Traditional kitchen gardens By Michael Perry
What is a kitchen garden?
Some famous UK kitchen gardens
Chartwell Kitchen Garden Former home of Sir Winston Churchill, past Prime Minister Kitchen garden was, productive until Churchill's death in 1965. The area provided 10 Downing St with vegetables through the war years, and the 4 outer walls were built by Churchill himself!
Chartwell Kitchen Garden
Chartwell Kitchen Garden Currently being restored to it s 1940 s appearance Various fruit and vegetable varieties have been reintroduced and the produce sold to visitors
Chartwell Kitchen Garden
Chartwell Kitchen Garden
Wimpole Estate Kitchen Garden A working estate with an impressive mansion The home farm walled garden is abundant with fruit, vegetables and herbaceous borders Constructed in 1790 for the Earl of Hardwick
Wimpole Estate Kitchen Garden
Wimpole Estate Kitchen Garden Walls are heated to keep peaches warm during frost, no expense was spared Espalier trees used as fencing There is always room for flowers, whether edible or not
Wimpole Estate Kitchen Garden
Euridge Hall Kitchen Garden Seldom open to the public Beautifully laid out walled garden Full of a range of unique fruit and vegetables
Euridge Hall Kitchen Garden
Hampton Court Kitchen Garden A fine example of a Royal kitchen garden, newly re-created The Palace was made legendary by King Henry VIII 1702 His wife Queen Anne ordered the grounds to be filled with varieties of eatables for her majesty s use
Hampton Court Kitchen Garden The 6 acre kitchen garden fed the Queen and court, plus all other London royal residences The garden now includes the original and rare heritage fruit and vegetables Also includes a melonry, with hot beds of straw and manure!
Euridge Hall Kitchen Garden
What are heritage vegetables?
Why are heritage vegetables back in fashion?
A selection of timeless varieties
Carrot Early Nantes Extremely popular carrot variety Can even grow in troughs and containers Good coloured roots with almost no core Light, crunchy and flavoursome
Pea Hurst Greenshaft Classic variety Forms pods on the tops of the plants, less bending down Commended by the RHS, and given an AGM Double podded, meaning bigger crops
Beetroot Boltardy Very tolerant of weather extremes and is bolt resistant Start early and crops later Pick at golf ball size for most tender, sweetest roots
Asparagus Pea Ground cover plant with decorative, scarlet blooms Delicate flavour, similar to asparagus! Pick winged pods when 2.5cm long Support with twiggy sticks, grow in the flower border
Cabbage Hispi Fast growing, producing a heart quickly A summer harvesting classic Pointed head, sweet tasting and crunchy Ideal for small gardens, takes up little space
Salsify Uniquely flavoured root vegetable Combines the flavour of roast parsnip with a creaminess, some say oyster flavour! Foolproof to grow Decorative flowers too!
Scorzonera An old fashioned, yet much admired root vegetable, with a unique flavour Has always eluded the grocery stores You can also harvest the top growth to use in
Endive Accidently discovered by a Belgian farmer in 1830 His chicory roots were allowed to sprout leaves, and Endive was born! Leaves are moist, crunchy and slightly bitter
Tomato Black Russian A rich, complex flavour that needs to be tried for real! Sweet, yet acid, tangy fruits Crops indoors or outdoors Large size fruits, one per sandwich is enough!
Pea Golden Sweet Super unique and perfect for flower borders Red-tinged stems, and golden pods Delicate flavour, use fresh or just lightly steamed
Courgette De Nice Fruit a Rond Classic courgette variety, still just as popular! Ideal for stuffing with a choice of fillings Highly productive; can harvest at a range of sizes for use in the kitchen
Strawberry Frau Milze Schindler Probably one of the best tasting strawberries in the world Most widely grown in German gardens since 1925 High concentration of flavour component which gives the alpine strawberry its unique taste
Walking Stick Cabbage Fun to grow, super tall Kale variety Grow your own walking stick! Excellent to get kids interested in gardening! Grows in 1 single season