Grow Your Own: UK Gardening from the Ground Up

What's inside

1. Level 1: Reading Your Plot: Aspect, Sun and ShadeFree
   You'll find out which way your garden, yard, balcony or allotment faces and track where the sun and shade fall during the day, so you know how much light each spot really gets.
2. Level 2: Wind, Frost and HardinessFree
   We'll look at how wind, frost pockets and your local climate affect plants, and how to read RHS hardiness ratings so you know which plants will survive a UK winter in your spot.
3. Level 3: Know Your Soil: Types and Simple Tests
   You'll get your hands dirty finding out whether your soil is clay, sandy, silty, chalky or loam, and test whether it's acid or alkaline, all explained in plain terms.
4. Level 4: Making Your Own Compost
   We'll set up a compost heap or bin and learn the simple balance of 'greens' and 'browns' that turns kitchen and garden waste into rich, crumbly compost.
5. Level 5: Mulching and Peat-Free Growing
   You'll learn how mulch feeds soil, holds in moisture and keeps weeds down, and why the RHS recommends peat-free compost, plus how to get good results with it.
6. Level 6: Essential Tools and Safe Habits
   We'll put together a small, affordable starter toolkit and set up safe habits with tools and garden chemicals, and with plants that are toxic to pets and children.
7. Level 7: Right Plant, Right Place
   Now you know your plot, you'll learn to choose plants that suit its sun, soil, shelter and hardiness by reading plant labels and using the RHS plant finder.
8. Level 8: Sowing Seeds Indoors
   You'll sow seeds in trays and pots on a windowsill, then prick out the seedlings, pot them on and harden them off so they're ready for life outside.
9. Level 9: Sowing Seeds Outdoors
   We'll prepare a fine seedbed and sow straight into the ground in drills, then thin the seedlings so the strongest ones have room to grow.
10. Level 10: Buying and Planting Well
    You'll learn to pick healthy plants at the garden centre and plant them properly so they settle in quickly and grow well.
11. Level 11: Watering Well and Saving Water
    We'll cover when, how much and how to water so roots grow deep, and simple ways to collect and save water through dry UK summers.
12. Level 12: Feeding Your Plants
    You'll learn what the numbers on a fertiliser pack mean, when plants actually need feeding, and how to feed without overdoing it.
13. Level 13: Easy Vegetables and Salads
    We'll grow a few reliable beginner crops such as salad leaves, radishes, beans and potatoes, with clear timings for sowing, growing and harvesting.
14. Level 14: Growing Herbs and Easy Fruit
    You'll grow a handful of everyday herbs and a beginner-friendly fruit such as strawberries, and learn what each one needs to thrive.
15. Level 15: Containers, Balconies and Small Spaces
    We'll make the most of pots, window boxes and balconies, from choosing containers and compost to watering, weight and wind on a high-up space.
16. Level 16: Lawns in Outline and Wildlife-Friendly Gardening
    You'll get the basics of lawn care, including relaxed mowing, and learn simple ways to invite pollinators, birds, hedgehogs and other wildlife into your plot.
17. Level 17: Pests and Diseases: Spot Them, Control Them Gently
    We'll identify common UK problems like slugs, aphids, powdery mildew and blight, and tackle them with gentle, prevention-first methods that look after wildlife.
18. Level 18: Weeds: Know Them and Manage Them
    You'll learn to tell annual weeds from perennial weeds and manage each kind with hoeing, hand weeding and mulching.
19. Level 19: Pruning Basics
    We'll cover why, when and how to prune, from deadheading to cutting back common shrubs, so you can make clean, confident cuts at the right time of year.
20. Level 20: Final Challenge: Plan Your Gardening Year Exam
    You'll bring the whole course together by building a month-by-month gardening calendar for your own UK plot, covering site, soil, sowing, planting, care, pests, pruning, wildlife and safety.

Access

The first 2 levels are free with a free account. Every level, the podcast edition and the AI tutor come with All Access at £4.99/month or any Creator plan — see pricing.

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