Episode 130: GrowVeg with Benedict Vanheems

Podcast 101 - GrowVeg with Benedict Vanheems

This week I’m talking to Benedict Vanheems, gardener, author, editor and face of the popular GrowVeg.com YouTube channel. If you’re thinking about growing veg this year, whether you’re an old hand or new to it, you’re bound to hear something of value from Benedict, who’s innovative approach to growing food takes the hard work out of things. 

Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Black Garden Ants

This episode is brought to you by Natural Grower.

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What we talk about:

Is growing edibles right for everyone? And is it worth it? 

Tips for getting seeds started in open ground

Moving seeds from indoors to outdoors

What should we be doing in our veg gardens right now? 

Upcycling and repurposing household items as containers for growing in

Labour intensive jobs in the veg garden and ways to make them easier/quicker 

Keep things low maintenance

Growing mushrooms

Sprouting seeds

About Benedict Vanheems

Benedict Vanheems is a passionate home gardener specialising in delicious, organically grown fruit, vegetables and herbs. No stranger to dirt under his nails, Benedict’s fascination with plants started at an early age. As a young boy he could often be found digging holes, experimenting with sowings, or helping his granddad plant leeks or pick climbing beans on his veg patch.

As a teenager, Benedict worked during his school holidays at a nursery supplying plants to many of the UK’s top garden designers. After completing a degree in Horticulture he went on to edit gardening publications, including Garden Design Journal and Grow it!. He has written for Grow Your Own magazine and is an ongoing contributor to Kitchen Garden, Britain’s longest established edible gardening title.

In 2014 Benedict joined the team at GrowVeg.com where he has become the face of their YouTube channel, growing it from 20,000 subscribers to more than 280,000. A firm advocate of growing in tune with nature, he continues to produce compelling gardening content for the respected GrowVeg.com website, inspiring both new and seasoned gardeners to get more from their space.

Benedict lives in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire and has recently moved house, taking on a third-of-an-acre garden where he is creating two kitchen garden areas to indulge his horticultural hunger.

Links

growveg.co.uk

GrowVeg: The Beginner's Guide to Easy Vegetable Gardening by Benedict Vanheems - Storey Publishing, 2021