18 Man Made Vegetables You Never Knew About!

Getty Images / Hazal Ak

With contestants from 15 nations all battling it out to win the Interflora World Cup, it’s easy to say that this year was a nail-biter. But before the winner was announced, our team headed over to Manchester’s Central Convention Complex to see what it was all about.

I have written before about how I make leaf mold in my garden. But today, I thought it would be useful to share how I use the leaf mold that I make since I have been asked about this a few times recently. I know that many are interested in making leaf mold but don't fully understand how it can be used.

Don’t let a lack of a proper garden stop you from harvesting fresh veggies at home! Here are the most productive Vegetables to Grow in Pots in a small space like an apartment balcony or a patio!

Switching up your decor for the seasons is always fun. But this isn’t always practical because not only can it be expensive, but it can also soon become a storage problem. One of the quickest and budget-friendliest way to introduce seasonal decor is with garlands. You can have one, two or even ten for each season and each holiday without much spend or space needed.

Creeping Thyme is a beautiful plant that adaptable to grow in various conditions. It is easy to look after and also grows stunning flowers!

Famous for its gorgeous foliage with vivid colors, this Prayer Plant cultivar is the first choice of houseplant growers. If you too want to have this beauty indoors, then learn How to Grow Never Never Plant!

No, cauliflower is not man-made. It’s a product of selective breeding from its wild ancestor, wild cabbage. Over many centuries, farmers chose specific plants with desirable traits to cultivate, leading to various types of Brassica oleracea, including cauliflower.

I used to do a lot of seed swapping, attending (and holding) seed swaps, and doing ad hoc swaps with gardening contacts, many of whom I met online. I used to quite enjoy making homemade seed packets, and did some lovely ones from old botanical illustrations. Understandably this faded into the background over the years that I was without a garden and establishing a new one. I’m also trying to be a lot more restrained in my seed acquisitions, since seeds don’t last forever and I have neither unlimited time nor space in which to grow them. Last year I went to a local seed swap only long enough to give them my excess seeds!

A couple of weeks ago I was talking about my Madeira vine (Anredera cordifolia), which was a gift from a friend and lives on the (north-facing) kitchen windowsill. I’m not quite sure how long I’ve had it, but it’s happy there and sends out quite a volume of climbing, leafy shoots. Occasionally it gets out of hand, and I cut it back.

A few homegrown ingredients from the garden can completely transform bog standard burgers into meaty sandwich sensations.

I love books about weeds and wild plants – they generally contains little gems of fascinating information about useful and edible plants, tidbits you don’t find in gardening manuals. It’s been a while since I had the chance to sit down and peruse a good book, so it was great to be offered a review copy of Wonderful Weeds by Madeleine Harley, which has the subtitle “an extensive and fully illustrated guide from seedlings to fruit.”