Companion Planting

jeffdavies

Re growing strawberries, it seems there is some benefit from using pine needles and pine cones as a mulch. Also, the sharp needles may not be liked by slugs. The following website proved interesting:
http://www.rhs.org.uk/news/pressreleases/gardeninglore050505.asp
Here comes Summer, 'Strawberries and Fresh cream'. Lovely

Loadsabob

spendaholic wrote:

Incidentally, before I go off and do my baking, there's a relatively new mag out called Grow Your Own. They always have cover mounted seeds, and not only do they tell you how to grow stuff, they tell you how to use it in the kitchen too.

Just a quick aside there.

I will just add "Kitchen Garden Magazine", which I buy every month (I know, I probably have all the same info in books but I DO love the mag!), and I really recommend it. I love the tone and the experts really know their stuff. I think it's aimed at a slightly different market to "Grow Your Own", which I haven't read. A lot of people who buy it are allotmenteers...but I'm not, I just have my diddy garden, and there's always something in the mag to help and interest me! They often have free seeds, too. I've had basil, rocket, lettuce and tomatoes this year...and chillis..can't think what else!

Nice that this grow-your-own business is getting more widespread!

spendaholic

Loadsabob wrote:

I will just add "Kitchen Garden Magazine", which I buy every month ... I think it's aimed at a slightly different market to "Grow Your Own", which I haven't read.

Give it a go. If you hate it at least you've tried it. I used to get Kitchen Garden but they got a bit technical for me - it has a very experienced readership. GYO is more targeted towards the newbie gardener, so everything is very user friendly.

Loadsabob

Spendaholic - I think I will try it at some point, but what's that I hear my cashbook screaming at me? "TWO magazines in one month???!". :eek:

(Okay, so I don't have the cashbook yet...! )

I think you're right, the new mag is aimed at the new interest in growing your own, and from what I gather, has more recipes than KG magazine. KG has quite an established readership. I've been getting it for about three years, and you know how it is then, you hate to miss one!..I'm even thinking of getting a binder!

spendaholic

Build it into your budget!

And how much do their binders cost?

I can buy magazines for England, but since coming on here I have tried to curb it to just one a week - preferably a different one. I subscribed to BBC Gardeners World because it was on offer with the Tesco vouchers on my old Clubcard - in effect a year's free sub - but I may yet subscribe to GYO, so long as they offer a freebie gift soon.

Galtizz

Sorry to add to your growing list of magazine subscription but have you tried BBC's Easy gardener? I think it's great. It is really plain talking with lots of easy things to copy. There is a section on veg too. They seem to deal with small gardens aswell as newbies to gardening.

Magentasue

I don't buy magazines but I did have a look at Kitchen Garden because it was recommended. I got as far as picking it up in Smiths and walking towards the cash desk but put it back!

I saw Grow Your Own but it was too basic for me, I've got a couple of gardening books, a shelf of cookery books and so for me, it would be an expensive way of buying seeds. But for a beginner, it's probably pitched right, it would have appealed to me a few years ago when I wanted something with a step by step approach. You don't want loads of allotment focused info when you're just starting. I don't have an allotment but I want to grow as much as I can so can see where Kitchen Garden is coming from.

My problem with all these magazines is that I reckon you can get the same info from a library book and dipping into a couple of gardening forums.

But ... if you are new to gardening and like to buy magazines then anything that inspires you and gives you confidence has to be a good thing. I do think that after a year there will be some repetition though, gardening is very much season based so this time next year the content will be similar to this month.

Loadsabob

Magentasue wrote:

My problem with all these magazines is that I reckon you can get the same info from a library book and dipping into a couple of gardening forums.

But ... if you are new to gardening and like to buy magazines then anything that inspires you and gives you confidence has to be a good thing. I do think that after a year there will be some repetition though, gardening is very much season based so this time next year the content will be similar to this month.

Yes, it's true that you can get the same information online (and to my shame I probably have the same information in my gardening bookshelves!). I only get KG magazine, no others. I really like reading about other people doing what I'm doing...I LOVE Monty Don's "Complete Gardener". It's not so much a how-to book, though there are elements of that in there. It's more a love story between him and his garden! I enjoy his way of writing, and the passion and enthusiasm he has for growing veg. Actually, he's got me quite into the idea of flowers, too!

I think KG are quite good at not repeating themselves year on year, though of course there is some overlap. It has to be a problem though, you're right, with something so seasonal!

Loadsabob

Galtizz wrote:

Sorry to add to your growing list of magazine subscription but have you tried BBC's Easy gardener? I think it's great. It is really plain talking with lots of easy things to copy. There is a section on veg too. They seem to deal with small gardens aswell as newbies to gardening.

Sounds like a really good mag, but may not be ideal for me, as my gardening interest is mainly veg...the flowers are mainly just for the insects...actually, I lie, the only flowers I have at the moment are a fuschia and rose stem that pre-date my residency! The rose is great, once I had one bloom per year. I do nothing to it and now there are about 15 flowers! They smell AMAZING!!!!!!

But I digress...

Magentasue

I used to be interested in growing only veg and herbs but I'm coming round to the idea of flowers. Lovely to see runner beans and strawberries but my bed of tulips and aubretia is very uplifting on a dull spring day!