Page 14 - Simply Vegetables Autumn 2021

How much time a week do you
spend gardening on average? Do you consider it a hobby or a chore?
Jeff - We learnt very early on that little and often is the key! Every day, even
if it’s just to pick and water. The plot
is over the road from us, just a few minutes’ walk, so that does make it easier. We take the dogs over and it’s very peaceful, very relaxing.
Zoë - First thing in the morning or last thing at night are the best times.
Do any of the other Emmerdale cast grow vegetables?
Zoë - Erm....Roxi Shahidi (Leyla Cavanagh) does a bit, Mathew Wolfenden and Charley Webb (David Metcalfe & Debbie Dingle) too. Mark Charnock (Marlon Dingle) does too. Lots of crew member do. We often give plants away to people who want them. Jeff - I don’t think anyone has an allotment...I can’t think of anyone?
Oh Matthew Bose, who played Paul Lambert, he has land that he grows on, he’s very good!
What crop(s) have you experienced problems with so far that you have struggled to find an answer to?
Jeff - Aubergines are tricky, they’re very hit and miss for us. And strawberries, we just can’t seem to get them, right?! All tips greatly received!
And which crops have you found you are particularly good at growing?
Zoë - Jeff is the brassica king! And we’re not really sure why! We have varying success with lots of things, but mother nature always keeps
us on our toes! Just as we think we have mastered the art of growing a particular fruit or vegetable, we have a rubbish season with them, there’s no room for complacency!
Do you buy much produce or are you self-sufficient?
Jeff - For the summer months we’re pretty much self-sufficient, we give
a lot of produce away too. We freeze stuff, I make jam and Zoë makes chutneys. Successional planting has been a revelation! And a godsend, something we didn’t
But it’s an unlikely possibility here in Yorkshire.
Jeff - Sweet potatoes... but that’s unlikely too, I guess?
Is growing your own worth the effort?
Zoë - Yes, there is no greater feeling than sitting down to eat a meal you have entirely grown from scratch. And you know what you’re eating, no chemicals, nothing nasty. And you cannot beat the taste, I don’t ever want to eat a shop bought cucumber again.
Be honest, has Jeff ever had to get all ‘Cain Dingle’ with any of the other plot-holders for any reason?
Jeff - We are a very friendly, small
know about for years. There were times when it was broccoli for breakfast, lunch and dinner!! And for snacks too!
allotment, it’s very supportive community. I don’t think Cain would appreciate it!!!!!
What is the best tip you have learned that you would like to pass on to others?
Jeff - I have the rule that I
plant one for nature and three for me, then I don’t get angry at
the ‘pests’ helping themselves, pigeons and I have a bad history!!
Zoë - My Dads tips on tomato growing are the ones we follow, pinching out, feeding once a week, water daily and remove the lower leaves up to the first fruits. Never fails.
Do you think home
grown tastes better than
shop bought?
Zoë - Anyone who’s ever eaten anything homegrown, knows the answer to that question! 1000% Yes!
What crops haven’t you grown before that you think you’ll try in future and why?
Zoë - I’d love to grow lemons, because we use them all the time in cooking!
We learnt very early on that little and often is the key!
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