It often seems that we have too much water when yet another rainy day marks the beginning of a great British summer. So why do we need to conserve water?   Before we flush the toilet, turn on the tap or put on the washing a vast amount of energy has been used to treat, heat and pump that water into our homes. Conserving water reduces this process.  This in turn cuts down on the diversion of water from valuable wildlife habitats and decreases our carbon footprint and bills. The current drought conditions and imminent hosepipe ban for spring 2012 have also increased the profile of these issues.

Vegetables and fruit are, like us, mostly water so it’s impossible for them to survive without this. But rather than rushing for the hosepipe or watering can as soon as the weather turns hot, save the environment and yourself energy by trying some of these water saving tips:

• Collect rainwater in water butts. These are widely available and relatively cheap from The Friday Ad, or online at Brighton Gumtree. D&V Fuels sell a range of recycled water butts at a cheap price.
• Yes you can still have a green lawn. Grey water generated from baths and washing can be used in on flower beds and grass. Grey water can contain toxins so don’t use it on  your edibles.  Collect it in water butts or you can easily pump your bath water directly into your garden using a simple hand pump, such as the Water Green drought buster.
• Water in the early morning and the evening. In these cooler conditions moisture will be absorbed more readily. Watering lightly only wets the soil surface so give your plants a good soak. The water will go deeper into the ground and you won’t have to water so much.
• Mulch your plants. Cover the surface of your soil with cardboard, landscape fabric, soil, manure or organic hay to retain moisture.
• Water the plants rather than the soil. Sink a plastic bottle or flower pot next to your plant when planting so water goes directly to the plant roots.
• Grow fruit and vegetable which need less water. Established plants that send down deep roots don’t need as much water as those with roots near the surface. So try growing fruit trees, soft fruit bushes and vegetables such as parsnips, carrots, artichokes, leeks. Many herbs are also best suited to drier conditions such as rosemary, thyme and lavender.
• Containers.  Mulch the surface of pots with gravel and put a plate underneath to keep water in. You can also use water retaining gels in the soil and or try a seaweed-based retainer from the Organic Gardening Catalogue.
• Wind can quickly dry plants so create a shelter belt around your plot. A quick barrier can be made from old pallets, netting or Jerusalem artichokes. For long- term protection try planting a hedge and include some tough, edible plants such as flowering quince and sloe berries.

By Ann Lillygreen, volunteer at the Harvest vegetable garden in Preston Park

Well, it's Monday – when I spend the afternoon in the demonstration garden in Preston Park, early evening at my Pilates class and in between, have time to make minestrone using some of the vegetables harvested from the garden.

This week, after a sunny afternoon in the garden weeding, watering and tidying, I've brought home some kale, perpetual spinach and the very last of the beans. They can all go in the minestrone along with the rest of the ingredients.  This is how I make minestrone, based on a recipe from a book called, “A year in Tuscany” but adapted according to what's available.

First I sauté an onion, a couple of sticks of celery and a carrot or two, all chopped small, for about 10 minutes in olive oil.  Then I add a tin of cannelini beans and some chopped potato and give them a couple of minutes stirred around in the oil.  After that it's time to add a tin of chopped tomatoes, some small pasta, and whatever green vegetables are available.  Today it was the veg from the garden and half a courgette languishing in the veg basket. (The recipe in the book uses cabbage but I've tried all sorts over time, leeks being one of my favourites.)

I then add some stock (Marigold) to cover the vegetables and leave it to simmer for about 40 minutes.  And then it's off to Pilates with the soup ready when I get back.  It just needs a few drops of olive oil and some grated Parmesan to finish it off.

The weather's turning colder and it’s time to harvest any crops which won’t survive the dropping temperatures.  Harvest pumpkins before the first frosts, and if you’re lucky enough to have a glut, here’s a few tips on how to store them and a tasty and warming pumpkin soup recipe from one of the regular garden volunteers, Gary Johnson.

Storing Pumpkins and Squashes...

• Place a wooden board or tile underneath ripening fruits to protect them from discoloration and slug damage.
• When fruits develop a tough skin, ring hollow when lightly tapped and have a deep, rich colour they should be ripe.
• When harvesting fruit, take off as much stalk as possible, using secateurs, as rot starts from that end.
• Once removed from the plant, the fruits should be allowed to ‘cure’ outdoors in the sunlight for about a week to ten days, covering them at night if frost is expected.
• Alternatively, cure the fruit in a greenhouse, polytunnel or cold frame, where the fruit will be protected from frost and wet weather, can become well-ripened and any wounds will heal.
• Pumpkins and winter squashes can then be stored in a well-ventilated position at a temperature under 15°C (60°F) and no colder than 10°C (50°F).
• Depending on the cultivar and conditions provided in storage, fruits should keep for up to six months.

Pumpkin soup recipe

Ingredients

One pumpkin around 1-1.5kg, 2 garlic cloves, 2 medium potatoes, one medium onion, chicken/vegetable stock cube,  small pot of double cream, salt and pepper for seasoning.

Method

Cut the pumpkin in half, then into quarters and remove the seeds. Then chop the pumpkin into inch by inch pieces (skin can be left on). Chop the potatoes into small cubes, slice the onion, crush two garlic cloves and place the potatoes, onion, pumpkin and garlic, into a large saucepan. Add around a pint boiled water and one chicken stock cube and bring to the boil. Then simmer for 20-30 mins until all the veg is soft. Place the contents of the pan into a blender and blend until smooth. Add the whole pot of cream and add salt and pepper to taste. Grab a big chunk of uncut bread and butter and enjoy! Yum!

By Gary Johnson

12th October 2011

Today we picked the last of the French and runner beans and planted garlic in the empty spaces left behind.  Growing your own garlic is cheaper and tastier than shop bought bulbs, plus it’s easy to grow and rarely bothered by slugs or snails. Now is a great time to plant as the cooler, moister weather provides perfect garlic growing conditions.

Garlic comes as soft neck or hard neck types.  Hard neck varieties don’t tend to store so well but often have larger bulbs, while soft neck varieties can be stored for months.  There are lots of different varieties to try and to savor, try Lautrec Wight for a milder flavour and Solent Wight or Chesnock Wight for a stronger, more pungent taste.

You can plant shop bought garlic but these may carry diseases so if you don’t want to take a chance buy your bulbs from a good garden center or online. Garlic grows well in fertile ground so add some fertilizer, such as compost or well -rotted manure before planting.   Separate the bulbs and plant only the large, fat cloves as these will produce the healthiest, biggest bulbs.  Garlic grows well in pots or in the ground, plant the cloves about 5 -6inches apart with the tip of the bulb just showing above the surface.  If you are growing in a space, such as an allotment,  where the birds take a lot of interest in your crops plant the garlic just below the surface so the birds can tug it out. Grow in a sunny sheltered spot and keep moist. When the leaves start to turn yellow, sometime between late June and August, harvest the bulbs and enjoy!

It's starting to feel like Autumn and time to think ahead to the winter and make sure crops left standing in the garden will survive the hard weather.

Hungry birds love leafy brassicas, cauliflowers, cabbages, broccoli and kales, so they all need netting to protect them.

This year we're growing a kale called Red Ursa, which we bought from the real seeds catalogue. It's got beautiful red and green leaves and, like many kales, will stand up to the harsh winter weather and give us a crop until the spring.

Some people say they don't like kale and find the leaves tough and without much flavour. But there's lots of different varieties to try. Last winter we grew Redbor and Cavolo Nero which were both very tasty and Red Ursa is especially bred for tender and sweet leaves. Small kale leaves are a great addition to salads while larger leaves are very versatile and can be stir-fried or added to soups.