Inspite of global warming we still don’t yet have the much-sought-after Mediterranean climate in the UK, but we can still grow continental produce that until fairly recently, we thought could only flourish in warmer climes.  Over the last 3 or 4 decades there has been a significant change in the fruit and veg we now grow in England.  Back in the 1970s few gardeners, if any, grew garlic, French beans (runner beans, yes) or artichokes – and certainly not figs.  But as we’ve increasingly adopted a taste for a Mediterranean diet, our veg and fruit selection has become more adventurous.

One seasoned gardener in the South of England now plants garlic in the Autumn and it grows very successfully.  Her globe artichokes do well, as long as she protects them through the winter.  Her aubergines and lady fingers (okra) grow nicely in a dry summer – otherwise she keeps them in a greenhouse.  Her fig tree, growing up a south facing wall protected from the wind, produces one plentiful crop of fruit per year (two in the Mediterranean), as long as she de-figs it annually.

If you’re thinking of growing your own fruit and veg, or are already doing so but are limiting your range to the more conventional carrots, potatoes and onions, why not learn how to go grow a varied and delicious crop successfully?  ADL run a diverse selection of home study courses on many horticultural subjects, including:

· Home Vegetable Growing  AHT102

· Home Fruit Growing  AHT104

· Commercial Organic Vegetable Growing  VHT241

· Commercial Vegetable Production  BHT222

· Self Sufficiency II  ASS101

· Fruit Production – Temperate Climate  BHT218

For more information on Horticulture and other relevant courses, please click here…
Available through correspondence, on-Line or USB at ADL.