Gardens
Sandra Miller and
Maria Precedo
examine the tomatoes
in Eaton Square
Home grown is hip
Gordon Brown has one and so does the
Queen. Forget mobile phones and
designer handbags – the coolest
accessory today is a vegetable garden.
Kate White reports on a growing trend
When the residents of Eaton Square decided to start growing their
own vegetables, they had no idea they were in such good company.
First Buckingham Palace announced the Queen had turned one of the
flower beds into a vegetable patch, growing sweetcorn, strawberries,
beetroot, carrots and the “Blue Queen” French bean.
Then it emerged 10 Downing Street – not to be outdone – was
growing its own vegetables in the back garden and the Prime
Minister’s lettuces were being sold in the staff canteen. So popular is
the “grow your own” trend that it can take up to 40 years to reach the
top of the waiting list for an allotment in Camden.
At Eaton Square, the vegetable beds are full of corn, tomatoes,
French beans, chives, lettuces, carrots, peppers, beetroot, leeks,
cabbage, rosemary, sage and strawberries.
“When we started planting the beds I was like a kid in a sweet shop
choosing which vegetables to put in,” says Grosvenor gardener Maria
Precedo, who is in charge of the patch.
Growing vegetables is a trend that has sprouted during recession,
but people are also more aware than ever of what they are eating, says
Maria. “People like to know what’s on their plates and where it’s
coming from. So what could be better than growing what you eat in
your own back garden?”
At Buckingham Palace it’s the
first time vegetables have been
grown in the royal garden since
World War Two. Back then people
grew about half the total food
needed to feed the nation in their
own homes or allotments.
Helping Maria tend the
vegetables is work experience
student Sandra Miller, who has just
completed the National Certificate
in Horticulture. “I’d done admin
and secretarial work most of my
life,” says Sandra. “But I’ve always
loved gardening so I thought, why
not turn it into a career? It’s been
great learning all about the
vegetables.”
If you don’t live in Eaton Square
but want to grow your own, many
vegetables can flourish in pots and
window boxes including tomatoes,
peppers, lettuce and herbs.
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