What's in season: July

If you don't have a garden, you're still in a great position to enjoy the best of the summer with greengrocers' shelves packed with seasonal treats this month.

 

Did you know that strawberries are the only fruit with their seeds on the outside?

 

Strawberries, once a seasonal treat, have become commonplace year-round, but the pulpy, tasteless fruit can't be compared to the richly sensual fresh fruit eaten straight off the plant whilst still warm from the sun.

 

Our climate is perfect for berry fruits and of all the berry fruits that evoke the seasons, strawberries are top of the list. You should keep your strawberries out of the fridge, as they really do taste better when eaten at (summer) room temperature.

 

Strawberries make the perfect sweet preserve too - now's the time to make your own jam.

 

Bramley apples, broad beans, runner beans, blueberries, savoy cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cherries, courgette, cucumber, cos lettuce, curly lettuce, iceberg lettuce, peas, raspberries, rhubarb and spinach.

 

So we reach the height of the great British summer, and it's not just us enjoying the sunshine - your garden is soaking it up too!

 

Watering will be big business this season. Aim to water your plants in the cooler hours to avoid evaporation - or follow the green gardening advice from Nyman's garden, and reduce the watering by 50 per cent by watering at night.

 

Pinch out your tomatoes and runner beans to ensure that you get the best harvest from your plants. Pinching out means, pinching the tip of the main stem off to encourage more off shoots and bushier plants. It's best to do this after the plant is maturing and there are several flowerings below the tip of the main stem.

 

Enjoy your harvest!