coopette.com - Alternative Kitchen Garden

AKG108 - Strawberries

emma — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:15:42 PDT

akg108.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Strawberries are popular throughout the world – this is a public display in Helsinki, Finland

We’re in the middle of Wimbleldon and the strawberries and cream season here in the UK. In this episode I’m looking into the history of our modern strawberry. Fragaria x ananassa, which was bred from the Virginia Scarlets F. virginiana and the Chilean beach strawberry F. chiloensis. Then I’m off on a round-up of more unusual strawberry varieties, including the wild/ alpine strawberry F. vesca, the green strawberry F. viridis and the musk strawberry F. moschata.

And as if that weren’t enough, I have a look at other edible plants with ‘strawberry’ in the name, do a quick round up of recent events in the chicken run and then make way for our AKG correspondents Robb and Jacqui from the Sustainable Living blog who have settled into their new sustainable home in Hickory, North Carolina. If you’re interested in becoming an Alternative Kitchen Garden Correspondent then read the FAQ, and if you grow unusual edibles then my Vegetable Explorer questionnaire is over on the blog.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

My book – ‘The Alternative Kitchen Garden: An A To Z‘ – is out now. Follow the link for reviews, interviews and more. You can order a copy online from the Green Shopping Catalogue or Chelsea Green or via Amazon UK and Amazon.com

The Alternative Kitchen Garden Seed Appeal aims to raise enough money for the Kew Millennium Seed Bank to conserve an entire plant species and the wildlife it supports.

AKG107 - Choosing a composting system

emma — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 03:45:07 PDT

akg107.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

A compost heap

I have been asked how you choose which type of composting system is right for you, so in this episode I look at the things you need to consider when you make your choice and talk about the pros and cons of each of the main types of composting system.

Many of these systems have been the focus of their own episode, so check these links if you want more information on how to compost, worm composting, making leaf mould/ mold, high fibre composting or Bokashi.

Don’t forget that I have three copies of Wisewoman’s Cookery to give away! To be in with a chance of winning, listen to the show and then let us know which plant you would most want to have with you if you were marooned on a deserted island with your lover. Email me your answer, together with your name and address, before the end of June. Shannon, Mary & I will pick our favourite answers to be the winner, and we may read some of the responses out on the show. We will never pass your details onto anyone else! Shannon & Mary are happy to send the books anywhere in the world, so get your thinking caps on :)

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

The Alternative Kitchen Garden Seed Appeal aims to raise enough money for the Kew Millennium Seed Bank to conserve an entire plant species and the wildlife it supports.

AKG106 - Biodynamics 101

emma — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 02:33:27 PDT

akg106.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

The Biodynamic Garden at Garden Organic Ryton

I have been on a short course at Garden Organic Ryton – an Introduction to Biodynamics, with head gardener Andy Strachan. I learned about the similarities and differences between organic and biodynamic gardening, about the biodynamic planting calendar, the importance of water, the preparations biodynamic gardeners use and the symbolism and spirituality that’s also involved.

For those of you who won’t have the chance to visit Ryton, I have some photos of the biodynamic garden: The Moon Phase Mosaic, The Flow Form, The Pebble Vortex Mosaic and the Lotus Frame that holds up the stained glass panels that represent the solar system.

If you’d like to know more about Ryton gardens, then we visited there in episode 24, just as the biodynamic garden was about to open to the public.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

The Alternative Kitchen Garden Seed Appeal aims to raise enough money for the Kew Millennium Seed Bank to conserve an entire plant species and the wildlife it supports.

AKG105 - Wisewoman’s Cookery

emma — Mon, 31 May 2010 22:15:37 PDT

akg105.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Wisewoman’s Cookery: Food, Sex, Magic & Merriment

In this episode I’m talking about a fabulous book that involves interesting uses of plants. ‘Wisewoman’s Cookery: Food, Sex, Magic & Merriment’ is written by Shannon Loeber and Mary Edwards, and is ‘a guide to aphrodisiac cooking, sensual simplkes and folklore erotica’.

Authors Shannon Loeber and Mary Edwards

Shannon and Mary have come on the show to explain how they came to write this book, to tell us about their garden and their favourite sensual plants , to talk about the links between good food and well-bring and to offer you the chance to win a copy of their book!

To be in with a chance of winning, listen to the show and then let us know which plant you would most want to have with you if you were marooned on a deserted island with your lover. email me your answer, together with your name and address, before the end of June. Shannon, Mary & I will pick our favourite answers to be the winner, and we may read some of the responses out on the show. We will never pass your details onto anyone else! Shannon & Mary are happy to send the books anywhere in the world, so get your thinking caps on :)

If you want to know more about the book then you can read the review on my blog and visit the Wisewoman’s Cookery website. You can buy a copy of the book online via Chapters.indigo.ca or Amazon.ca.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

The Alternative Kitchen Garden Seed Appeal aims to raise enough money for the Kew Millennium Seed Bank to conserve an entire plant species and the wildlife it supports.

AKG104 - Running a seed swap

emma — Thu, 13 May 2010 03:31:03 PDT

akg104.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Our Seed & Seedling Swap at the Hampshire Green Fair 2010

If you’re looking for free seed saving information then check out Real Seeds, Primal Seeds and, of course, my own podcasts, articles and blog posts on seed saving.

Also mentioned in this show are Seedy Sunday and Garden Organic’s Heritage Seed Library.

AKG Correspondents Robb and Jacqui from Sustainable Living are in the process of moving to America, so we won’t be hearing from them for a while, but we’ll be catching up with them again when they’re settled. If you’re interested in becoming an Alternative Kitchen Garden Correspondent then read the FAQ.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

The Alternative Kitchen Garden Seed Appeal aims to raise enough money for the Kew Millennium Seed Bank to conserve an entire plant species and the wildlife it supports.

Compiled files

emma — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 23:03:37 PDT

Timnah Gretencord, a show listener from the US, has compiled all of the Alternative Kitchen Garden podcasts for the last three years into three .m4b files, complete with bookmarks for each podcast and your original photos.

Timnah did this using a program called Audiobook Builder because she wanted files that would run straight through a series of programs (meaning you don’t have to manually choose the next podcast each time) and would allow an iPod to remember how far through you’d got.

And the lovely Timnah has now uploaded these three files to archive.org, so if you would like to listen to the back issues this way then you can! The URLs are as follows:

The Alternative Kitchen Garden 2007 shows
The Alternative Kitchen Garden 2008 shows
The Alternative Kitchen Garden 2009 shows

I’ll add those links to the AKG Index page, so that they don’t get lost in the updates.

Thank you, Timnah!

AKG103 - Chicken Introductions

emma — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 04:30:09 PDT

akg103.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Hen Solo checking out some new plants

Our beloved Hen Solo has died, and we’ve bought two new hens to keep Princess Layer company, but it’s not all smooth sailing in the chicken run.

AKG Correspondents Robb and Jacqui from Sustainable Living are talking about water and their plans for rainwater harvesting.

Next month, Emma will be attending the Hampshire Green Fair at the Sustainability Centre, to run a Seeds & Seedlings Swap and to sign copies of ‘The Alternative Kitchen Garden: An A to Z’, so do come and say hello if you’re in the area!

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter. If you’re interested in becoming an Alternative Kitchen Garden Correspondent then read the FAQ.

The Alternative Kitchen Garden Seed Appeal aims to raise enough money for the Kew Millennium Seed Bank to conserve an entire plant species and the wildlife it supports.

AKG102 - My Birthday Plants

emma — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 02:45:42 PDT

akg102.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

A fig growing in the RISC roof top forest garden

In this episode Emma announces the winner’s of her birthday book giveaway and we find out which of the plants she was offered as virtual gifts were her favourites.

Other items mentioned in this show include:

How to get your hands on some oca tubers

the original Bramley apple tree

Two new gardening tv programmes – James Wong’s second series of Grow Your Own Drugs and Alys Fowler’s The Edible Garden (which will feature Maddy and Tim Harland’s forest garden

Garden Organic’s new Sowing New Seeds and One Pot Pledge projects

and the new Forest Garden Fridays blog carnival.

The Alternative Kitchen Garden Seed Appeal aims to raise enough money for the Kew Millennium Seed Bank to conserve an entire plant species and the wildlife it supports.

AKG101 - Shamrocks and Clover

emma — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:19:09 PST

akg101.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Four-leaf clover, photo supplied by AKG listener Leslie Monk Downey

If you want to grow your own Shamrocks for St. Patrick’s Day next year then you’ll need to sow a clover species. The most commonly used ones are Trifolium repens and Trifolium dubium (aka T. minus).

If you’re lucky then you may also grow you own four-leaved clover, but even if you don’t those clover plants are really useful – as a ground cover green manure, fixing nitrogen in the soil, and feeding bees, animals and even you!

We also have another segment from AKG Correspondents Robb and Jackie from the Sustainable Living blog, and this time they’re talking about permaculture zones. They mention a fantastic book – The Woodland Way – by Ben Law, who we visited in Prickly Nut Woods in episode 92.

Don’t forget that the closing date for my birthday book giveaway is 16th March – listen to episode 99 for details on how to enter.

The Alternative Kitchen Garden Seed Appeal aims to raise enough money for the Kew Millennium Seed Bank to conserve an entire plant species and the wildlife it supports.

AKG100 - 2010 Garden Plan

emma — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:21:14 PST

akg100.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Edible and beautiful calendula

It looks as though spring is finally on its way to the Alternative Kitchen Garden, and it’s time to finalize the 2010 Garden Plan. There’s going to be edible flowers and tea herbs, but what about the conventional vegetables?

Riley Jordan from the Dig It Down Under podcast is dropping in give an AKG Correpsondent report on what it’s like to garden in Melbourne, and there’s still time to enter my birthday book giveaway if you’re quick.

The Alternative Kitchen Garden Seed Appeal aims to raise enough money for the Kew Millennium Seed Bank to conserve an entire plant species and the wildlife it supports.

AKG099 - Sweet Violets

emma — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 21:59:07 PST

akg099.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Sweet Violet, photo courtesy of Wiggly Wigglers

This is a special birthday episode of the Alternative Kitchen Garden show and I’m looking at the birth flower for February – the Sweet Violet, Violet odorata. A wild flower here in the UK, the sweet violet has a long history and is linked to Valentine traditions. It’s also edible – check out the information on PFAF; it even warrants its own PFAF article.

I’m going to be growing sweet violets as part of my edible flower garden this year (and they can even be used as a tea herb!). I have seeds from Chiltern Seeds and a plant on the way from Wiggly Wigglers.

AKG Correspondents Robb and Jackie from Sustainable Living are back to tell us more about their off-grid, permaculture project – in this episode they explain about the permaculture principle of self-regulation.

And because it’s my birthday I’m giving presents – I have two signed copies of my book (The Alternative Kitchen Garden: An A to Z) , two copies of Through the Eye of a Needle and a copy of the Book of Rubbish Ideas to give away. Listen out for how to enter at the end of this episode.

The Alternative Kitchen Garden Seed Appeal aims to raise enough money for the Kew Millennium Seed Bank to conserve an entire plant species and the wildlife it supports.

AKG098 - Bees

emma — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 04:22:55 PST

akg098.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

The Bumblebee Conservation Trust has a nice section on their website about gardening for bumblebees, and CAT have Ten Things to do to Help Honeybees or you could Adopt a Hive. For more details on solitary bees check out InsectPix.

American gardeners can have a look at The Pollinator Partnership and Aussie Bee has information about the bee species native to Australia.

For instructions on how to make bee nests, try Buglife and Gardens for Wildlife and I included the links to information on Warré hives in the second edition of my blogging for bees carnival. There’s bee-related information all over my website, so have a look to see what’s new.

The Alternative Kitchen Garden Seed Appeal aims to raise enough money for the Kew Millennium Seed Bank to conserve an entire plant species and the wildlife it supports.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

AKG097 - Winter Sowing

emma — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 03:21:48 PST

akg097.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Winter sown seeds in the cold frame

In this episode Emma talks about things to do in snowy gardens and winter sowing. To find out more about winter sowing, check out WinterSown.org and for more on sowing and harvesting crops throughout the winter have a look at What to sow in autumn & winter on the Real Seeds website. If you can’t see your garden under the snow then perhaps Indoor Salads would be more your thing at the moment!

Emma also kicks off her Edible Flowers project with winter sown capers and crimson flowered broad (fava) beans and continues her Tea project by sowing basil seeds.

We also have our first report from AKG Correspondents Robb and Jackie from the Sustainable Living Project. If you’re interested in becoming an Alternative Kitchen Garden Correspondent then read the FAQ. And if you’re looking for more information on the free book offer, then head over to the Green Shopping Catalogue.

Leave me a comment, send me an email, come and chat in the new Alternative Kitchen Garden community or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

AKG096 - Holiday Plants

emma — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:44:30 PST

akg096.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Frosty ivy

It’s midwinter, and in this episode of the Alternative Kitchen Garden I’m looking at the legends and traditions associated with some of the plants that we bring into our houses for the holidays – holly and ivy, miseltoe, Yule logs and poinsettias.

For more information on these legends, have a look at the Anglican Gardener and Woodlands Junior School websites, and don’t forget that this is an ideal time to feed the birds.

Plants are wonderful things – help to save an entire wild plant species by donating to the AKG seed appeal.

If you’re interested in becoming an Alternative Kitchen Garden Correspondent then read more here.

Leave me a comment, send me an email, come and chat in the new Alternative Kitchen Garden community or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

AKG095 - Garden Organization

emma — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 03:45:27 PST

akg095.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

A label tidy is a useful way to keep old labels organized

It’s nearly midwinter here in the UK, and traditionally the time for planning next year’s garden and getting organized. Gillian Carson from My Tiny Plot talked specifically about garden plans in episode 53, and in this show I’m looking at organizational tools such as notebooks, To Do lists, software packages and online tools – including Bento, MyFolia.com and GrowVeg.com. Lists of monthly tasks, like the ones available from Garden Organic can also be invaluable.

If you’re interested in becoming an Alternative Kitchen Garden Correspondent then read more here.

Leave me a comment, send me an email, come and chat in the new Alternative Kitchen Garden community or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

Alternative Kitchen Garden correspondents

emma — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:17:35 PST

News agencies have journalists all over the world. These foreign correspondents report back about current affairs in their target country, and make an invaluable contribution to our understanding of different cultures. The BBC even gives them their own programme, From Our Own Correspondent in which they can talk about things that may fall slightly beyond their daily remit but are still of international interest.

I’d like to do something similar with the Alternative Kitchen Garden – after all, there are kitchen gardens all over the globe. Would you like to be an AKG Correspondent? You could talk about your garden, plants that grow in your climate, native plants and events and gardens from parts of the world that I may never see.

If you’d like to be a correspondent, then all you need to do is record your thoughts. You all know the topics that the AKG covers – edible and useful plants (anything that gives a yield in the permaculture sense, so most plants could be included!), green gardening, environmental issues and wildlife. If you’d like to run your topic past me first then by all means send me an email.

Technical spec:
1. Please remember to record somewhere with a quiet background (unless you’re outside with natural sounds!) as it’s hard to edit something with constant background noise.
2. MP3 format is preferable, but if you can’t manage that then send me what you have and I will attempt to convert it.
3. Try and keep your report under 5 mins long, unless you want a whole show to yourself!
4. By all means send supporting photographs along with the show.
5. There are no deadlines – send in your report and I’ll add it into a show as soon as possible. If it has a ‘Use by Date’ then let me know!
6. The idea is that you would be an ongoing correspondent, filing reports from time to time, but if you only want to do one then that’s fine too.

If you don’t want to record yourself then you can send written reports for me (or Pete, if you’re male) to read out for you. If the AKG Correspondent program takes off then I will make blog badges for those of you with websites of your own :D

If you have questions I haven’t covered then just drop me a line. I look forward to hearing from you!

AKG094 - Tea

emma — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 07:00:05 PST

akg094.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Tea plants

I’ve been thinking a lot about tea lately, as it turns out that the majority of tea bags aren’t entirely compostable after all. I guess it’s just evidence of the problems of the industrial cup of tea. We could all switch to loose leaf tea or grow our own herbal teas – which would get us much closer to the permaculture cup of tea. The PFAF list of possible tea plants is huge.

But how easy is it to grow your own real tea? In this episode I’m looking at three varieties of plant:

Camellia sinensis is one of the main plants to provide green and black teas

The flowers of Jasminum sambac, the Arabian Jasmine, are used to flavour green tea

Manuka, Leptospermum scoparium is most well-known as a forage plant for honey, but it can also be used to make a herbal tea similar to honeybush.

If you were looking forward to an episode on gifts for gardeners, try the one from last year :D

Leave me a comment, send me an email, come and chat in the new Alternative Kitchen Garden community or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

AKG093 - Chicken Forage

emma — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:47:08 PDT

akg093.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Hen Solo choosing weeds to eat

What plants can you grow that chickens like to eat? My hens (Princess Layer and Hen Solo) like tucking into leafy greens of all descriptions, as well as some weeds. There’s also an update on the AKG Seed Appeal to raise money to help Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank save wild plant species.

Leave me a comment, send me an email, come and chat in the new Alternative Kitchen Garden community or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

My book – ‘The Alternative Kitchen Garden: An A To Z‘ – is out now in the UK. Follow the link for reviews, interviews and more. You can order a copy online from the Green Shopping Catalogue or via Amazon UK – both of which will ship internationally.

AKG092 - Prickly Nut Woods

emma — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 06:56:41 PDT

akg092.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

A prickly Sweet Chesnut seed pod

Join me for a visit to Prickly Nut Woods, where Ben Law built his woodland house (as seen on Grand Designs) and lives among the sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) trees. You can see some of my photos in this Flickr set.

Ben has written three books about his life in Prickly Nut Woods – The Woodland Way (A Permaculture Approach to Sustainable Woodland Management), The Woodland House and the full-colour and very beautiful Woodland Year, all published by Permanent Publications and available via the Green Shopping Catalogue.

Also in this show I talk about the new AKG Seed Appeal to raise money to help Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank save wild plant species.

Leave me a comment, send me an email, come and chat in the new Alternative Kitchen Garden community or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

AKG091 - October

emma — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:18:16 PDT

akg091.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

The garden on a rainy October day

Find out why my head hasn’t been in the gardening game, and what I’m going to do in the garden now that it is. The heritage onion variety is Rousham Park Hero, by the way, one that is local to Oxfordshire. In this episode I’m also talking about what will henceforth be known as the Lost Episode, and my new Alternative Kitchen Garden Online Community – come and join the fun if you would like to be a beta tester. And there’s the latest news on the book as well.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

Sabbatical

emma — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 10:07:18 PDT

It has been a momentous year for the Alternative Kitchen Garden, with the publication of my first book – the A to Z. On the ground, things have been a little more lackluster, with various factors (including absences at key times) contributing to the garden being disappointing this year.

Pete and I have also come to the conclusion (discussed in the Emma and Pete Show that it is time for us to move – away from the baggage that surrounds us here and towards a more peaceful and happier life.

Because of all these things, the plans I had for the garden have changed and my focus needs to be elsewhere for the time being. To that end, I am taking a break from producing the Alternative Kitchen Garden show. I look forward to being able to pick up where I left off, with renewed energy, in the future. In the meantime, don’t forget that there are plenty of previous episodes for you to (re)discover, and you can keep up with my progress on the blog.

Warm regards
Emma

AKG090 - Aloe Vera

emma — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 06:14:59 PDT

akg090.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Aloe vera offsets

Aloe vera is a great plant to have in a kitchen garden, even if you have to grow it inside on a windowsill. Listen to this episode if you want to have your own herbal first aid kit on standby, or fresher air. Learn more about aloe vera via PFAF, and more about growing your own fresh air in episode 65.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

AKG089 - Garden Birds

emma — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 06:14:46 PDT

akg089.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Starlings on a bird table

Birds add a lot to a garden, but many of our familiar garden birds are in decline and need our help. In this episode I look at how to make your garden into a home for house sparrows, starlings and blackbirds.

If you’re trying to identify the bird song in your garden, then BBC Radio 4 and the Guardian both have a selection of recordings you can listen to online or download. The RSPB is a great source of information about garden birds and wildlife gardening, and if you’re looking for a selection of bird food, including live mealworms, then Wiggly Wigglers have a really good range.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

AKG088 - Organic Fertilizers

emma — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 06:14:37 PDT

akg088.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Comfrey liquid fertilizer

This episode looks at feeding plants in the garden: macronutrients and micronutrients, solid and liquid fertilizers, high/ medium/ low fertility soil improvers – what’s it all about?

We’ve covered composting several times in previous shows (see also episode 26 on worm composting, 32 for leaf mould and 60 for cold composting), as well as using comfrey, urine and green manures.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

AKG 20090824 - Fruit Cage Adventures

emma — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 06:15:36 PDT

akg20090824.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Soft fruit in trug

I have been harvesting the soft fruit, dealing with pests, taking down the fruit cage and feeding the fruit plants. And if you’d like to win a copy of The Little Book of Compost, check out my Great Gardening Book Giveaway.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

AKG 20090801 - Dealing with blanketweed

emma — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:10:44 PDT

akg20090801.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Barley straw pad

I have been dealing with the blanketweed in the ponds in the Grow Dome, and staking the tomatillos.

My book – ‘The Alternative Kitchen Garden: An A To Z’ – is printed and has an official UK publication date of 17th August 2009. You can pre-order a copy from Amazon, but if you can’t wait then order it direct from the publisher via the Green Shopping Catalogue.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

The Alternative Kitchen Garden is a free and ad-free podcast, but if you’d like to support the show and save money then check out the AVIS coupon available in association with my other podcast – the Emma and Pete Show.

AKG 20090731 - Cleaning the garlic harvest

emma — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:50:03 PDT

akg20090731.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

My garlic harvest

The Big Green Gathering was cancelled, and instead I have been sowing salad seeds and trying to get things under control in the Grow Dome. My book – ‘The Alternative Kitchen Garden: An A To Z’ – is printed and has an official UK publication date of 17th August 2009. You can pre-order a copy from Amazon, but if you can’t wait then order it direct from the publisher via the Green Shopping Catalogue.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

The Alternative Kitchen Garden is a free and ad-free podcast, but if you’d like to support the show and save money then check out the CCS coupon available in association with my other podcast – the Emma and Pete Show.

AKG 20090720 - Plastic’s not fantastic

emma — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:17:08 PDT

akg20090720.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

The composting yard at Kew

I have a rant about plastic, because it’s impossible to keep it out of the compost heap.

My book – ‘The Alternative Kitchen Garden: An A To Z’ – is at the printers and has a UK official publication date of 17th August 2009. You can even pre-order a copy from Amazon if you can’t wait.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

AKG 20090713 - Balcony Crops

emma — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 09:48:52 PDT

akg20090713.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

A balcony garden in need of some crops

In this episode, Isabel from Fennel and Fern tells you everything you need to know about growing food on balconies, and you can download her list of suggested balcony crops. Visit her blog to check out her instructions on making pots out of newspaper and also decorating pots with newspaper.

There’s also exciting news about my book – ‘The Alternative Kitchen Garden: An A To Z’ is at the printers and has a UK official publication date of 17th August 2009. You can even pre-order a copy from Amazon if you can’t wait.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

The Alternative Kitchen Garden is a free and ad-free podcast, but if you’d like to support the show and save money then check out the Petmeds coupon available in association with my other podcast – the Emma and Pete Show.

AKG 20090702 - Rusty Garlic

emma — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:59:41 PDT

akg20090702.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Sad, rusty garlic

It’s hot here in the UK this week, and I’m gardening in the early hours so I don’t overheat. This morning I was digging up the garlic that is suffering from leek rust, replanting the beds with wonderberries and a cassaabanana, and giving everything a good water.

* I’ve got my garlic varieties mixed up in this episode. Thermidrome is a hard-necked variety which stores well, and Porcelain is a soft-necked variety that will grow scapes.*

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

AKG 20090619 - Compost and frogs

emma — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:27:43 PDT

akg20090619.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Strawberries in Helsinki, Finland

I get distracted by a frog in the Grow Dome when I’m trying to explain what I’ve been doing to the compost heaps.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

The Alternative Kitchen Garden is a free and ad-free podcast, but if you’d like to support the show and save money then check out the Avis coupon available in association with my other podcast – the Emma and Pete Show.

AKG 20090603 - Leaf mould potting compost

emma — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:02:28 PDT

akg20090603.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Leaf mould

I turn leaf mould and comfrey into potting compost for next year.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

AKG 20090530 - Spider mites & alliums

emma — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:03:45 PDT

akg20090530.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Alliums

There are spider mites in the Grow Dome, and not everything in the leek bed is a leek.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

The Alternative Kitchen Garden is a free and ad-free podcast, but if you’d like to support the show and save money then check out the Angie’s List coupon available in association with my other podcast – the Emma and Pete Show.

AKG 20090527 - Ensuite Bathroom

emma — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:05:01 PDT

akg20090527.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Princess Layer enjoys her new ensuite bathroom

The pampered chickens get their own bathroom.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

AKG087 - Holidays (Vacations)

emma — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:05:35 PDT

akg087.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Hen Solo and Princess Layer help with the weeding

Summer is coming, and soon it will be time for holidays (vacations). This episode is all about preparing your garden to survive without you for a couple of weeks. There’s also some interesting tips from a listener on composting cardboard.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

The Alternative Kitchen Garden is a free and ad-free podcast, but if you’d like to support the show then check out the Brookstone coupon available in association with my other podcast – the Emma and Pete Show.

AKG 20090523 - Big Drippas

emma — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:06:39 PDT

akg20090523.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

A Big Drippa

Installing a watering system in the Grow Dome.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

The Alternative Kitchen Garden is a free and ad-free podcast, but if you’d like to support the show and save money then check out the Footlocker coupon available in association with my other podcast – the Emma and Pete Show.

AKG 20090520 - Edible Honeysuckles

emma — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:07:48 PDT

akg20090520.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Edible Honeysuckles

I’ve been repotting my two edible honeysuckles.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

The Alternative Kitchen Garden is a free and ad-free podcast, but if you’d like to support the show and save money then check out the Eastbay coupons available in association with my other podcast – the Emma and Pete Show.

AKG 20090517 - Earthing Up

emma — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:10:50 PDT

akg20090517.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Potato barrels

I’m trying out a new way of earthing up the potatoes in my potato barrels.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

The Alternative Kitchen Garden is a free and ad-free podcast, but if you’d like to support the show and save money then check out the Brookstone coupon available in association with my other podcast – the Emma and Pete Show.

AKG 20090514 - Beans, peppers and awards

emma — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:11:45 PDT

akg20090514.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

An army of pepper seedlings

Out in the Grow Dome I’ve been supporting French beans and potting up pepper seedlings. And I’ve been shortlisted for an Observer Ethical Award and had an article about the garden published in Home Farmer magazine.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

The Alternative Kitchen Garden is a free and ad-free podcast, but if you’d like to support the show and save money then check out the Budget Rent-A-Car coupon available in association with my other podcast – the Emma and Pete Show.

AKG 20090511 - Japanese Wineberry

emma — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:12:09 PDT

akg20090511.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Japanese wineberry

I’ve been planting my Japanese Wineberry out in the garden.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

The Alternative Kitchen Garden is a free and ad-free podcast, but if you’d like to support the show and save money then check out the GoDaddy coupons available in association with my other podcast – the Emma and Pete Show.

AKG favourite episode survey results

emma — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:13:04 PDT

Thank you to everyone who filled in my little survey about your favourite Alternative Kitchen Garden episodes.

There were 3 episodes in first place:

20 garden uses for a plastic bottle, Permaculture basics and Square Foot Gardening.

In second place were Composting in winter, Peppers, Ryton Organic Gardens and Compost.

No episodes received zero votes :)

The second question, on which topics you would like to see covered, was optional – but I received the following comments:

more eco gardening please

Cauliflower, head broccoli, Brussels sprouts, celery, companion planting, insects (beneficial and pests), beets, fruit trees, strawberries, radishes, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, vegan gardening (non-animal/fish fertilizer). I love your show! Thanks!
permaculture, urban farming, greenhouses, raised beds

organic fertilizers, more on birds in the garden like what to plant to attract them or how to grow seeds to feed them and the sort of pests they eat. I also like the single plant episodes particularly when they are about something unusual and book or garden reviews. The series on heritage vegetables was really interesting but I’m not sure which episodes that was so may not have ticked them, but other issues like that are interesting (If there are any, I was interested in the heritage vegetables because I hadn’t heard or thought about the issues before, so it is difficult to know if there are other similar issues I don’t know about, I hope that makes sense!) Sorry for the very long answer, hope some of it is useful.

I’ve been very much enjoying the short episodes – more of your ‘garden updates’, please!

More about thrifty gardening tips and growing in a small space. However, just carry on! I like every podcast (that was a lot of clicks!)

More on starting vegetables from seed. More on growing fruit in the garden. Making the most of small spaces.

Continued month-by-month task lists and discussion, plus more experiments. And more permaculture!

So many thanks to those of you who left comments, and I’ll be looking into covering these topics in future shows.

Observer Ethical Awards 2009

emma — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:13:34 PDT

I am proud to announce that The Alternative Kitchen Garden has been shortlisted in the ‘Ethical Garden’ category of the Observer Ethical Awards 2009.

This is new category that rewards gardens great and small which reflect the ethical roots of their custodians. The judges were looking for entries from individual gardens, allotments or community gardens, but not from commercial or business spaces.

In the Alternative Kitchen Garden I grow edible and useful plants in an environmentally friendly way, concentrating on using organic gardening techniques, making as much compost as possible and collecting rainwater. I also encourage wildlife into the garden, keep a pair of chickens and save my own seeds.

Through the Alternative Kitchen Garden podcast and my blog, I share my experiments, successes and failures with gardeners all over the world.

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in London on Wednesday 3rd June. The other two shortlisted candidates in the Ethical Garden category are well worth checking out as well – the RISC roof garden in Reading, and Lower Shaw Farm in Swindon.

AKG 20090506 - Pulling up ivy

emma — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:13:45 PDT

akg20090506.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Removing ivy from the raised bed

Most people don’t use a crowbar when they’re gardening, but some plants are hard to shift once they’ve been growing in a confined space for a while.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

The Alternative Kitchen Garden is a free and ad-free podcast, but if you’d like to support the show and save money then check out the Kashflow coupon available in association with my other podcast – the Emma and Pete Show.

AKG 20090505 - Replanting the onion bed

emma — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:14:09 PDT

akg20090505.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Oca seedlings

I’m replanting one of the beds of overwintering onions with oca.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

The Alternative Kitchen Garden is a free and ad-free podcast, but if you’d like to support the show and save money then check out the ice.com and diamond.com coupons available in association with my other podcast – the Emma and Pete Show.

AKG086 - Greenhouses and seed sowing

emma — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:16:58 PDT

akg086.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

This is a bumper episode, all about greenhouses and seed sowing. I cover why gardeners love having a greenhouse, how to decide whether or not to heat yours, how to sow seeds and what to do with excess seeds, and what you could be doing in your greenhouse throughout the year.

If you’re new to seed sowing then you may also like episode 5; episode 11 is all about caring for the resulting seedlings. I gave a tour around my greenhouse, the Grow Dome, in episode 49, and if you’re interested in getting the most out of an unheated greenhouse over winter then you should really check out my recent review of Eliot Coleman’s latest book – The Winter Harvest Handbook.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

The Alternative Kitchen Garden is a free and ad-free podcast, but if you’d like to support the show then check out the PetMeds coupons available in association with my other podcast – the Emma and Pete Show.

AKG 20090421 - Seed Morphology

emma — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:17:19 PDT

akg20090421.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Cornflower seeds

I’m catching up with my seed sowing, and marvelling at the shapes and sizes that seeds come in. Have a look at my seed photos on Flickr. And if seed morphology is something that interests you, keep an eye out for Seeds: Time Capsules of Life, an amazingly beautiful book by Rob Kesseler and Wolfgang Stuppy.

And if you haven’t already done so, please take a minute to choose your favourite AKG episodes so far, in my short survey.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

The Alternative Kitchen Garden is a free and ad-free podcast, but if you’d like to support the show then check out the great coupons available in association with my other podcast – the Emma and Pete Show.

The Alternative Kitchen Garden Show Survey - April 2009

emma — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:17:26 PDT

There’s a shiny new (and full-sized) episode of the Altenative Kitchen Garden show in the pipeline for tomorrow. In the meantime, it would be very helpful if you could fill in my short survey – it has two questions, only one of which is compulsory! I’m interested in finding out which are your favourite episodes of the show, and which topics you would like to see covered.

The survey will be open until the end of April.

Take the survey

Many thanks
Emma

AKG 20090420 - Volunteer Potatoes

emma — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:18:03 PDT

akg20090420.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

A ‘volunteer’ potato

I’m outside in the garden, looking at the problems ‘volunteer’ potatoes (potatoes growing from last year’s leftover tubers) can cause.

If, like me, you’re having trouble with cats in the garden this year then have a listen to episode 40, which has some ideas on how to keep them away from your patch.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

The Alternative Kitchen Garden is a free and ad-free podcast, but if you’d like to support the show then check out the GoDaddy coupons available in association with my other podcast – the Emma and Pete Show.

AKG 20090413 - Cardboard Composter Update

emma — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:18:49 PDT

akg20090413.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

The Mark III Cardboard Composter

A sunny day, and an update on the Cardboard Composter project.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

AKG 20090412 - Overwintered Potatoes

emma — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:19:38 PDT

akg20090412.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

A short show, looking at what happened when I tried to grow some potatoes in a container for Christmas dinner.

And the collaborative kitchen garden bloggers ebook project now has a name and its own blog – check out Dig, Grow, Eat, Blog to keep up-to-date with what’s going on. There’s still time to contribute to the project – all you need to do is get in touch!

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

AKG085 - Square Foot Gardening

emma — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:25:07 PDT

akg085.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

A Square Foot Bed at Ryton Organic Gardens

Spring has sprung and I’ve been busy in the garden – sorting out the water butts and the compost heaps, and sowing seeds. The First Lady has been busy too, starting a new vegetable patch in the White House Garden. There’s a great piece about how they could have made a more sustainable garden over at Transition Culture.

This episode is all about Square Foot Gardening – Mel Bartholomew’s technique to crop a lot of crops in a small space and minimal resources and effort. There’s more about growing crops in small spaces on the RHS Grow Your Own website. And the AKG Sprouts are planting potatoes in containers.

Plus we learn a bit about hugelkultur and add some new gardening podcasts to my Squidoo lens.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

AKG084: On Guerrilla Gardening

emma — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:34:05 PDT

akg084.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

The traffic island my parents guerrilla garden

There’s more armchair gardening going on this week, with a look at On Guerrilla Gardening by Richard Reynolds. We find out what is (and what isn’t!) guerrilla gardening, why guerrilla gardeners exist and what they do. For more information, have a look at the online bibliography or the guerrilla gardening website. And if you’re planning on doing a bit of guerilla gardening yourself then check out this advice from the Green Streets program in Vancouver.

Sprouting seeds in recycled packaging

The AKG Sprouts are sprouting some more seeds this week – cress, or other members of the cabbage family. This time all you really need is a tray or saucer, some tissue paper and some seeds! For more information on sprouting seeds, go back and listen to one of the really early episodes – episode 4 was about growing indoor salads.

AKG listeners this week have been talking about the Gardening Conversations podcast from North County Public Radio, which is available via iTunes (or if you follow the link you can get the feed address). And about making solar food dryers. And Mark is going to be making an appearance on Channel 4’s Come Dine with Me on Sunday 1st March.

And there are two gardening programmes to watch out for here in the UK. Grow Your Own Drugs starts on March 2nd (it’s a 6-part series) and Sissinghurst has already started.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

AKG083: Life Under Glass

emma — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:37:47 PDT

akg083.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

My Grow Dome isn’t quite in the same league as Biosphere 2!

This week I’m doing a bit of armchair gardening, reading through ‘Life Under Glass: The Inside Story of Biosphere 2’ (ISBN 978-1882428076), the story of the first Biosphere 2 mission in Arizona in the 1990s.

If you find the Biosphere 2 story interesting, there are two more books available on the subject. ‘The Human Experiment’ (ISBN 978-1560257752) tells you more about the day-to-day lives of the 8 people locked up together for two years; ‘Eating in: From the Field to the Kitchen in Biosphere 2’ (ISBN 978-1882428045) is the cookbook written by the team captain.

DIY sprouting jar

There’s the first episode of a new feature – AKG Sprouts – for younger gardeners, all about making your own sprouting jar so you can grow your own beansprouts indoors while the weather is still cold outside. For more information on sprouting seeds, go back and listen to one of the really early episodes – episode 4 was about growing indoor salads.

And there’s the usual run down of what I’ve been doing in my garden, the emails you’ve sent in and what’s been going on in the gardening world. You can read my piece on the problems of chitting potatoes on the Guardian Gardening blog.

There’s a programme on permaculture on BBC 2 this Friday – A Farm For The Future – and you should be able to watch that on the iPlayer later if you miss it, or if you’re outside the UK.

And keep your eyes open for a new series coming to BBC 2 soon, called Grow Your Own Drugs. Air dates are still to be confirmed.

AKG listener Peter has been making his own grow lights, using an online calculator to work out how many LEDs he needs; he’s also made a rocket stove to use on his allotment. And Lisa has been contemplating making her own solar heater.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

AKG082 - Days Out

emma — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 16:11:02 PDT

akg082.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

An insect habitat at Ryton Organic Gardens

The news from the online gardening world this week is that there is a new gardening blog in town, from The Guardian. Research suggests that gardening can boost men’s sex lives and the economic downturn may be good for allotments.

This week’s show is all about getting out and about. There are plenty of seed swaps and potato days going on – in January and February. Keep an eye on the blog for events later in the year.

You may be able to attend gardening lectures or courses in your local area. Oxford Botanic Garden run a public education series every year, and GardenOrganic have day courses and workshops. The Eden Project has a full programme of events, and CAT run all kinds of courses.

Later in the year there will be open days and open gardens. Jekka’s Herb Garden opens for several weekends a year to the public, and there are workshops and talks on the day. You can look for open gardens near you, and find out about the Yellow Book, and the NGS website.

Don’t forget to vote for your favourite theme for the collaborative book project. And do get in touch if you want to contribute to the book.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

AKG081 - Winter Experiments

emma — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:47:52 PDT

akg081.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Cardboard Composter

Cold weather is keeping gardeners indoors here in the UK at the moment, and winter can be a time for garden planning, armchair gardening or just dreaming up crazy ideas and experiments.

In previous years I have made cardboard chips for the floor of the Grow Dome, decided to use the Bokashi buckets to make comfrey liquid feed and tried planting Jerusalem artichokes in containers. I’ve also watched beans germinate.

They all worked out quite well! This year I’m trying out cardboard composters, bean boosters and sowing carrots in a cold frame for an early harvest.

If you enjoy garden design then take a look at the NS&I competition to design a kitchen garden for Gardeners’ World Live. And you can read more about my collaborative book project here.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

AKG - Christmas Eve in the Garden

emma — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 16:12:33 PDT

akg_xmas.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

A special Christmas edition of the Alternative Kitchen Garden, with a Christmas story – Christmas Eve in the Garden – written and read by Emma Cooper.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter and you can also download a PDF copy of the Christmas story.

AKG080 - Christmas for the Birds

emma — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:52:57 PDT

akg080.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Starlings on the bird table

Food waste and declining bird populations have been in the news this year. So why not help both situations by feeding some of your Christmas leftovers to the birds?

I usually make bird cake in the winter, as it’s a great way of combining different foods into a high fat meal for the birds.

In this show I talk about which leftovers you can feed to the birds, and which should be avoided. There’s more information on feeding the birds this Christmas available from the RSPB. And I come up with the slogan “Stodge for the Birds this Christmas”!

If you want to buy your garden birds a present then take a look at the Christmas Dinner Kit from Garden Bird Supplies. But you’ll have to order before midnight on 21st December to ensure delivery in time for Christmas.

And to wrap up the show there’s a story from GreenPrints Magazine.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

AKG079 - Oca

emma — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:54:45 PDT

akg079.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Oca tubers

White and red oca plants

In this episode I have a look at growing Oca, one of the Lost Crops of the Inca, and a tuber that can be used like potatoes but which doesn’t have problems with blight. My seed tubers came from Real Seeds; keep an eye on their website to find out which varieties they’ll be offering for sale for next year.

Madeleine from Mad About Herbs talks about her pineapple sage plants – they’re brightening up her conservatory at the moment. Follow the link for photos and recipes.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

AKG078 - New for 2009

emma — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:55:59 PDT

akg078.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

I’ve been thinking ahead to next year’s garden, and buying some seeds and a few unusual plants.

I have 2 new Chilean Guavas (Ugni molinae) from Jekka’s Herb Farm, as well as some sea kale seeds.

Ben from Real Seeds brought some Exploding Cucumber seeds to the Food Growing Bloggers event over the summer, so I will be trying those as well.

An idle flick through the Jungle Seeds catalogue brought sesame, cassabana, a sweet potato, wonderberries, edamame and a beautiful lilac pepper.

I’ve also made an advance order of risotto rice from Seeds of Italy, and bought 5 plants from Kore Wild Fruit Nursery for the Grow Dome.

If you’re interested in Australian gardening, then don’t forget to check out a new(ish) gardening podcast – Dig It Down Under.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

AKG077 - Gifts for Gardeners

emma — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:57:53 PDT

akg077.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

My new homemade garden toolbelt

With the holiday season upon us, it’s time to talk about gifts for gardeners. A subscription to Permaculture Magazine might suit an alternative kitchen gardener or someone interested in sustainable living – have a look at the online version to see a free online copy or find out how to get a free sample issue.

The Ethical Superstore have lots of green garden gift ideas, as do the Natural Collection. And Gluttonous Gardener do some very classy crates crammed with plants and edible goodies.

But good gifts for gardeners don’t always involve spending money, and so I talk about free and homemade presents you could give this Christmas. I’m sure you have lots more suggestions – so get in touch!

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

AKG076 - The Eden Project

emma — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 16:13:10 PDT

akg076.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

A view across the Eden Project’s Outdoor Biome

See more photos of Eden

In this episode I take a look at the Eden Project – one of my favourite gardens to visit and a real horticultural wonder of the world. The Eden Project focuses on edible and useful plants, and so it’s a great place for an Alternative Kitchen Garden to visit to pick up ideas and see unusual plants growing. It’s also perfect for an environmentally friendly day out.

Even if you can’t get to the Eden Project now, it might be a place you’d like to support. You can shop online at the Eden Shop or become an Eden Friend.

I also unveil the winner of the Permaculture competition, have a quick look at the new River Cottage Land Share scheme, and invite you to send in your letters to Santa if you’re hoping for gardening goodies this Christmas.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

AKG075 - Composting in Winter

emma — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:03:29 PDT

akg075.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Can you compost in winter? Of course you can! Whether you’ve got a hot heap, a cold compost bin, a wormery, or just some space for trench composting, then with a little bit of preparation you can continue composting through the winter. And if you won’t be able to see the garden under the snow, then think about Bokashi.

And don’t forget that it’s time to make leaf mould!

AKG listener Mark has been conducting some experiments in his garden this year – find out whether tansy protected his brassicas from whitefly, if nettle concentrate puts cabbage white butterflies off, if pennyroyal deters ants and if you can use marigolds to control weeds.

You’ve only got a couple more days to enter my permaculture give-away, so send those entries in!

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

AKG074 - Permaculture Basics

emma — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:12:30 PDT

akg074.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

This episode takes a look at what Permaculture is, and some of the basic tools and concepts we can use to make permaculture gardens. Permaculture has been mentioned before on the show – The RISC Roof Garden is an example of the permaculture Forest Garden, and comfrey is known as the permaculture plant.

In this episode we look at layers, zones, forest gardens, herb spirals and sheet mulch gardens, and you can find more about all of these in my permaculture basics Squidoo lens.

I’m also giving away a copy of the new second edition of Permaculture – A Beginner’s Guide by Graham Burnett. To be in with a chance of winning, send me your thoughts on permaculture – ideas, photos, drawings, poems, articles or anything else – by the end of October. If I get enough entries I’ll put them all on show somewhere, and Pete and I will pick our favourite to be the winner.

And show listener Teresa recommends tuning in to the October 10th episode of Science Friday, which is about fall gardening and composting.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

AKG073 - Out & About

emma — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:13:22 PDT

akg073.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

The Agitator

Madeleine from Mad About Herbs is back to tell us what we should be doing in the herb garden now that it’s autumn.

I’ve been out and about, to the Food Growing Bloggers Meet-up – check out my photos. We were lucky enough to be joined by Ben from Real Seeds, who talked about the important of seed saving (a topic that was also covered in AKG 028). There were also talks from Patrick from Bifurcated Carrots and Simon from The Plot Thickens.

And I’ve also been to a composting plant in Dorset – New Earth Solutions – to see one of the ways in which we can deal with organic waste (garden waste, food waste and cardboard). I took some photos there too!

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

AKG072 - September

emma — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:33:47 PDT

akg072.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

It’s time to clear spent crops away to the compost heap

It’s September, and here in the Alternative Kitchen Garden we’re looking back at what’s been happening this summer and turning our thoughts to getting ready for winter.

As well as harvesting the last summer crops before the first frosts (check out the frost dates in your area), we’re saving seeds, sowing green manures, getting ready to make leaf mould and thinking about homes for wildlife. And on top of all that we’re sowing seeds for winter salads and leafy greens and peashoots!

To round off the show we have a wonderful music track from Rebsie Fairholm (who also blogs at Daughter of the Soil) about something that disturbs the peace in many an autumn garden.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

Guerilla Gardening

emma — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:47:36 PDT

This week, Rachel is sharing her Big Sofa with Richard Reynolds – author of Guerilla Gardening: A Handbook for Gardening Without Boundaries. They had a good old chat, over a cup of tea, about how he got started as a guerrilla gardener and why lavender is the perfect plant for guerrilla gardeners.

AKG071 - Ladybirds

emma — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:50:16 PDT

akg071.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

The latest episode of the Alternative Kitchen Garden is on ladybirds – or ladybeetles – which are a real force for good in the garden. I’ve been finding out about our native ladybird species, but also about an invasive alien species that I’ve spotted in the garden. If you want to know what Harlequin ladybirds look like, or report a siting, then visit the website of the Harlequin Ladybird Survey.

You’ve been sending me emails on using tansy to repel whitefly, composting food waste in a food digester (check out Lisa’s Bokashi website) and courgettes.

There’s still a few days left if you want to listen to my appearance on Radio 4’s Go4It show, and if you haven’t already seen it then you might want to check out my article on useful weeds that appeared in the Guardian newspaper: No Hoe Zone.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.

AKG Index

emma — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 23:05:11 PDT

2007
AKG001 - Jerusalem artichokes
AKG002 - Garlic
AKG003 - Compost
AKG004 - Indoor Salads
AKG005 - Sowing Seeds
AKG006 - Chard and leaf beet
AKG007 - Comfrey
AKG008 - Parsley
AKG009 - Raised Beds
AKG010 - Nasturtiums
AKG011 - Seedlings
AKG012 - French Beans
AKG013 - The RISC Roof Garden
AKG014 - Water Wise Gardening
AKG015 - Courgettes/ Zuchinni
AKG016 - Windowboxes
AKG017 - June
AKG018 - Oriental Vegetables
AKG019 - Sunflowers
AKG020 - Welsh Onions
AKG021 - Peas and Peashoots
AKG022 - Lemon Balm
AKG023 - Seeds for Late Sowing
AKG024 - Ryton Organic Gardens
AKG025 - Armchair Gardening
AKG026 - Worm Composting
AKG027 - Green Manures for Fall
AKG028 - Seed Saving
AKG029 - Pee
AKG030 - Overwintering Onions
AKG031 - Sweetcorn
AKG032 - Leaf Mould
AKG033 - Slugs
AKG034 - A Review of the Season
AKG035 - Broad (Fava) Beans
AKG036 - Apple Day
AKG037 - 20 Garden Uses for a Plastic Bottle
AKG038 - Pumpkins
AKG039 - Mushrooms
AKG040 - Cats in the Garden
AKG041 - Planting Pips
AKG042 - Chickpeas/ Garbanzo Beans
AKG043 - Tiger Nuts/ Chufa
AKG044 - Soil Composition
AKG045 - Herbs for Tea
AKG046 - 2007 Quiz
AKG047 - A Look Back at 2007

2008
AKG - Christmas Eve in the garden
AKG048 - Onions and Shallots
AKG049 - Grow Dome Tour
AKG050 - Seed Swaps
AKG051 - Cress
AKG052 - Buying Plants
AKG053 - Garden Planning
AKG054 - Tomatoes
AKG055 - Peppers
AKG056 - Aubergines/ Eggplants
AKG057 - Sprouting Broccoli
AKG058 - Cold Frames
AKG059 - Weeds
AKG060 - Cat Cold Composting
AKG061 - Potatoes
AKG062 - Chickens
AKG063 - Achocha
AKG064 - Blueberries
AKG065 - Grow Your Own Fresh Air
AKG066 - Pest Repellent Plants
AKG067 - Master Composters
AKG068 - Bokashi
AKG069 - June Catch-Up
AKG070 - Winter Crops
AKG071 - Ladybirds
AKG072 - September
AKG073 - Out & About
AKG074 - Permaculture Basics
AKG075 - Composting in Winter
AKG076 - The Eden Project
AKG077 - Gifts for Gardeners
AKG078 - New for 2009
AKG079 - Oca
AKG080 - Christmas for the Birds

2009
AKG 20090412 - Overwintered Potatoes
AKG 20090413 - Cardboard Composter Update
AKG 20090420 - Volunteer Potatoes
AKG 20090505 - Replanting the onion bed
AKG 20090506 - Pulling up ivy
AKG 20090511 - Japanese Wineberry
AKG 20090514 - Beans, Peppers and Awards
AKG 20090517 - Earthing Up
AKG 20090520 - Edible Honeysuckles
AKG 20090523 - Big Drippas
AKG 20090527 - Ensuite Bathroom
AKG 20090530 - Spider Mites & Alliums
AKG 20090603 - Compost and frogs
AKG 20090603 - Leaf mould potting compost
AKG 20090702 - Rusty garlic
AKG 20090713 - Balcony Crops
AKG 20090720 - Plastic’s not fantastic
AKG 20090731 - Cleaning the garlic harvest
AKG 20090801 - Dealing with blanketweed
AKG 20090824 - Fruit Cage Adventures
AKG081 - Winter Experiments
AKG082 - Days Out
AKG083 - Life Under Glass
AKG084 - On Guerrilla Gardening
AKG085 - Square Foot Gardening
AKG086 - Greenhouses and Seed Sowing
AKG087 - Holidays (Vacations)
AKG088 - Organic Fertilizers
AKG089 - Garden Birds
AKG090 - Aloe Vera
AKG091 - October
AKG092 - Prickly Nut Woods
AKG093 - Chicken forage
AKG094 - Tea
AKG095 - Garden Organization
AKG096 - Holiday Plants

2010
AKG097 - Winter Sowing
AKG098 - Bees
AKG099 - Sweet Violets
AKG100 - 2010 Garden Plan
AKG101 - Shamrocks and Clover
AKG102 - My Birthday Plants
AKG103 - Chicken Introductions
AKG104 - Running a Seed Swap
AKG105 - Wisewoman’s Cookery
AKG106 - Biodynamics 101
AKG107 - Choosing a composting system
AKG108 - Strawberries

Download previous episodes in batches of 10. If you would like to download episodes from previous years in one big file, then check out the compiled files created by an AKG listener.

Go4It and Penelope Bennett

emma — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:56:19 PDT

If you’re missing your regular dose of the AKG while I’m scribbling away at my book then you might be interested in the following.

On Sunday (Sun 13 Jul, 19:15 – 19:45) I’m making a guest appearance on the Radio 4 programme Go4It. I went to Dulwich on Monday and was grilled about fruit and vegetables by a group of school children with an allotment. And just so you know, the hour we spent recording outside was about the only dry hour in the day! If you can’t listen live then you’ll be able to catch the show via the website all next week.

And over at The Big Sofa, Rach has been lucky enough to interview one of my gardening heroes – Penelope Bennett, who wrote the book Windowbox Allotment. It’s an awesome book, encouraging people with the smallest spaces to start growing edible plants, and it’s fantastic to hear the author talking about her own garden in London.

AKG070 - Winter Crops

emma — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:24:58 PDT

akg070.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

In this episode you can find out the exciting reason why recent AKG episodes haven’t been quite as regular as they could be, and why your garden knows that we’ve just passed the solstice – even if you don’t!

But the main focus of this episode is on planning for winter crops, especially for those people who have started to grow their own vegetables because they want to save money during the Credit Crunch and would like to make the most of their garden throughout the year.

You might also want to go back and listen to episode 23, on seeds for late sowing, or episode 18 on Oriental vegetables. And last year I wrote an article on how to grow spring cabbage.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter and you can also download a PDF transcript of this show.

AKG069 - June catch up

emma — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:42:25 PDT

akg069.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

I’m out in the Grow Dome this week, checking up on progress there and in the garden. Among other things there are new pond plants, too many tomatoes, potato flowers and new raised beds for the squash plants. What there isn’t is any soya beans.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter and you can also download a PDF transcript of this show.

AKG068 - Bokashi

emma — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:44:47 PDT

akg068.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

In this episode I talk about my experiences with the latest arrival on the composting scene – Bokashi.

Garden Organic are running a Bokashi trial – so if you’ve got experiences you would like to share with them you can download the details from their Home Composting website.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter and you can also download a PDF transcript of this show.

Flipping Channels

emma — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:47:57 PDT

The Alternative Kitchen Garden is featured in the latest episode (episode 6) of Flipping Channels, a brief podcast that explores some of the podcasts available in the Podcast.com directory.

Podcast.com is organized into channels. The AKG is in the Hobbies channel. Another one you might like to look at is the Eco channel – there’s a lot of podcasts in there, although it’s pretty US-centric.

I hadn’t been to Podcast.com before, and a quick poke around in their directory this morning has brought up some treasures. The author of the China Bayles herbal mysteries (which I haven’t read, but keep meaning to!) recorded a series of 10 podcasts on herbs last spring called All About Thyme which I will be listening to.

And in a completely different vein, I discovered the new podcasts from Magnatune, a ‘fair trade’ record label. Listen to 60 minutes of (almost) uninterrupted Medieval music, or if that’s not your thing then have a look at their other podcasts.

AKG067 - Master Composters

emma — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:48:17 PDT

akg067.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Intrepid Oxfordshire Master Composters test the heap temperature at Agrivert’s composting facility

In this episode I talk about why I got involved with the Oxfordshire Master Composter scheme, what it involves and the benefits of home composting.

Garden Organic’s home composting website is the place to find out whether there’s a Master Composter scheme in your area, and how to get in touch with your local Master Composters if you would like their help.

WRAP’s RecycleNow website has some good information for people who are new to composting, and you can find out about subsidized compost bins in your area there too.

If you want to know more about composting then check out some of the previous AKG episodes. Episode 3 is on general composting, episode 26 is on worm composting and episode 60 covers cold composting. Looking forward to later in the year, episode 32 explains how to make leaf mould.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter and you can also download a PDF transcript of this show.

Find out about this week’s composting offers from Wiggly Wigglers – and how to bag some free seed potatoes – at Muppet’s Moolah.

AKG066 - Pest Repellent Plants

emma — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:50:24 PDT

akg066.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

This time last year we were talking about courgettes, and hopefully this summer we’ll have better weather and can have more success with the courgette trial! And you can get a good deal on the forthcoming Seeds of Italy cookbook if you pre-order from their website!

This episode is all about pest repellent plants, including companion plants such as marigolds and nasturtiums and plants like the Shoo Fly plant (Nicandra physaloides) and the Scardy Cat plant (Coleus canina) and herbs that actively repel flies or larger pests!

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter and you can also download a PDF transcript of this show.

AKG065 - Grow Your Own Fresh Air

emma — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 16:16:48 PDT

akg065.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Vote for your favourite gardening blogs, websites and podcast over at Mouse & Trowel.

We’re indoors today, talking about indoor air quality and sick building syndrome – and the part that houseplants can play in helping to keep us all healthy. I thoroughly recommend buying Dr B C Wolverton’s book, ‘How to Grow Fresh Air’ if you’re interested in this subject – it contains information about how plants clean our air, how to successfully care for houseplants and the top 50 plants for improving air quality, rated scientifically. (Buy from Amazon UK or US)

For reference, the plants mentioned in the show are: The Areca palm (AKA the yellow or butterfly palm), the Lady palm, the Bamboo palm, Rubber plants, Dracaena “Janet Craig”, English Ivy, the dwarf Date palm, Ficus alii, the Boston fern and the Peac lily.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can also download a PDF transcript of this show.

AKG064 - Blueberries

emma — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:59:29 PDT

akg064.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Vote for your favourite gardening blogs, websites and podcast over at Mouse & Trowel.

Grow your own superfood! Blueberries are easy to grow (at least in theory ;) and happy in containers. You will need a water butt, though, so check out episode 14 on water-wise gardening (not episode 13, as I mentioned in the show).

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can also download a PDF transcript of this show.

Out in the garden

emma — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:03:02 PDT

If there are any topics you would like the AKG to cover, or you have any hints and tips or stories that you would like to share, leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group.

AKG063 - Achocha

emma — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:06:57 PDT

akg063.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Vote for your favourite gardening blogs, websites and podcast over at Mouse & Trowel. And don’t forget that it’s Earth Day on April 22nd.

This episode is all about growing Achocha, Cyclanthera pedata or C. brachystachya and their close relative the exploding cucumber (C. explodens).

In the UK you can get achocha seeds from Real Seeds and Garden Organic’s Heritage Seed Library.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can also download a PDF transcript of this show.

New promo - the aliens have landed!

emma — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:07:38 PDT

akg08_promo.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play the promo without downloading:

Alien oca, invading the Eden Project

Pete and I have had some fun recording a new promo for the AKG. I hope you enjoy it!

Mouse & Trowel nomination

emma — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:08:24 PDT

The AKG has been nominated for ‘Best Gardening Podcast’ in the Mouse & Trowel Awards, so thank you for your nominations.

You can now vote for your favourite gardening podcasts and blogs, until May 13th. The winners will be unveiled on May 15th.

AKG062 - Chickens

emma — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 16:17:16 PDT

akg062.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Chickens make a real difference in a garden, eating pests and weeds, providing fertilizer and laying eggs. They can also be destructive, eating things you didn’t want eating and scratching around.

Ours live in a fancy eglu chicken house, made by Omlet and available here in the UK and in the US.

Pictures of my chickens in 2006 and 2007 are available on Flickr.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can also download a PDF transcript of this show.

AKG061 - Potatoes

emma — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:10:51 PDT

akg061.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

What’s the difference between First Earlies, Second Earlies, Early Maincrops and Late Maincrops? How do you grow potatoes and what problems are you likely to encounter? This week’s episode covers the basics of growing your own spuds.

If you’re in to growing unusual varieties of potatoes (or other vegetables) then pop along and check out Daughter of the Soil, a great blog with lovely photos.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can also download a PDF transcript of this show.

AKG060 - CAT Cold Composting

emma — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:15:22 PDT

akg060.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

CAT Cold Composting, (AKA High Fibre Composting and ‘Feed and Forget’ composting) is a composting process ideal for households and small gardens, developed at the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales.

It’s very low maintenance, and produces perfectly good compost – even in plastic compost bins. We talked about other methods of composting in episode 3 and episode 26, but if you’re looking for more composting options you could do a lot worse than to buy a copy of The Little Book of Compost by Allan Shepherd.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can also download a PDF transcript of this show.

AKG059 - Weeds

emma — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:19:34 PDT

akg059.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Organic gardeners don’t use herbicides and weedkiller, so how do they control the weeds in their garden? Learn about digging, No Dig gardening, mulching, hand weeding and stale seedbeds in this episode.

Joanna from Michigan has sent in a link to a web page about her least favourite weed: Creeping Charlie.

But weeds can also be useful plants – adding wildlife value to your garden and making a useful addition to your compost heap. Madeleine from Mad About Herbs is also keen for you to eat some of them! If you want to get into foraging, you’ll need a good guidebook – Madeleine recommends Wild Food by Roger Phillips.

Coming up on Saturday 29th March is Earth Hour, a chance to join in an international environment event simply by turning off the lights.

And listeners in North America might find the new Seed and Plant Finder from Mother Earth News useful for tracking down particular varieties of seeds and plants.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can also download a PDF transcript of this show.

AKG058 - Cold frames

emma — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 16:17:56 PDT

akg058.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

A cold frame is a handy thing to have – it’s a cheap and very environmentally friendly way of extending your growing season and providing your plants with some protection.

Cold frames are just one method of extending the season – check out Eliot Coleman’s book Four Season Harvest for more information on cold frames and other methods of protected cropping.

This episode also contains an email from a listener who has some information to add to episode 55 on peppers, and a reminder that my bookazine is being published this week.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can also download a PDF transcript of this show.

Home improvements

emma — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:11:20 PDT

As the Alternative Kitchen Garden show has been mentioned in both my bookazine and the new Wiggly Wigglers catalogue, it’s possible that a few new listeners might be stopping by.

So (with the help of hubby) I’ve made some improvements to the site that are long overdue. You can now play episodes directly from the site (yay!), and I’ve added the online player to all of the 2008 episodes.

There’s a big fat iTunes button to help new subscribers and for regular listeners I’ve created an archive page, so that it’s easy to download old episodes you might have missed.

AKG057 - Sprouting broccoli

emma — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:12:52 PDT

akg057.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Sprouting broccoli is one of the delights of a kitchen garden in spring. In this episode I talk about how to grow it, and why you might not want to. Alternatives include broccoli raab (AKA cima di rapa and rapini) and kailaan (AKA Chinese broccoli, Chinese kale).

There’s also an update on what’s been happening in the Grow Dome this week, and some hints on getting a head start on pest reduction.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can also download a PDF transcript of this show.

AKG056 - Aubergines (eggplants)

emma — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:18:19 PDT

akg056.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Aubergines (known as eggplants in many parts of the world) are not an easy plant to grow in the UK climate – they need a long growing season and a sunny, sheltered position. Early varieties are most likely to be successful – check out the selection available from Real Seeds. The photos above are from my greenhouse last year, and the variety shown is Calliope F1.

In the show I mention the big writing project that I’ve been working on since Christmas – a thick, glossy magazine about growing your own vegetables, aimed at kids. Check out my blog for more details, including pictures of the front and back covers.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can also download a PDF transcript of this show.

AKG055 - Peppers

emma — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:21:29 PDT

akg055.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Peppers (sweet and chilli) are very ornamental plants, and easy to grow – although they do appreciate a long season or some protection. The Real Seed Catalogue has a selection of sweet and chilli peppers that have been selected because they grow well in cool climates.

You can also grow peppers from seeds that you save from store-bought fruit.

Peppers are usually grown as annuals in the UK, but I have been experimenting with overwintering pepper seedlings to get a head start on the growing season.

Over the winter I’ve also been working on a series of articles on green gardening for Country Gardener magazine – and the first article appears in the March edition, published on March 1st.

And Madeleine from Mad About Herbs is back with some advice about growing herbs on your allotment or in your kitchen garden.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can also download a PDF transcript of this show.

AKG054 - Tomatoes

emma — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:23:59 PDT

akg054.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Tomatoes are one of the highlights of the summer. In today’s episode you’ll learn how easy it is to grow your own. There’s also another story from Greenprints and a chance to find out about a new show, Froggy Coffee, which is a fun and easy way to learn French.

If you want to save seeds from your tomato plants, then check out episode 28, on seed saving. Go back to episode 7 to learn how to grow comfrey, a plant that you can use to make your own tomato fertilizer. And if you need a refresher course in seed sowing, that’s in episode 5, from this time last year.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can also download a PDF transcript of this show.

AKG053 - Garden Planning

emma — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:27:56 PDT

akg053.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

One of Gillian Carson’s beautiful garden plans

With spring on its way here in the UK, we turn out attention to garden planning. Gillian Carson, from the My Tiny Plot blog is here to give us some advice about creating a kitchen garden plan.

Then we’ve got another inspiring gardening story from Greenprints magazine. In this one, a gardener comes face-to-face with his biggest enemy in ‘The Undaunted Gopher’.

Don’t forget that Monty Don continues his world tour this evening, in Around the World in 80 Days, at 9 pm on BBC 2. The show is repeated on Tuesday 12th Feb at 7 pm (also on BBC 2), but if you’re outside the UK then you can watch each week’s episode via the BBC iPlayer.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can also download a PDF transcript of this show.

AKG052 - Buying Plants

emma — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:31:08 PDT

akg052.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Two AKG listeners have been very busy of late and have things they’d like to share with you. Erin, in Texas, has started a new podcast – Faery Knitting, in which she reads out a fairy story and chats about her animals and hobbies. I’ve listened to the first couple of episodes and I think it’s well worth checking out.

Madeleine from Mad About Herbs has opened a new forum on her website, so that’s the place to be if you want to chat about growing and using herbs.

Alternative Kitchen Gardeners love growing plants from seed, but that’s not always possible. In this week’s show we look at how to choose plants at the garden centre and taking care of plants that arrive in the post.

You might want to take a look at two UK online suppliers of organic vegetable plants – Delfland Nurseries and Rocket Gardens.

Don’t forget that the second episode of Monty Don’s Around the World in 80 Gardens is on TV tonight (and repeated on Tuesday). If you’re outside the UK then you can watch the episodes via the BBC’s iPlayer once they’ve been aired.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group.

Download the PDF transcript of the show.

If you’re a new AKG listener then you might want to check out the episode on Indoor Salads from this time last year.

And if you’re in the UK and you’re buying garden stuff online, keep an eye on Muppet’s Moolah to see whether you can bag a bargain.

AKG051 - Cress

emma — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:33:33 PDT

akg051.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

First up there’s a quick run down of a new BBC gardening show, Around the World in 80 Days in which Monty Don visits some interesting gardens around the world. You can catch a repeat on Tuesday if you’re in the UK, or watch it online with the BBC’s iPlayer. It’s a great show, so watch it if you can. The book that accompanies the series is already available.

This week we’re talking about cress (Lepidium sativum) – the seedling crop that kids everywhere love because it grows so fast – and mustard (Sinapsis alba). And some slightly more grown-up plants that are also called cress – American/ Winter or Land cress (Barbarea verna), Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) and the unusual Paracress (Spilanthes oleracea).

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group.

Download the PDF transcript of the show.

This time last year we were talking about compost.

AKG050 - Seed Swaps

emma — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:38:46 PDT

akg050.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

There might not be much going on in the garden, but as February approaches the gardening community is gearing up for the events of the year – seed swaps.

If you listened to episode 28 on seed saving then you might have home-saved seed to swap this year, or you may just have some left over from last year!

Seed swaps are a great way to help conserve heirloom and heritage seed varieties. For more about those, listen to Patrick from Bifurcated Carrots in episodes 22, 23 and 24. You can also listen to an episode of BBC Radio 4’s Food Programme in which they visit Brighton’s famous Seedy Sunday. That link also shows some other seed swap events.

If you’re anywhere near Coventry you can check out Garden Organic’s seed swap at their Potato Day in Ryton Organic Gardens. Or you can check out one of the many internet gardening forums that hold seed swaps at this time of year.

If you end up with surplus seeds then you could consider donating them to a local school with a gardening project or to Thrive, the gardening charity that builds and maintains horticultural therapy gardens.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group.

If you’re deaf or hard of hearing then you can download a PDF transcript of this show.

This time last year, we were talking about garlic.

AKG049 - Grow Dome tour

emma — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:42:54 PDT

akg049.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

A brief spell of sunshine encouraged me out into the garden long enough to record an audio tour of the grow dome. Find out why I bought it, why it took so long to put up and what’s been growing inside over the winter.

Grow Dome construction photos from 2006.

The final stages of construction and the first plants to grow in the Grow Dome in 2007.

Grow Domes are made by Growing Spaces in the US. A UK distributor sells them in Europe.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group.

If you’re deaf or hard-of-hearing then you can download a PDF transcript of this show.

This time last year we looked at Jerusalem artichokes. It’s time to think about digging up this tasty crop, or getting hold of tubers to plant this year.

Get your hands on an AKG Yearbook

emma — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:45:17 PDT

Throughout January, I’m going to be giving a copy of my new e-book, The Alternative Kitchen Garden Yearbook 2008, to everyone who makes a contribution to the show!

If you’ve got the ability to record yourself, then I’d love to hear your audio comments – ranging from a simple ‘Hello, My name’s XXXX and I love the AKG!’ through to lavish descriptions of your vegetable patch or a profile of your favourite kitchen garden plant.

For those of you who can’t (or won’t!) record themselves, then I’ll accept an email of hints and tips, stories about your garden or the low-down on your favourite plants. Your photographs (or a link to your photos if they’re online) are also good.

Send your contributions to akgpodcast@gmail.com.

There are a couple of rules. Your contribution has to be relevant, clean and your own work. I’ll include my favourites in the show. As ever, the editor’s decision is final :)

I’ll also be giving a copy of the Yearbook to anyone kind enough to make a donation to the show.

AKG048 - Onions and shallots

emma — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:46:58 PDT

akg048.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

January is a quiet time in kitchen gardens in the UK, but if you’re itching to start sowing seeds then you can start with onions. It’s also time to plant out shallot sets.

If you’re looking for a gourmet treat, find out how to grow your own banana shallots. And we hear a promo for another podcast you might enjoy, The Outdoor Station.

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group.

AKG047: A look back at 2007

emma — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 10:00:13 PDT

akg047.mp3 (right click to download)

Click play to play this episode without downloading:

Summer 2007 in the Alternative Kitchen Garden

This is the last AKG episode of 2007 and while I’m giving out the answers to last week’s Christmas quiz I have a look back at some of the topics we covered this year.

Of all the people who sent in their quiz answers, the clear winner was Madeleine, with 44 out of 45! A very impressive effort.

Thanks to everyone who has listened to the show in 2007. I hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as I have and I look forward to hearing from you in 2008.

Happy New Year everyone!

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group.