:43:00.007+01:002009-09-19T09:56:45.428+01:00

If you've noticed that I've been fairly quiet of late, fear not! My penchant for urban horticulture and container vegetable gardening has not dried up; I have been away on holiday! Last week I spent a beautiful week down in Devon, so after unpacking and acclimatising back to polluted air, noise and generally rude people, I shall get cracking on a proper London Vegetable Garden blog update!On a

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-42816174662871433202009-09-10T08:06:00.003+01:002009-09-10T08:58:34.378+01:00

Aside from the obvious environmental benefits of growing your own produce (not to mention the reduction in food waste), one simply can't ignore the aesthetic qualities of gardening. Growing plants and flowers for visual pleasure has been a time-honoured past-time throughout civilisation and one that evokes images of country houses, landscaped gardens and public parks. So how does a bleak

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-3942738914712013202009-09-06T13:31:00.005+01:002009-09-06T13:35:15.969+01:00

Last autumn / winter, I planted some pansies in window boxes and pots which lasted through the bleak mid-winter months and added some much appreciated colour to the London Vegetable Garden balcony. Now that we've entered September, I've spent some time gearing up the botanical side of the London Vegetable Garden for the coming months.I managed to track down some cheap bedding plants which

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-83095761483576771422009-09-06T12:43:00.006+01:002009-09-06T13:18:00.406+01:00

To lovingly steal a phrase from one of the many people I follow on Twitter, we are now well and truly in the 'bbrrrr' months: Septembbrrrr, Octobbrrr, Novembbrrr, Decembbrrr!With the weather shifting perceptibly cooler and the evenings drawing in, vegetable gardening changes dynamically. Gone are the long days full of light and warmth, replaced by gloom, gloom and grey – especially if you live

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-20406436849784922842009-09-06T12:33:00.001+01:002009-09-06T12:42:42.184+01:00

My temperamental butternut squash plant has suddenly taken me back to my formative teenage years. Hours of preparation in the shower, hair gel ladled on (something no longer necessary), new clothes and plenty of cheap aftershave. Why am I regaling you with stories from my past? Because my butternut squash is turning out to be like the parties I went to as a teenager – full of guys without a

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-39549426812899543292009-08-29T10:41:00.005+01:002009-08-29T11:02:20.868+01:00

The rise of the butternut squash plant here on the London Vegetable Garden balcony has been staggering! Now standing at around 4 feet tall, the plant produced its first flower yesterday morning, which was promptly joined by another come the evening:Having talked to fellow gardeners on the London Vegetable Garden Twitter page, it transpires that squash flowers can be very different, with male and

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-88104689955509181442009-08-29T10:38:00.002+01:002009-08-29T10:40:56.289+01:00

I'm not sure whether this thread bears any interest to followers of the London Vegetable Garden, but for the budding botanists amongst you, here is an update on the spider plant!The other week, I took clippings from an overgrowing spider plant and while I potted the majority of these cuttings in soil, I left one in a glass of water to see whether it would grow. Well, it's been perfectly happy

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-49153865463092407362009-08-26T16:59:00.004+01:002009-08-26T17:02:08.496+01:00

Yes indeed; I have holey radishes! A few months ago, I reported that the London Vegetable Garden's first attempt at growing radishes had ended in success, although with a lot of room for improvement.Having sown some more radish seeds, I was careful to sow these much more thinly this time, as my previous efforts ended up strangling each other and failing to grow properly. Well, this time, the

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-6479836061897928272009-08-26T16:47:00.004+01:002009-08-26T16:49:58.138+01:00

Two urban gardeners. Two Cobra Lily bulbs. One London Lily-Off Championship 2009. You know the score – it's Grumblegarden's Charles verus myself. Here's the latest snap of my Cobra Lily, that looks set to flower despite being only six inches in height! Is the London Vegetable Garden set to win the world's first official 'Lily-Off'? Can Charles come back with anything more impressive than my

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-23442034573869434662009-08-26T16:37:00.008+01:002009-08-26T16:52:16.981+01:00

It was only back in April that I decided to plant a few tomato seeds and blog about the process. Five months on and what started as an interesting project has developed into a full-grown passion, with an abundant crop of sweet tomatoes the fruit of my labours, in every sense of the phrase!As you all know by now, the London Vegetable Garden is a big (well, little) experiment, that aims to show

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-79145408463239869252009-08-20T19:27:00.007+01:002009-08-20T19:36:14.388+01:00

Aside from balconies and vegetables, I also have a penchant for plants and flowers. Whilst I may not have the space to plan a fanciful garden full of spectacular bloom and wonder, my flat is dotted with pot plants and interesting flowers that offer a pleasant alternative to vegetable gardening.When my girlfriend and I moved into the flat in April 2008, we purchased a spider plant (Chlorophytum

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-48034012057615900882009-08-16T10:39:00.005+01:002009-08-16T10:42:25.901+01:00

I've said it before, I'll say it again and I'll keep on saying it – salad leaves are one of the easiest and most rewarding things for any urban gardener to grow! A large proportion of food waste comprises of bags of mushy brown salad leaves that have sat in the fridge and turned to mulch. When growing your own is this easy, those wasteful bags could soon become a thing of the past!This is the

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-42185362424427448582009-08-16T10:23:00.006+01:002009-08-16T10:29:14.727+01:00

The London Vegetable Garden is split firmly into two camps; vegetables and flowers! Whilst my enthusiasm for container vegetable growing threatens to overrun the poor balcony, my girlfriend ensures that we have a botanical balance in force!Throughout the year we choose a variety of cheap bedding plants for window boxes that generally last anywhere up to three months. These hardy flowers would

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-92106334761120950892009-08-15T11:43:00.007+01:002009-08-15T11:54:22.823+01:00

Arguably the London Vegetable Garden's most thirsty plant, my butternut squash has been enjoying the recent muggy weather and continues to grow exponentially! There are many different things going on in the pot however, so I'm appealing to you, dear readers, for advice and pointers!The shot below shows the plant in its pot on the London Vegetable Garden balcony:As you can see, it looks very

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-64671376348867612492009-08-15T11:41:00.001+01:002009-08-15T11:42:34.478+01:00

Although all of the hard work put in by gardeners is (usually) always enjoyable, one of the biggest joys has to be walking into your garden, picking some produce and eating it! Well, after several weeks of thinking that my tomatoes would be green forever, I now have an abundance of red fruits adorning the trusses!These are without doubt some of the sweetest tomatoes I have ever tasted and it's

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-58330529343065903432009-08-12T13:16:00.003+01:002009-08-12T13:19:26.899+01:00

It’s taken a while, but the urban gardening movement has been growing (forgive the pun!) for several months now. In addition to recording the progress of my gardening exploits on this blog, I’ve also tried hard to raise awareness of urban gardening issues and campaigned to increase urban allotments and growing space.Well, the Evening Standard has now picked up the story of the London Vegetable

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-10431875916565993202009-08-06T17:44:00.005+01:002009-08-06T17:47:10.310+01:00

One of the (few) real benefits of high-rise urban gardening is the lack of pests. Many gardeners I've spoken with recently have all bemoaned the rate at which snails, slugs and various garden pests are converging on crops and causing a nuisance of themselves.Luckily, living away from the ground in urban London means that the only pests I have to deal with on the balcony are horses – as in

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-78670981362786515502009-08-06T17:22:00.001+01:002009-08-06T17:24:23.270+01:00

It's finally happened – the tomatoes have started turning red! Since planting from seed way back in April, the tomato plants on the London Vegetable Garden balcony have entered the last phase of their growth and started ripening and turning red! I never thought I'd ever be so excited about tomatoes in my life, but this feeling just sums up how satisfying gardening is – and what an enjoyable

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-71102092394451917862009-08-04T18:51:00.002+01:002009-08-04T19:22:59.457+01:00

When not bemoaning about the lack of rouge on the balcony's green tomato population, or chronicling supermarkets and their desire to eradicate allotments, the London Vegetable Garden is also known to have a fun streak!In a pure jovial aside, I was challenged to a lily-off by none other than Grumblemouse, of GrumbleGarden fame (or should that be infamy?)...Well, Grumblemouse has struck the first

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-13002308605300887072009-08-04T18:36:00.011+01:002009-08-04T18:51:29.219+01:00

Whilst the majority of London's floral adornment comes in the form of plastic hanging baskets at train stations and dull, regimented squares, there are some stunning natural 'gardens' hidden throughout the capital.This weekend, I made the short journey up to Stoke Newington and visited Abney Park Cemetery – a wild, overgrown haven right in the centre of this trendy area. A serene location with a

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-15696827856552980602009-08-02T09:24:00.003+01:002009-08-02T09:56:14.255+01:00

England's shortage of available allotment plots, and quite frankly ludicrous waiting lists, is now a well-documented problem. Although highlighting this issue has led some councils to open up disused building sites and launch garden adoption schemes, it seems that many local authorities, especially in London, have more pressing concerns.After all, why invest a relatively small amount of money

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-89002210168671712152009-08-01T10:44:00.004+01:002009-08-01T10:48:50.272+01:00

I enjoy all aspects of urban gardening, from the sewing of seeds, care and maintenance, to the harvesting of tasty vegetables that I've managed to grow on a tiny London balcony! One of the other really enjoyable features of the London Vegetable Garden project has been meeting so many like-minded urban gardeners and sharing information, tips, photos and advice!In recognition of this, I decided to

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-5966216253518885732009-08-01T10:19:00.003+01:002009-08-01T10:22:32.783+01:00

Although a space-loving vegetable plant, I've decided to have a stab at growing the adventurous butternut squash! It's been growing solidly for a few weeks now and this is the latest stage of its progress:As you can see, it looks healthy enough, although two of the leaves at the very base of the plant withered and had to be removed. In addition to this, you can see from the picture below that

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-42151889375333914462009-07-30T10:23:00.000+01:002009-08-01T10:29:43.193+01:00

In stark contrast to my grand total of two runner beans last summer, this year my preparations on the London Vegetable Garden balcony have reaped a much richer reward. I've blogged about my solid runner bean harvests before now – here is the latest harvest that my girlfriend and I enjoyed this week:Note the curly one; isn't it refreshing to harvest 'real' vegetables that don't have to conform to

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-54058783512491870762009-07-25T10:46:00.004+01:002009-07-25T10:49:38.385+01:00

Tomatoes – the final frontier. Well, for me at least, they feel well and truly like an alien species at the minute! Having seen these amazing plants grow from tiny seeds over the past three months, I've been encouraged by visible progress each and every week. Now, however, we seem to have come to an abrupt standstill!Whilst I'm pleased the unbearable heat-wave of a few weeks ago has now passed

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-54802643621610333962009-07-25T09:51:00.005+01:002009-07-25T10:13:00.203+01:00

The ultimate 'end product' of growing your own vegetables, surely has to be picking something from your garden and eating it. As you may be aware, my runner beans are certainly not the prettiest example of urban vegetable growing, but recently they have started to produce plenty of small beans.The other evening, I picked off three of the biggest beans. They were delicious and the good news is,

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-42874586458776522782009-07-21T12:55:00.003+01:002009-07-21T12:59:28.803+01:00

Regular readers of the London Vegetable Garden will no doubt be familiar with the news item a few weeks ago (click here) that proposed using empty building sites as temporary allotment plots. As encouraging as this news was, these ‘proposed’ council measures rarely come to any real fruition. One of the most effective ways of reclaiming urban gardening space is to do it yourself – and residents

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-51760679914596518482009-07-19T18:01:00.004+01:002009-07-19T18:06:30.795+01:00

Along with harvesting edible vegetables that I've managed to grow from seed, one of the most satisfying things about the London Vegetable Garden is the array of great urban gardeners I've met along the way.I spent this morning down in Columbia Road with @grumblemouse, of GrumbleGarden fame (do check out his blog – very inspiring) looking at plants and digressing over urban gardening in the

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-64165677708986949642009-07-18T19:12:00.003+01:002009-07-18T19:17:14.993+01:00

Since starting the London Vegetable Garden back in the beginning of April, my organic odyssey has produced far more than a few balcony-grown vegetables! I've seen the London Vegetable Garden Twitter account rise to a membership of over 1,200 and the blog has started to receive more and more comments as the weeks go by.There's no doubt whatsoever that there's a very real urban gardening community

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-62068147030194309592009-07-18T17:05:00.003+01:002009-07-18T17:09:23.876+01:00

This, the second of my video blog entries, shows that although the runner bean plants on the London Vegetable Garden balcony are shabby, they're starting to produce runner beans...

Callumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17795823871025654662noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2116726129258965140.post-44247610560601844012009-07-18T10:47:00.004+01:002009-07-18T11:03:03.200+01:00

One of the benefits open to London gardeners growing vegetables in pots, is the relatively quick turnaround some varieties afford. When I planted radishes back in April, they sprung up quickly, however my liberal seed sowing meant that many didn't have enough room to grow properly.Last weekend, encouraged by their fast growing speed, I decided to experiment with radishes on the balcony once

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