In Conversation With Alex Sultan, Head Kitchen Gardener of The PIG Hotel, Brockenhurst.

Gardening enthusiast, beekeeper and self-confessed bibliophile, Alex Sultan is the Head Kitchen Gardener for The PIG at Brockenhurst, and we caught up with him to find out how you can make the most of your Clive Christian Garden Kitchen by growing your own organic vegetables. 

Alex says, "there's nothing better or more rewarding than growing your own fruit, vegetables, salads and herbs that you've nurtured from seed. It's even more satisfying when you have a beautiful Garden Kitchen to cook and enjoy your homegrown goods." 

Whether an amateur gardener or a green-fingered fanatic, Alex has all the tips you need to sow, grow and harvest your own kitchen garden produce to perfectly compliment your Clive Christian Garden Kitchen. Continue reading to learn more. 

A good place to start…When it comes to any type of gardening, it's important to allow yourself to get stuck in without the pressure to be perfect. Nature is alive and continuously changing, so you can't always preempt what's going to happen next, so be prepared for a little trial and error, especially at the start. 

A plan for success...Before getting your hands dirty, it's a good idea to draw out a plan of how you'd like your kitchen garden to look, make a list of what you'd like to grow and learn more about the space you've chosen. If your kitchen garden is south-facing, select vegetables that love the sun, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, peas, beans, corn and squash. Conversely, if your garden beds will be north-facing, choose vegetables that can handle a shady space. My favourites include brassicas, beetroots, salad leaves, kohlrabi, carrots, leeks and radishes. 

Think outside of the raised bed...One of my favourite things about being a kitchen gardener is the wide variety of herbs we grow, from your traditional pantry must-haves like Rosemary, Sage, and Thyme to more unusual varieties such as Pineapple Sage, Rosemary Green Ginger which is a popular request from our bar team, Lemon Verbena which smells just like Lemon Sherbet and Orange & Lemon Thyme which our pastry chef loves! A fun and pleasing way to grow these is in terracotta pots. Keep them close to the centre of your Garden Kitchen so you can easily grab them while cooking. You can also use these to decorate your dining table, adding fantastic colour, scent and texture to any outdoor tablescape. 

Thirsty work...Watering your plants correctly is possibly the most crucial part of growing anything in your garden. When planting in raised beds, you will need to water more often than planting into the ground, as there are fewer sources for the roots to pull water from. When planting in pots, remember to add drainage holes and a few crocs or medium-sized stones to give drainage for the water. 

Easy to grow, cook and enjoy...I often hear people say they're too nervous to start growing their own fruit and vegetables at home because they think it's too tricky, but here are some of the easiest foods to grow from seed that will produce an abundance of crops from minimal effort: salad leaves, radishes, courgettes, spring onions, corn, green beans, kale and swiss chard to name a few. 

If you want to start off with herbs, then Rosemary, Thyme and Lavender are a great place to start as they can handle less watering than other plants. 

Keeping pests at bay...Here at The PIG, we try our best not to use pesticides at all, but when we do, we must only use organic, natural, and environmentally friendly pesticides to ensure the food is safe to eat and that we're looking after the environment. 

An enjoyable and colourful way to deter pests from your crops is to plant flowers such as Marigolds and Nasturtiums, as the pests will be more attracted to these. You can also cut them to make decorative posies for your table or your home. 

QUICK FIRE ROUND:

Favourite season?
Autumn for the bounty of crops and colours but also spring when everything feels like new.

Informal or formal gardens?
Both can be done very beautifully!

City or countryside?
Countryside, for sure. It’s where nature is at its best.

Favourite vegetable to grow & harvest?
Corn! It’s very satisfying to grow and deliciously sweet too. 

Favourite fruit? 
Orchard fruits, especially apples and pears.

Time of day?
Early mornings, when it’s clear blue skies and slightly frosty!

Favourite dish at The PIG?
It has to be any of the piggy bits. There are also some new autumn dishes which look rather incredible too. 

Portrait photography by Steve Poole Photography