Celebrate summer produce at RHS gardens
As gardeners enjoy the time of year for abundant summer fruit and salad crops, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) is holding a weekend dedicated to the celebration of summer produce on 3 and 4 July at all of its four gardens (Saturday only at Hyde Hall and Sunday only at Rosemoor).
This is the best time of year to eat healthy, delicious summer fruit and vegetables fresh from the garden, and the RHS gardens will provide inspiration for anyone keen to know more about ‘growing your own’.
At RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey, the celebration takes the form of Berry Weekend, where visitors can taste some mouth-watering summer berries, get advice from the Wisley Fruit Team and visit the fruit demonstration garden for ideas to take home. Hundreds of varieties of summer berries are grown at RHS Garden Wisley, including over 170 varieties of gooseberries. As well as tasting different varieties of raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, redcurrants and gooseberries, the gardens have cherries, apples, grapes, plums and pears – so there’s plenty more than five a day to discover. Visitors can also sample some of Wisley’s own wine, with hints and tips for growing your own grapes.
In Devon, RHS Garden Rosemoor’s Fruits of High Summer (on Sunday 4th July only) festival includes guided garden walks and growing advice sessions in the fruit and vegetable garden. Containers and pots planted with fruit and veg will demonstrate that you only need a small space to create an edible garden. The ‘Garden Kitchen’ restaurant will offer delicious summer dishes featuring soft fruits and home-grown vegetables fresh from the Rosemoor’s garden.
The ‘grow your own’ weekend at RHS Garden Harlow Carr in Yorkshire is dedicated to summer salads. These fast growing crops can be remarkably easy to grow and advice will be on hand from RHS experts and the National Vegetable Society. Visitors can plant their own salad lunch box to take home and grow, and cookery demonstrations from Andrew Wood, Head Chef of The University of York, will show how to mix the tastiest salad dressings and turn fresh salads into exciting summer meals. There will also be demonstrations on the art of bee-keeping from the Harrogate Beekeepers and on how to keep chickens.
At RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Essex, the strawberry fair (on Saturday 3rd July only) offers old-fashioned entertainment for all of the family, including Morris Dancers, a Coconut Shy, Donkey Rides and a Mad Hatter’s Tea party for the children. Highlights include a talk from Christine Walkden, resident gardening expert on BBC’s The One Show, along with grow your own and composting advice, and plenty of sweet treats to try, including strawberry ice creams and smoothies, cup cakes, jams and local apple juice.
Jim Gardiner, RHS Director of Horticulture, comments: “Nothing says English summer time like fresh strawberries, raspberries and salads direct from the garden. The wonderful thing about ‘growing your own’ is experiencing that amazing just-picked flavour. We want to show people that it’s quite straightforward to have a go at growing these crops in their own gardens, but above all, we want visitors to our grow your own weekend on 3rd and 4th July to come and enjoy our summer garden party.”
For more information, visit: rhs.org.uk/gardens
