0:00:04 > 0:00:06'I'm Alice Fowler.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08'I'm a gardener and a writer.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14'I grew up in the countryside,
0:00:14 > 0:00:16'but now my husband and I live in the city.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21'I get pleasures from simple things.
0:00:21 > 0:00:26'My chickens and home grown food.
0:00:29 > 0:00:36'This is my garden - a small Victorian terraced backyard, around 20 foot by around 60.
0:00:38 > 0:00:44'I'm trying to avoid shop-bought fruit and veg and live off home grown produce from my edible garden
0:00:44 > 0:00:48'that has to be both beautiful as well as productive.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54'This time, I'm focusing on filling my store cupboards
0:00:54 > 0:00:57'with vegetables that will feed us through the colder months,
0:00:57 > 0:01:01'as well as the pickles and preserves that will flavour our winter suppers.'
0:01:01 > 0:01:04There's nothing quite like brightly coloured jars to keep away
0:01:04 > 0:01:09the winter blues and if you're going to try and live off your garden,
0:01:09 > 0:01:11you need to preserve, bottle and pickle an awful lot.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14And I think there's just enough to keep me happy.
0:01:24 > 0:01:29'As well as having vegetables to eat in season, an edible garden needs to provide for the leaner months.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33'So whilst I've been living off my fresh produce, I've also been storing
0:01:33 > 0:01:36'and preserving any gluts my garden has provided.
0:01:41 > 0:01:47'My journey to a well-stocked winter larder began back in April.'
0:01:47 > 0:01:52The point is, my garden is a very average back garden.
0:01:52 > 0:01:57And if you can grow at least a meal a day in your average terrace,
0:01:57 > 0:02:00that's quite an achievement, and that's what I aim to do.
0:02:01 > 0:02:07'To avoid a hungry gap, I made sure that there was a succession of veg to keep harvesting.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09'So April and May were busy months.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17'Foraging in the wild larder helped whilst the garden took root.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22'And then the vegetables and fruits started coming
0:02:22 > 0:02:26'and my little garden began to provide delicious meals...
0:02:31 > 0:02:33'..and excess vegetables I could store.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42'The garden began to look pretty...
0:02:42 > 0:02:45'and it fed the insects too.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53'But not everything went to plan.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56'And the weather wasn't great.'
0:02:56 > 0:03:01Sometimes you break absolutely everything. Your back, your heart,
0:03:01 > 0:03:04your nails, the whole experience hurts.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07This is not the summer that I signed up for.
0:03:09 > 0:03:15'But the garden kept growing, and the food kept coming.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18'Bountiful crops meant party food for all.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22'And there were fresh salads every day.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27'But a year-round edible garden is not just about eating fresh pickings,
0:03:27 > 0:03:30'it's about making sure you have enough to store.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37'The key to a winter larder
0:03:37 > 0:03:40'is to grow crops that guarantee a plentiful harvest,
0:03:40 > 0:03:44'enough to enjoy fresh, and enough to preserve.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46'Courgettes and squashes can be prolific.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50'In a good season, one plant can easily produce 20 fruits.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53'So I am putting in two courgette plants
0:03:53 > 0:03:55'which should provide two people
0:03:55 > 0:03:58'enough courgettes to eat fresh and some to store.'
0:03:58 > 0:04:02This is my fail safe...courgette,
0:04:02 > 0:04:06because it's a variety called Defender,
0:04:06 > 0:04:10and it's particularly good for organic growers
0:04:10 > 0:04:14because it's very, very disease-resistant
0:04:14 > 0:04:16to mildews and what not,
0:04:16 > 0:04:18and whatever the weather,
0:04:18 > 0:04:22this one produces very traditional straight green courgettes
0:04:22 > 0:04:25and it will take up this entire area.
0:04:31 > 0:04:32Hi, Isobel!
0:04:36 > 0:04:37'At the bottom of the garden,
0:04:37 > 0:04:40'I'm planting out a squash called patty pan.
0:04:40 > 0:04:41'It's one of my favourites.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43'This plant is about six-weeks-old
0:04:43 > 0:04:46'and because I want each plant to produce so much fruit,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49'I'm giving them plenty of rich compost to grow in.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58'But the squash family are hungry plants,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01'so I also need to feed it to be sure of a bountiful harvest.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05'For that, I made a nitrogen-rich tonic from nettles rotted down in water.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09'Great for the plants, but with an evil smell. Effective but a bit deadly.'
0:05:10 > 0:05:15It's gone mouldy. How is that possible? Urgh!
0:05:18 > 0:05:20SHE COUGHS
0:05:20 > 0:05:23I love vegetables so much.
0:05:25 > 0:05:26I've got a kind of aversion.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29I used to be really good and it didn't bother me,
0:05:29 > 0:05:31and this one has kind of, is taking me over the edge.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34All I want to do is throw up every time I open this.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43'By June and July the garden is growing fast.
0:05:43 > 0:05:48'I'm harvesting broad beans, and what I can't eat fresh, I'll freeze for winter stews.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53'And there's other crops, too.'
0:05:55 > 0:05:57It's a bit like hunting for gold though.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01'I've grown two sorts of potatoes,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04'salad potatoes to eat now, and others that will store.'
0:06:05 > 0:06:07I have got...
0:06:07 > 0:06:09at least 60 or 70 potatoes...
0:06:13 > 0:06:15..from eight plants,
0:06:15 > 0:06:17which is more than enough for us.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20'If you are going to store potatoes,
0:06:20 > 0:06:23'they need to go in a cool dark place.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26'Left in the light and they'll turn green and become poisonous,
0:06:26 > 0:06:28'but like this they'll keep for months.'
0:06:39 > 0:06:41Hello, chicky chicks. Hello!
0:06:41 > 0:06:45'By August the summer squash I planted is fruiting like mad.'
0:06:45 > 0:06:49Well, our summer has been everything but perfect,
0:06:49 > 0:06:51but there are one or two things
0:06:51 > 0:06:54that have been giving me lots of joy
0:06:54 > 0:06:56and this patty pan,
0:06:56 > 0:07:02'these funny, small, butter-coloured flying saucers
0:07:02 > 0:07:04have been producing for a couple of weeks
0:07:04 > 0:07:06and eaten about this size,
0:07:06 > 0:07:13sliced up finely and dressed with lemon, or fried, they're fantastic.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18'My courgettes are also ripe for picking, and as I've hoped,
0:07:18 > 0:07:23'it's been a good crop so there's plenty to preserve for my winter larder,
0:07:23 > 0:07:27'whilst I can also enjoy them fresh on homemade pizza.
0:07:27 > 0:07:33'My summer special is courgette, parmesan, capers and olives, with fresh grown garden rocket.
0:07:33 > 0:07:34'It beats any takeaway.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41'Over the summer, I've made the most of my fruit gluts
0:07:41 > 0:07:46'and used my basic knowledge of preserving to make dried apple rings,
0:07:46 > 0:07:48'a sweet taste of summer for the colder months.
0:07:50 > 0:07:55'And damson cheese, a delicious alternative to jam.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03'And I like to preserve my herbs, too.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07'I've got lots of mint which I use to make mint tea,
0:08:07 > 0:08:11'but when it gets colder the leaves get damaged by frost so I dry them.'
0:08:11 > 0:08:16If you dry them in direct sunlight then they sort of fade to a yellow
0:08:16 > 0:08:19and they don't look nearly as nice, so out of the sunlight,
0:08:19 > 0:08:23and when they are dry to touch,
0:08:23 > 0:08:25then they're ready.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29'And there's nothing quite like homemade mint tea on a cold winter's day.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36'But I want to find out more about preserving,
0:08:36 > 0:08:41'so I'm taking some of my produce to Daphne Lambert and Miche Fabre Lewin.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43'I'm a novice compared to them,
0:08:43 > 0:08:47'as they have perfected the art of preserving fruit and vegetables.'
0:08:47 > 0:08:49That's good.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55So exactly what can and can you not preserve?
0:08:55 > 0:08:59Well, I think we'd say you could preserve everything.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03From mushrooms to damsons, to chard,
0:09:03 > 0:09:08to turnip, to sage, to onion.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Everything can be preserved in some way.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15They have nutritional benefits too, so it's not just about lasting.
0:09:15 > 0:09:16They also aid digestion.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22'My first lesson is an easy way to preserve my courgettes.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25'Miche introduces me to an ingenious pickle recipe,
0:09:25 > 0:09:29'which you can eat as soon as you've made it, or keep it for many months.'
0:09:31 > 0:09:35''So this is my small harvest from my garden.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38If we were in the depths of winter, to open a jar
0:09:38 > 0:09:43and see that yellow next to the green, with a little bit of red.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47Particularly as this is quite a dull-tasting courgette.
0:09:47 > 0:09:48So we can really lift it.
0:09:48 > 0:09:53'First we shred perilla leaves, an Oriental herb I've been growing in my garden.
0:09:53 > 0:10:01We add it to some cider apple vinegar, concentrated apple juice and, finally, sliced garlic.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03Mm!
0:10:03 > 0:10:05Well, this is to your garden, Alice.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08It smells really good already.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12While that mix steeps, we make another pickling solution with cider vinegar
0:10:12 > 0:10:19and more concentrated apple juice, infused with cinnamon bark, caraway seeds and juniper berries.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23- We've got our sort of spices in. How about some herbs?- Lovely.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26Some fresh herbs from the garden.
0:10:26 > 0:10:32With the bay leaves and rosemary immersed in the solution, next we add the courgettes and chillies.
0:10:32 > 0:10:38Miche cuts her vegetables along their natural growing lines, from their top to their bottom.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42This, she believes, brings out the more natural flavour.
0:10:42 > 0:10:43You want to mix that all in?
0:10:45 > 0:10:48Mm. Beautiful. Beautiful.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53We add the perilla and garlic mix to the ingredients.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56Fold them together and pack it into a sterilised jar,
0:10:56 > 0:10:58topping up with more vinegar solution.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02- This is from your garden. You've got your garden preserved in a jar. - I know.
0:11:02 > 0:11:07And look how quick that is. You could be eating it now essentially as well.
0:11:09 > 0:11:16Miche recommends serving her pickles with bread and salad, or as a garnish to rice dishes and soup.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20It can be eaten right away or will last for many months.
0:11:21 > 0:11:26In addition to my courgette pickle, I'm eager to learn a preserving process I've never tried before.
0:11:26 > 0:11:31Daphne has agreed to teach me the long forgotten art of fermenting food.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34It's a technique that's been used for over 7,000 years.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41We're making sauerkraut - fermented cabbage.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45That doesn't initially sound very appetising.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49It's literally cabbage and caraway seed.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54That's really nice.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57Clearly, because I can't stop eating it!
0:11:59 > 0:12:03- Mm!- Would you like to make some?
0:12:03 > 0:12:07Mm! Can't decide whether I want to eat it or make it more!
0:12:10 > 0:12:15Fermentation is simple. Apparently you just need a jar and some salt.
0:12:15 > 0:12:20The art is to cut things very, very finely
0:12:20 > 0:12:27because what we're going to do is use a little bit of salt to extract the liquid from the cells.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30- And the finer it's chopped, the more liquid you're going to get.- Yes.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37Daphne explains that plants contain a range of beneficial bacteria.
0:12:37 > 0:12:42Fermentation happens when you create the right conditions for the good bacteria to grow
0:12:42 > 0:12:44and suppress the bacteria that makes food rot.
0:12:47 > 0:12:52So the next stage is to sprinkle on top of the cabbage some salt.
0:12:52 > 0:12:57You don't need to do too much, but there will be more salt going in as we progress,
0:12:57 > 0:12:59but at this stage you don't need much.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02And then you start pounding.
0:13:02 > 0:13:03So...
0:13:07 > 0:13:11The pounding break downs the cabbage cell structure and releases natural juices.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13It's very satisfying.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15It's a beautiful process.
0:13:20 > 0:13:21Look.
0:13:23 > 0:13:29You pound the cabbage for about ten minutes and then cover it and leave it overnight to help fermentation.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37Daphne has already left this bowl of cabbage overnight and the next stage is to add extra flavouring.
0:13:39 > 0:13:44You could, if you've got a lot of windfalls, you could put apple in it, apple and cabbage is quite nice,
0:13:44 > 0:13:45add a tartness to it,
0:13:45 > 0:13:49or you could layer it up with other vegetables.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52I mean, I think this is beautiful to layer it up with.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56This is Swiss chard and it should add an earthy, nutty flavour to the sauerkraut.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00So we're going to put about three handfuls
0:14:00 > 0:14:06into the bottle and you're going to gently press it down
0:14:06 > 0:14:09and the idea now is to make it without air.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13The key is to make sure that the vegetables are submerged beneath the salty cabbage juices,
0:14:13 > 0:14:15so no bad bacteria can breed inside the jar.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19Perfect.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21- This has to stay in liquid.- Right.
0:14:21 > 0:14:26And we're going to weight it down with some water.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30And in the next 24 hours it will start bubbling and fermenting.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34- Beautiful colours through that one. - Really beautiful.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45My day with Daphne and Miche has inspired me to expand my winter larder
0:14:45 > 0:14:48and look beyond my dried fruits and jams.
0:14:48 > 0:14:53I didn't grow any cabbage because they take up quite a lot of room and I don't usually like them,
0:14:53 > 0:15:00but I couldn't get enough of that sauerkraut, so I'm buying my first veg of the year to make my own.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12September brings another opportunity to add to my winter food stocks.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15A glut of runner beans.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19At this point I'm just actually being very traditional and freezing a lot because...
0:15:21 > 0:15:26now they seem, kind of, frozen beans don't seem that exciting.
0:15:26 > 0:15:34Actually, come January...to add to kind of curries and soups, they're brilliant.
0:15:36 > 0:15:41As well as freezing, I'm also preserving some, using Miche's pickle recipe.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48The key to a productive garden is good preparation
0:15:48 > 0:15:52and as the autumn approaches and the garden slows down, it's time to think about the next year.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56One thing I want to do is make more space for vegetables,
0:15:56 > 0:15:58so the chickens are going to have to move.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02Hello, girls. How you doing? Hello. Are you OK?
0:16:02 > 0:16:06You are going to be moving. Put your head back in. It'll almost be over.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08Good girl. Bye-bye!
0:16:10 > 0:16:11My friend Dave has come to help.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14Their new home is next to the compost
0:16:14 > 0:16:16and will be more spacious,
0:16:16 > 0:16:20so I could even increase my little chicken family.
0:16:20 > 0:16:21OK.
0:16:23 > 0:16:28They've fertilised the ground that they've left behind, so I'll get a great new growing space.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32And then a bit this way.
0:16:32 > 0:16:33There.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03Gertrude.
0:17:03 > 0:17:04Good girl.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10With a new trellis fence in place, Gertrude and Alice have their own chicken compound
0:17:10 > 0:17:13where they can roam freely outside of their coop.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15I am delighted.
0:17:16 > 0:17:21Got a good growing space over there, it's where the chickens were, so they've been fertilising that
0:17:21 > 0:17:26and these girls get to have a very happy life.
0:17:26 > 0:17:31Scratching in a lot of dirt.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35You guys aren't going to want to go to bed, are you ?
0:17:37 > 0:17:41A small, but tasty addition to my store cupboard is dried seeds
0:17:41 > 0:17:45and I've been collecting different types all summer from my mature flower heads,
0:17:45 > 0:17:46like these poppy seeds.
0:17:49 > 0:17:54But supplies for my winter larder are to be found well beyond my garden fence.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58As autumn approaches, I head out to a nearby river bank to forage for some hidden gems.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06Depending on who you are,
0:18:06 > 0:18:11Himalayan balsam is either a very uninvited guest,
0:18:11 > 0:18:16an alien that's taking over our wilder bits,
0:18:16 > 0:18:20particularly by rivers and damp places,
0:18:20 > 0:18:27or it's rather a tasty snack and a very pretty flower, much loved by our bees.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31They have these incredible exploding seed pods,
0:18:31 > 0:18:34and they really do explode.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38And inside those are little...
0:18:38 > 0:18:41They look quite like apple pips,
0:18:41 > 0:18:46a bit peppery, and they're amazing when you use them to bake breads.
0:18:47 > 0:18:52So, I thought I'd do my bit of plant control
0:18:52 > 0:18:54by collecting as many seeds as possible.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10Isobel!
0:19:19 > 0:19:21Back in my edible garden and there are more seeds to harvest.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25Enough to feed the neighbourhood wildlife as well as myself.
0:19:27 > 0:19:32These multi-headed sunflowers, I'm going to leave over the winter
0:19:32 > 0:19:39because once you rub all of this off, that's where the seeds are, and if I leave this and it's basically
0:19:39 > 0:19:46a really cool bird feeder that looks great and the birds can enjoy the seeds.
0:19:54 > 0:20:01These really big sunflower heads... I don't leave to the birds
0:20:01 > 0:20:06because they also have giant seeds, which means I can roast them and salt them and snack on them.
0:20:14 > 0:20:19As the colder weather sets in, there's another job I can get on with and that's to turn my compost.
0:20:19 > 0:20:24Compost feeds your soil and a well-fed garden means plentiful vegetables.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29So, the time has come. Out of the way, Alice.
0:20:29 > 0:20:35Yes, to do the compost.
0:20:35 > 0:20:42And it's got into a bit of a mess really, but autumn is the perfect time to deal with this
0:20:42 > 0:20:46because you're starting to produce a lot more material to go on to the compost
0:20:46 > 0:20:50because you're cutting stuff back, but also it's had a year or so
0:20:50 > 0:20:54of sitting round, and as you get down to the bottom...
0:20:57 > 0:21:00it's going to be the good stuff, and that's what matters because
0:21:00 > 0:21:07you can't grow good vegetables without constantly feeding the soil.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11It's essential.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15And into the compost goes all the obvious stuff.
0:21:15 > 0:21:20The stuff from the garden, as well as a lot of peelings and kitchen scraps,
0:21:21 > 0:21:23but nothing cooked.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26No bread, no pasta, no rice.
0:21:26 > 0:21:32Anything like that will be a really big mistake, because you just attract rats really quickly.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40These are compost worms.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43Once your compost reaches a good state they just appear.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46They're like one of compost's miracles, really,
0:21:46 > 0:21:50and partly why these girls are having a good scratch.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55Come on. Out the way.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01By spreading my compost now, it'll do two things.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05It will feed my winter greens and allow the worms to dig the goodness back into the ground.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11And by spring,
0:22:11 > 0:22:14we'll have fantastic soil.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25November brings the last opportunity to plant out some winter crops,
0:22:25 > 0:22:29so that I'll have something fresh to pick in February.
0:22:29 > 0:22:37So, in order to make sure that I am continually able to eat off this garden,
0:22:37 > 0:22:41these winter veg are the last things that I will plant out this year.
0:22:41 > 0:22:48These are an oriental mustard called Golden Streak and it's a very finely cut mustard.
0:22:51 > 0:22:52It tastes amazing.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56A really good peppery spicy flavour.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00Such a fine, pretty little plant.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05And they look so lovely in winter salads.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12This is a radicchio, which is a bitter Italian leaf,
0:23:12 > 0:23:14like a lettuce.
0:23:14 > 0:23:20You can either cook with it, or eat it very small in a traditional salad.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22And they need this cool weather.
0:23:22 > 0:23:28In fact it's the very cold, frosty days that concentrate the flavour.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32During the summer, you might try and ram plants in, oh, you could go a bit closer.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36You can't do that in the winter, they need lots of air circulation around them
0:23:36 > 0:23:41or else they get the kind of mould that rots the leaves away.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48Although most of my efforts are now focused on the next year, I have one last harvest.
0:23:48 > 0:23:54All summer long, the willowy stems of the Jerusalem artichokes have been growing almost unnoticed
0:23:54 > 0:23:55at the back of my borders.
0:23:55 > 0:24:02The time has come to dig up the Jerusalem artichokes which are these incredibly tall plants
0:24:02 > 0:24:05which make up the backdrop to the garden.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09They grow, quite literally, in the background,
0:24:09 > 0:24:13doing very little other than growing very, very tall all year,
0:24:15 > 0:24:20and the point about them is that they really are
0:24:20 > 0:24:23a slacker vegetable
0:24:23 > 0:24:25because you do nothing whatsoever.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29You don't feed them, you don't look after them, you don't water them,
0:24:29 > 0:24:33and in return, you get a huge amount
0:24:33 > 0:24:39of these very knobbly white tubers,
0:24:39 > 0:24:41which can be roasted
0:24:41 > 0:24:43or fried or baked.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50I think they have suffered a little from having a bad reputation.
0:24:50 > 0:24:56They are known to make you fart a lot, which is why some people call them fartichokes.
0:24:56 > 0:25:04And there is a trick or a way round that and that is to use the herb winter savoury when you cook them
0:25:04 > 0:25:09because this sort of counter-balances their gassy properties.
0:25:09 > 0:25:16If you don't cook with winter savoury, you will propel yourself round the garden the next day.
0:25:18 > 0:25:19So this
0:25:19 > 0:25:23is why it's a slacker vegetable
0:25:23 > 0:25:26because all you have to do now is plant
0:25:26 > 0:25:32one back in the ground and this is the bounty from just one plant.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Look at all that. And I did nothing.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38I really... Chuck a bit of earth on that one that I've chucked down there
0:25:38 > 0:25:40and the whole process starts again.
0:25:40 > 0:25:45And you don't have to dig them all up at once, you can just leave them in the ground over the winter
0:25:45 > 0:25:47and take them up as and when you need them.
0:25:50 > 0:25:55And here is winter savoury, the modest little herb which will save your blushes.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59It has a delicious spicy flavour and it likes to grow in a sunny,
0:25:59 > 0:26:03well-drained part of your garden, but will come back year after year.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06I'll add to it the artichokes to make a delicious gratin,
0:26:06 > 0:26:08which I am going to serve at a harvest supper party.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15For my gratin, I simply boil the artichokes in their skins, then
0:26:15 > 0:26:17peel and slice and layer them into a baking dish.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23A quick seasoning with black pepper, garlic and my winter savoury
0:26:23 > 0:26:25and then it's time to add a carton of cream,
0:26:25 > 0:26:29butter and a breadcrumb and parmesan cheese topping.
0:26:32 > 0:26:37I'll bake it in the oven and serve it warm as a nutty flavoured winter treat.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43For my harvest supper, my friends are bringing edible gifts.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46They're gathering veg from their own little plots to add to the menu.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55It's time to welcome my friends.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57- Hello!- Hello.- Ooh, it looks cold.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00- Beetroot sorbet, it's very cold. - Fantastic.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04- Who's here? Who's here?- Hello! - Hello. What have you made?
0:27:04 > 0:27:07- Vegetarian moussaka.- With?
0:27:07 > 0:27:10- My own aubergines and red peppers. - Fantastic.
0:27:10 > 0:27:11DOORBELL RINGS
0:27:11 > 0:27:13- Hello!- Hello.- What did you make?
0:27:13 > 0:27:16- Pumpkin curry.- Aw! Thank you.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18Right.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22So, this is Moroccan lamb stew
0:27:22 > 0:27:26with kale, parsley, celery, beetroot,
0:27:26 > 0:27:30runner beans, garlic and onions from the garden.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Nice organic lamb. Fartichoke for those who are brave.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36Are we talking about fartichokes? It sounds concerning.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39It's not fartichokes, it's Jerusalem artichokes.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44- They're really good.- Well, no. Everybody has to eat a bit of that.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46Have you got enough there?
0:27:48 > 0:27:50I'm really impressed with the moussaka.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54- It's very good.- I'm quite proud because it's home-grown onions,
0:27:54 > 0:27:57home-grown garlic, aubergine and red peppers.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01Shall we have a toast? To all the lovely food we grew ourselves.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03Happy harvest.
0:28:22 > 0:28:27At the beginning of the year I set out to make a garden that had to be productive as well as beautiful.
0:28:34 > 0:28:39And through my little experiment I found a way of gardening that was more gentle.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42It seemed more free and nature was more responsive to it
0:28:42 > 0:28:46and I think it's changed the way I will garden forever.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50This funny little space has produced way more than I could have imagined.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52I've not just grown food, I've grown happy.
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