There’s plenty of expectations that this years show will be even better with a wealth of expertise like Pippa Greenwood, a well known garden expert and writer and James Wong (fresh from his recent appearance on Sports Relief Bake Off), is also know for his unusal approach to herbal medicine in his BBC show ‘Grow Your Own Drugs’. Their appearances along with the resident vegetable growing expert at the show ‘Paul Peacock’ will be on hand to offer advice on growing issues and tips for all different ranges of growing skills.

Bright Lights Chard

The Edible Garden Show is a merge of gardening, smallholding and home produce with exhibitors ranging from bee keeping experts, livestock, keeping chickens, sheds, garden equipment, grow your own, seed suppliers and a huge food area with live demonstrations from resident chef Rachel Green.

I missed last years show, so I can’t wait to visit this year. There’s plenty to see at the Stoneleigh Centre which is a very large indoor and outdoor agricultural centre in Warwickshire. The show runs for 3 days, Friday 16th, Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th March 2012.

Grow Your Own Snail Farm

I’m particularly looking forward to the talks on ‘Exotic Edibles’ by James Wong and I’d like to get to know the suppliers I use for growing like More Veg for Seeds and Agralan for my mesh cloches. I’d also like to check out some of the more unusual exhibitors like Grow Your Own Snail Farm and the latest innovations in vegetable growing equipment.

I’m also hoping there will be a few bargains and I’ve also spotted a couple of cider producers on the exhibitor listing so I can take away a few purchases to remember the day by.

Advanced Tickets are on sale now for a reduced price, so why not add this date to your Grow Your Own Diary and help your vegetable growing year get off to a flying start.

The Edible Garden Show
16th to 18th March 2012

Buy Tickets: Advance Tickets
More Details: www.theediblegardenshow.co.uk
Follow on Twitter: @EdibleGardenSho

Experts at The Edible Garden Show:

• Pippa Greenwood
• James Wong
• Rachel Green
• Paul Peacock

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About Clear Creek Seeds

Clear Creek Seeds

Clear Creek Seeds is an online website selling a variety of different vegetable seeds in the U.S. They are based in Oklahoma and specialise in open pollinated, Non-GMO and Heirloom (over 50 years old) vegetable varieties.

Heirloom Varieties that particularly stand out are Squash Winter Vegetable Spaghetti, Radish Crimson Giant and Tomato Jubilee.

Special of the Week – Tomato Roma

Clear Creek Seeds have a few offers running this year including a free packet of seeds of your choice with every order, weekly specials and next day shipping. This weeks special is ‘Tomato Roma’ which is one of the very first tomato seeds I grew on my vegetable plot and it had great results. Its a good variety to grow to make soup or tomato sauces and can be grown in a greenhouse or outside.

Please see my guide on How To Sow Tomato Seed for more tips.

Contact Details:

Please note Clear Creek Seeds only ship seeds within the U.S.

Shop: Clear Creek Seeds
Twitter: @ClearCreekSeeds

For UK Readers

Tomato Roma seeds can be bought from Seed Parade for a bargain of 89p.

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I love Twitter (Follow me @igrowveg) because its so simple to pick up the ipad/laptop/phone and log onto twitter or echofon (a twitter app) and see what everyone is talking about, share what I’m growing or highlight a recipe or comment on some bad singing on x-factor.

As vegetable growing and gardening are hobbies which are acustomed to communites and chatting, twitter is the best place to find allotmenteers, back garden veg growers, container balcony specialists, garden designers etc. So I’d like to showcase the best of these each month on my blog. So here are my recommendations this month.

Urban DirtTv

UrbanDirtTv

Web: http://urbandirt.tv
Twitter: @UrbanDirtTv

This new YouTube web series on garden design is friendly and captivating and the encouragement and advice provided by host David Walrod makes you want to see the final garden design revealed.

The chosen backyard for the make over is an average size and has some usual issues like privacy, ugly brick walls and concrete steps, pathways needed, no eating area, needs to be low maintenance. Its easy to see how you could use ideas in the web series to makeover your own garden from these problem areas.

Episodes 1 to 5 have been released already covering topics like planning your design, installing a water fountain, wall murals and more, theres something for everyone from power tools, to building structures and planting ideas to garden artwork. Check it out, the big reveal is coming soon!

YouTube:http://youtu.be/T6Bm92QMbBE

Allotmentor

Allotmentor.com

Web: http://www.allotmentor.com
Twitter: @allotmentor

This website is a collaboration between Damion Young and Simon Hayes so welcome to your new virtual allotment neighbour. This site is relatively new but there’s plenty of advice on crops, pests etc and more information soon.

I particularly like the idea of logging in and leaving your own tips and sharing these with other growers and the Associations page to let you know where your local allotments or community gardens are located. If you like the sound of it, why not nip over the garden fence and say hi to the allotment community.

Reader Sheds

Garden Shed

Web: http://www.readersheds.co.uk
Twitter: @readersheds

Apparently all good allotmenteers and gardeners should have one of these… a shed and this site has taken this to the max, showcasing their reader’s sheds and running a yearly competition – get your entries in now for 2012 Shed of the Year.

There’s loads of pictures of shed’s on this site from eco to offices to bog standard garden sheds, so get your fix or just some inspiration.

Lawns for You

Fairy Ring Lawn

Web: http://www.lawnsforyou.com
Twitter: @lawnsforyou

I don’t know about you but my lawn has never been a thing of beauty, slowly over the years the bumps have got bumpier, moss has spread and waterlogged spots are still boggy, so when I stumbled upon this site on twitter I thought all my christmassy’s had come at once with the hope on mending my lawn.

This site has plenty of articles including Winter lawn maintenance and moss control, mole problems, laying a new lawn and top dressing your lawn from the grass and lawn care expert Duncan Gray.

Bugs In The Garden

Bugs in The Garden iPhone App

Web: http://www.bugsinthegarden.com
Twitter: @MyGardenApps

If you have ever seen a bug or insect on your vegetable plants and not known what it is, then this site and app for the iPhone you need! Quickly identify garden bugs by choosing the vegetable you are growing, then click on the bug for a plant damage description and solution on how to remove them from your garden. This really useful and easy to use iPhone app by Justin Davidson is definitely something I’ll be referring to in the new growing year.

For more veg growers and gardeners on Twitter, follow my Lists:

• Veg Grower Twitter List
• Gardener Twitter List

For more information about growing vegetables on Twitter, try the Topsy Twitter search engine for keywords like #growyourown or #allotment

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Here’s a few last minute quirky Vegetable Grower Gifts for 2011 which will help you find a present for the gardener who has everything. Please note the majority of last delivery dates are 20th – 22nd December, but please check on the individual shop websites for more details.

For the Man in your Life

Crazy Plant Man T-Shirt

Crazy Plant Man T-Shirt

Shop: CafePress – Crazy Plants
Colours: Various including Green
Sizes: S to 3XL
Also Available in: Long Sleeve T-Shirt

I’m not suggesting all men who grow plants are crazy, but if you find one that is, into plants I mean and happens to be totally crazy, then this is the gift for them.

Here’s a special Men’s Gift Bag to go with it.

I Love Sheds T-Shirt

I Love Sheds T-Shirt

Shop: CafePress – Readersheds
Sizes: Small to 2XL
Colours: Vary with Clothing Type – Navy, White, Grey, Black, Pink
Alternatives: I Love Sheds Clothing range includes: hoodies and sweatshirts. Other gifts include: Mugs and shot glasses.

In association with Readersheds.co.uk, this range of clothing has been lovingly produced for all types of shed lovers (men and women). This would be the perfect present to shed off the winter blues by wrapping up warm in one of these T-Shirts, Sweaters or Hoodies. It definitely beats the christmas knitted jumper with santa on.

Technology Genius

Green Leaf iPhone Case

iPhone Leaf Case

Shop: Zazzle
Colours: Green Leaf, Wood Textures and Brown Leaf
Also Available: iPad Case

A realistic looking vibrant green leaf case for the iPhone and iPad is the perfect gift for when nature meets technology and camouflage’s it. Perfect for anyone who loves nature, the outdoors or growing plants, just be careful not to put it down in the woods, you may not find it again.

Music Lover

Can You Dig It? CD

Can You Dig It? CD Album

Shop: Can You Dig It?
Features: A bumper crop of 16 humorous songs sung by Jo Stephenson and Dan Woods about growing your own vegetables.
Song titles include:

• To Who Ever Stole my Giant Marrow,
• A Sprout is not only for Christmas,
• Somethin’s Been Nibblin’ Me Pumpkins,
• Derrick the Evil pigeon and
• there’s even a bit of a rap thrown in for good measure called Gardener Vs Slug.

There are snippets of a few of the tracks on the website to wet your appetite.

Last Order Date: 20th December 2011.

Windowsill Growers

Capsule Pots

Capsule Pot

Shop: Not on The High Street – Beecycle

A stylish self watering space saving capsule which can be put on your desk or windowsill, it comes with a choice of four herb seeds (Basil, Thyme, Parsley and Oregano) just add water and the seeds to start growing.

This is a lovely little stocking filler that anyone would love to have sitting in their window, it would also be good for children as well.

Take a Note or Two

Allotment Sticky Note Pad

Allotment Sticky Note Pad

Shop: Wildforms.co.uk

A handy compact note pad with sticky sheets decorated with allotment illustrations is the perfect stocking filler for the gardener that can never find a bit of paper when they need one. Just remember to buy a pen too attached to a bit of string.

Gardeners Magnetic Memo Pads

Memo Pads

Shop: EggCup and Blanket

This is a bumper 3 Memo pads pack containing:

• Gardeners notes,
• Things to do in the garden and
• Planting notes.

These are perfect for the home gardener, all with handy magnetic strips so they can be attached to the fridge. With 96 Tear off sheets in each pad means you’ll never forget to write down when and where your seeds were sown.

Veg Based Words

Edward Monkton’s range of gifts are great and their words bring joy and happiness to all, so here’s are a few vegetable garden gifts you might be interested in:

Friendship Kitchen Worktop Saver

Worktop Saver

Shop: CampusGifts.co.uk

A lovely worktop protector for the kitchen made from tempered glass and is heat resistant up to 160 degrees centigrade. Easy to clean and a joy to read the words of wisdom as follows:

The GARLIC is a friend of the CARROTS
the CARROTS are friends of the POTATO
the ONION is fickle and cannot decide
where her loyalties lie and has hence
formed a LOVELESS but PRACTICAL
alliance with everyone except the
BROCCOLI. Do not ask about the
BROCOLLI it will only MAKE YOU CRY

The Garden of your Heart Coaster

The Garden of your Heart

Shop: CampusGifts.co.uk

A drinks coaster for that perfect cup of tea or shot with the meaningful words as follows:

The GARDEN of your HEART
And in the Sacred Garden of
your HEART grow 4 bright
flowers – of Kindness, Wonder,
Happiness and LOVE.

Fruits Designs

Fruit Tree Apple Makeup Bag

Apple Makeup Bag

Shop: CampusGifts.co.uk

A lovely bright apple designed makeup bag measuring 7 inch by 5 inches with a zipper apple and polker dot lining.

Also Available: Apple Design in a Wallet, Tote Bag or overnight bag and Pear Design.

Real Fruit

The Mulberry Crate

The Mulberry Crate

Shop: Gluttonous Gardener

Introduce your nearest and dearest to growing fruit trees with this fabulous growing gift of a ready to plant mulberry tree, mulberry jam and syrup in a lovely presentation gift box and gift message included.

Alternatives: The Winter Chills and Misery Kit, The Nut Case and The Wild Strawberry Box.

Have a Great Christmas from iGrowVeg.com

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My first ever Radish

I absolutely love the design of my new logo which can be found at the top of my blog and newsletter. The Radish icon has great significance to me as it was the very first vegetable I grew and harvested on my vegetable plot back in 2007.
Post: Radish Harvest – Delicious!

Radishes have struck a chord with me throughout my vegetable growing years as I have harvested them every year. I have grown French Breakfast, Scarlet Globe and Pink Beauty to find a mild variety to satisfy my taste buds. I found my tastiest Radish last year in the form of the beautifully rosy ‘Pink Beauty’ Variety.
Post: Harvesting Radishes – Pretty in Pink

The humble radish is one of the easiest vegetables to grow so to have the radish icon on the iGrowVeg logo is brilliant, its like saying start growing your own vegetables here as its easy when you know how.

Pink Beauty Radish

More News

And there’ll be more news from iGrowVeg in a few months time as I have some projects in progress at the moment. All will be revealed in the New Year!

In the meantime I’d love to hear what you think of my new logo, please leave your comments below.

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Cutting Grass using Scissors

I can see myself down on my hands and knees with a pair of nail scissors, trimming the grass carpet as if it was a prize topiary clipping.

And what about the watering, too much water and you’ll be creating a pond in your living room and risk saturating the wood flooring till its warped beyond repair (I can just imagine the accidental damage call to the insurer’s on that one) or not enough water and risk a grass no show or you’ll have to sow grass seed in the patches to complete your overall design.

I thought you could only grow grass seed in spring and autumn outdoors but maybe the central heating and halogen spot lighting will produce a different set of climatic conditions. The last time I grew my tomato seedlings under these conditions they went very leggy which may not be aesthetically pleasing if it happens on your brand new £1,000 rug.

Another thought, when have you ever looked at your lawn and thought, yep that needs more moss?
I can categorically say never, if anything my garden lawn needs to be 90% less moss and more grass. Yes I know, I’m obviously not doing it right.

I haven’t even touched on the Sofa Potato Planter and where the natural light will come from for that.
If you have cats, its just a no, no and no, cats and dirt don’t mix. Not to mention how you would go about harvesting all those tiny spuds, its not like you can just tip it all out on the floor or on the designer grass rug although it might make it look more authentic.

More Grass Madness

• Grass Walker
• Flying Green Carpet
• How To Lay a Grass Carpet
• How To Crochet or Knit a Grass Rug
• uFresh Grass Foot Massager
• Grow a Grass Houseplant
• Use Grass in your Home Decor
• Green Up Winter Days with Grass

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Chard Seeds from Seed Pantry Mini Autumn Veg Patch

The Mini Autumn Veg Patch boxes contain five seed packets of seed including spring onions, lettuce, spicy leaves, chard and pack choi and a handy little instruction leaflet which has all the info you need to start sowing. With the mild temperatures so far in the UK in September, my seeds are germinating within two weeks and I’ve still got some lettuce seed to sow next weekend.

If that isn’t enough, we also have 4 Veg Planner Posters to giveaway from EarthedUp.co.uk (@EarthedUp on Twitter) who produce beautiful illustrated garden advice cards and posters. See more of their illustrated range here.

So you lucky people! There’s four chances to grab yourself a prize and you could be harvesting your own free homegrown veg at christmas and new year, if you win this competition.

How To Enter

1. Leave a comment at this bottom of this post answering the Question: Which vegetable are you looking forward to growing this Autumn/Winter and Why?
2. Make sure you add your email address in the box provided, these won’t be published, its just so I can contact the winners.
3. This competition is open to anyone living in the UK, Europe, America and Canada. Unfortunately the Seed Boxes can only be shipped to UK and Europe.
   For USA and Canada - The Prize will be an e-Gift Voucher from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds which I will send to you via email.
4. Leave your answer to the question in the comments box at the bottom of this post by Wednesday 21st September 2011 and I will pick the best answers for the Prizes and publish the winners names the next day.
5. Good Luck! and if you know anyone else who would like to win these great prizes, please tweet this competition. Thanks.

Competition Prizes

Competition Prizes

• 2 x Seed Pantry Mini Autumn Veg Patch Boxes plus 2 x EarthedUp Veg Planner Posters,
• Runner Up Prizes: 2 x EarthedUp Veg Planner Posters.
• USA and Canada Prize: An e-gift voucher from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (@rareseeds on Twitter)

Answer the Following Question to Enter:

What Vegetable are you looking forward to growing this Autumn/Winter and Why?

———————————————————————————————————————–

This Competition is now Closed.

Thanks to everyone that has taken part, the response has been great.
Good Luck with your Autumn/Winter veg.

The 4 Winners have been notified by email and are as follows:

Winners Added 22 September 2011:

• Tracey C – Prize: Seed Box and Veg Plot Planner for her Pak Choi disaster.
• Andy Jenrick – Prize: Seed Box and Veg Plot Planner for his ‘Cos’ lettuce joke.
• Phillip Green – Prize: Veg Plot Planner and good luck with your Brussels Sprouts.
• Caro – Prize: Veg Plot Planner for the great tip about growing perennial cauliflowers.

Any Queries, please contact me here.

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The question is what do we do with all that veg? it definitely can’t go to waste so without further ado, here are my favourite ways to cook away a glut from contributors on Twitter and my old blog favourites.

1. Cucumber Glut

Cucumber

Melon Gazpacho (in Cucumbers)
This is a neat idea from Mark Bittman for using cucumbers as cups for holding melon or tomato. They are versatile to use for any filling be it fruit or vegetable or can even be used as an impressive shot cocktail cup. These would certainly be a talking point at any BBQ or dinner party without to much effort required and the best bit is, it will be using your cucumber glut in an attractive way to serve to your guests.
Thanks to @susandigsin for your tweet ‘Got a cuke bumper crop?’.

2. Beetroot Glut

Beetroot Moneta

Beetroot Relish
A great recipe on Allotment Girl’s blog makes 1kg of relish and lasts 9 months, perfect for christmas gifts to be eaten with cold meats.
Thanks to @tina550 for your tweet “what do you do with your produce?”.

3. Marrow Glut

Monster Marrow Cream
This lemony marrow cream recipe from Nip It In The Bud is an unusual but tasty idea and can be used as a sauce for meat, fish or vegetables and even used as a substitute for creme fresh/cream in gratins or pasta sauces.

4. Courgette Glut

Courgette

Marrow and Courgette Chutney
A great way of using up courgettes and marrows, this chutney recipe on Allotment.org contains a hint of apple and rasin, perfect to serve up with cheese or cold meats.

Thanks to @allotmentorguk for your tweet “One of our latest recipes to the site”.

5. Tomato Glut

Tomatoes

Spicy Tomato and Apple Chutney
An adapted recipe on Allotment2Kitchen which needs 1kg of ripe tomatoes and contains peppery spices, apple, rasin and onions. This is perfect for those who like a bit of spice to their tomatoes.

If your tomatoes are still green, don’t worry, theres always Green Tomato Chutney.

6. Runner Bean Glut

Runner Beans

Runner Bean and Potato Soup
Thanks to @BereMarshFarm for the following recipe.

• Sweat onions in olive oil for 10 minutes,
• Add chopped runner beans,
• Add cubed potato,
• Add a tin of chopped tomatoes,
• Add a vegetable stock cube and water,
• Simmer for 30 minutes

7. Kohl Rabi Glut

Kohl Rabi

Kohl Rabi and Red Chard Lasagne

This delicious recipe from Grandpa’s Home Cooking blog is a large batch lasagne recipe and any leftovers can then be frozen to re-heat later. This is pure comfort vegetarian food using the finest homegrown tasty vegetables. It’s well worth the effort to bake.

8. Carrots Glut

Carrots

Carrot Spoon Bread
This unique recipe from Tiny Tables blog tastes a bit like a quiche but is thickened with cornflour. It looks great when cooked with is vibrant yellow light and airy mix with flakes of orange carrot. Its quick to cook and is a great addition to any dinner table.

More Links for Coping with Vegetable Gluts

• If you can’t use up all your vegetable glut, why not give some away to family, friends or find people in your local community through Lourish.
• Advice from Garden Organic on Banishing Gluts in the Vegetable Garden
• How to turn your excess fruit and veg into wines
• Love Food, Hate Waste with plenty of ideas to use up those leftovers
• Delicious vegetable recipes from The Cottage Smallholder

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I absolutely love the new series and welcome Monty Don back where he should be. His laid back enthusiasm washes over me like gently flowing river, ebbed with woodland flowers. Its a great idea to have most of the program set in Monty’s own garden so we can truly see what he is up to (well I’m a bit nosey, even if you aren’t) and what he is tinkering away at in his garden shed. I particularly loved the tool rack by the way, nothing fancy or plastic ridden nonsense here, just a few nails banged into a piece of wood, simple but effective.

The last time I grew flowers

I’ve not watched Gardener’s World since the middle of the last series, I cannot pin point why exactly except there was too much Joe Swift, dividing perennials and not enough vegetable growing for my liking (although I am biased). However in the new series, I commend the person who paired up Joe Swift with Rachel de Thame, so she can keep him under control and I do like her personality and the way she comes across, she’s the Charlie Dimmock of Gardener’s World, understated but knows her stuff.

Then there’s Carol Klein, I’m not really a flowers type of person and nor is our garden (apart from the mange tout flowers which I fall in love with every year) but I am a shrub type of person. Her sections on the inspirational gardens she visits each week are excellent and are certainly keeping me interested as to which shrub I can buy for a space in the border that was left by a gangly out of control smoke bush.

The top 6 things I’ve learned from Gardeners World so far:

Shallot Bulbs in Cells

1. How to plant shallot bulbs in cells in the greenhouse to encourage root and shoot growth,
2. Spraying seaweed extract on buxus might save it from frost bite,
3. How vibrant colours of Dogwood can look good in winter,
4. How to prune an apple tree,
5. How to grow Dahliah’s and multiply them,
6. Different types of sweet peas and not to bother overwintering them, sow in Spring.

Gardeners World Links:

• BBC Gardeners World
• Buzz on Gardeners World
• Missed a Gardener’s World episode? Catch up on BBC iPlayer
• Old Episodes of Gardener’s World on YouTube
• I Love Gardeners World by Wilderness House Blog
• Monty Don’s Return to Gardeners World by Carrot and Kids Blog

Gardener’s World is on Friday’s BBC2 at 8.30pm.

Added on 7th April 2011: I’ve had quite a few emails from USA and Canada readers who cannot access the BBC iPlayer, so here’s a clip of Gardeners World which you should be able to view of Monty Don planting his shallots into cell tays.

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Check out the following bright, cheerful, unusual and inspiring fruit, vegetable, nature and snail wallpaper images for you to adorn your computer or laptop whilst camped indoors for the colder months.

Vegetable Wallpapers

• Where smiles are born – Green pea pods wallpaper with a smiley faced pea
• Vegetable Foodscape by Carl Warner – imaginative landscape made up of vegetables
• Vegetable Countryside by Carl Warner – inspiring countryside of rolling vegetable hillsides
• Untitled – Quirky cartoon wallpaper ‘let the rabbit meet the carrot’.

Smiley Pea Wallpaper

Fruity Wallpapers

• Citrus – Bright yellow and sliced orange design
• Berry Face Luvs U Wallpaper – a really cute funky strawberry trio
• Tribute - a fun photo reminiscent of Pak man with an Orange chasing after 3 limes
• I Like Raspberries – Scattered raspberries in the sunshine
• Apples – Red rosy apples lining the bottom of your screen with a crisp white background.

Garden & Nature Wallpapers

I Like Raspberries

• Roads – A grungy moody dandelion closeup,
• When it becomes empty shell – Autumn glory leaf
• Three birds – Three cartoon birds in a sunny garden
• Chocoby Waters – a comic style spin on the plant in little shop of horrors
• The Tree Eater – photograph of a cluster of large trees in a field with a blue sky
• Dandelion – a blue cool silhouette dandelion
• Bird - a stitched bird effect on stripy wallpaper
• Tulips – a closeup photograph of pink tulips
• The Wood – a collage of white and blue trees on a light green background
• Spring – A lovely photograph of a grassy meadow with wild flowers

Grunge Dandelion

Pests & Insects

• War Snail Wallpaper – this is a brilliant snail of war,
• Racing Snail Incident – Racing snails on your desktop! with or without November’s calendar courtesy of Smashing Magazines’s Wallpaper of the month.
• A Walk – A grungy snail closeup with delicate flower
• Ladybird on Flower Head – A closeup of a ladybird on a dead flower head.

Related iGrowVeg Posts:

• Things To Do Before Winter on Your Vegetable Plot
• Create a Vegetable Plot Plan using Online Veg Planning Software
• Winter Warming Recipes using Stored Fruit and Vegetables
• Free Resources

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