Radio 4 gardening expert, Terry Walton, paid a visit to Knights Garden Centre in Chelsham recently, to give demonstrations and advice about allotment gardening to customers. Terry has been tending his hillside allotment in South Wales for over 50 years.

As part of his talk Terry showed howgardeners with very limited space can utilise a free-standing vegetable trug to grow a variety of vegetables and bedding plants on a balcony or patio. "One of the most common questions I am asked is; 'What should I grow?'" said Terry. "I always ask them to decide what they like to eat first, then ask me how to grow it! It is surprising how many people waste good ground growing vegetables they don't particularly like to eat themselves."

Terry has noticed a steady increase in the numbers of people growing their own vegetables over the last five years. "What was a steady increase has now become a torrent," he said. "I don't think it is a fad - it is a long term thing. With the price of food going up and up people are realising it makes sense to grow their own vegetables and are realising that it is much nicer and cheaper to eat vegetables when they are in season."

For more information about events taking place at Knights in Chelsham, call 01883 622340.