What to do in your vegetable garden in August
We are in the middle of summer, despite what the weather would have you believe, and now is a great time to get cracking on your vegetable garden.
If you haven’t set up your allotment, you may think it is too late now to think about planting, but far from it. We’ve put together a handy guide to show you how to get the most out of your veg garden.
Whether you’ve been planting since spring or are just getting involved now, we’ve got all the helpful tips and advice you will need.
Potatoes
You can always plant potatoes, even if you have to wait a while to get any results. If you find a few of your kitchen stash have begun to ‘chit’ (sprout roots), then pop them in the ground quick.
Chinese cabbage
This is an easy way to bulk up your vegetable plot in August as you can sow the seeds directly into the soil without needing to use a seedbed first. Bak choi is one of the most popular varieties and is particularly resistant to cooler weather.
Radish
Plant these spicy veggies now for a lovely late autumn crop. Perfect for salads, pasta and even in sandwiches, radishes are a versatile addition to any allotment. Black radish is a winter-resistant variety and so will probably work best in the cooler autumn months.
Chard
For a bit of autumn colour, try planting Rainbow Chard. The stems grow in wonderful shades of red, yellow, pink and orange and it can be used in a number of late season recipes. Chard is considered one of the healthiest vegetables you can grow and so is perfect for keeping you full of vitamins during the darker winter days.
If you’ve been planting since the spring, you should now have a bumper crop of delicious veg to munch on, including onions, broad beans, courgettes, squash and spinach.
Why not try this great recipe for a tasty vegetable lasagne?
1 butternut squash, peeled, de-seeded and cut into slices
2 courgettes, sliced
1 aubergine, sliced
3 tomatoes, sliced
Olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
150g/6oz ball of mozzarella, torn into chunks
6 sheets of fresh lasagne
25g/1oz butter
25g/1oz plain flour
600ml/1 pint milk
80g/3oz cheddar cheese, grated
A handful of torn basil
Preheat your oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
Put the courgettes, squash and aubergine into a roasting tin, add the olive oil and garlic cloves and cook for around 30 minutes.
Meanwhile combine the flour and butter in a warm sauce pan to make a rue, and then gradually add the milk. When the rue has dissolved, add the grated cheese and stir until melted.
Assemble the dish into a ceramic lasagne dish by layering the pasta sheets with the roasted vegetable mixture, sliced tomatoes and torn mozzarella.
Top each layer of the roasted vegetables with a sprinkling of ground black pepper.
Repeat and finish with a third sheet of lasagne, then pour your cheese sauce over, making sure all of the pasta is covered.
Sprinkle with black pepper, reduce the temperature to 180C/356F and return to the oven for 30 minutes or until cooked.
