Arugula

Blanching endive: the trick against bitterness – and where rot is lurking

Frau Schneider tied up her endive on a rainy afternoon because she didn't have time to wait. A week later the heart was brown and slimy instead of pale and tender. Here's what actually matters when you blanch it.

Flea beetles on radishes and rocket: stop them before your leaves turn into sieves

The second flea-beetle generation is active in late September – and young radish and rocket leaves are its favourite food. Here's how to spot the damage and keep the beetles out without chemicals.

The raised bed in the first heatwave: when shade helps — and when it hurts

The first 30-degree week arrives earlier every year than you'd think. What in the raised bed really needs shade, what the sun can handle, and why a shade net is sometimes the wrong move.

My raised bed only gets 3 hours of sun — what's actually worth growing?

Behind the shed, under a walnut tree, against a north wall — not every raised bed has guaranteed sunshine. 10 varieties that deliver anyway. And three you can skip.

The last centimetre in your bed — plants that fill every gap

Between the tomatoes, on the edge, in the row where nothing seems to fit: four plants that are fast, stay small, and improve your main crops along the way.