The Edible Garden S01 complete (BBC, 2010) (1280x720p HD, 50fps, soft Eng subs)

E01 Peas and Beans
Alys Fowler attempts to avoid shop-bought fruit and vegetables and live off her own home-grown produce. It's no easy task because Alys doesn't want to turn her garden into an allotment, so she's growing her fruit and vegetables among her flowers.

Alys will focus on different foods and show how anyone can grow, cook and eat from their own garden - even if they live in a city.

Peas and beans are prolific vegetables but they also look beautiful in the borders. Alys makes delicious broad bean falafels and pea shoot cocktails, and forages for willow to make plant supports. And she has two new additions to the family - her chickens.

E02 Salad
Alys weaves salad crops through the flower borders of her small urban back garden. Salad crops are some of the easiest things to grow and the tastiest to eat. Lettuces, tomatoes and cucumbers can go from garden to plate in minutes. But while her garden takes root, she needs to fill the hungry gap by foraging in 'the wild larder', to make lime-leaf salad, dandelion fritters and 'home brewed' nettle beer.

E03 Roots and Leafy Greens
In the challenge of turning a small urban backyard into a beautiful and edible garden, root crops and leafy greens are the mainstays. Planted amidst the majestic kales are the red stems of earthy Swiss chard and the deep purple foliage of beetroot, all delivering delicious dishes from mid-summer right through the winter.

Alys doesn't go short of tasty options: beetroot and yoghurt soup, rhubarb and raspberry pie and a good supply of eggs from her two chickens.

E04 Juicy Fruits
Fruit, particularly fruit like raspberries and blueberries, can be a costly luxury bought from the shops, yet nothing could be simpler to grow. You plant them and then just sit back and wait. With most of her garden devoted to growing vegetables, Alys still manages to squeeze in some juicy fruits alongside her mature apple tree. As well as enjoying them for breakfast, Alys preserves their flavour by making jams, tangy fruit leathers and sweet dried apple rings.

E05 Flowers and Herbs
In Alys's pretty but productive backyard, she grows flowers and herbs for many reasons: to flavour her food, to decorate her home and to attract wildlife essential for the health and productivity of her garden. From herb omelettes and bread made with rosemary to salads of edible blooms, flowers and herbs are the garden garnishes that bring both the garden and kitchen to life.

E06 The Winter Larder
As well as providing fruit and vegetables to eat in season, an edible garden needs to provide for the leaner months. That means growing crops that guarantee a plentiful harvest, enough to enjoy right away and enough to store.

Alongside courgettes, squashes and kale, Alys grows Jerusalem artichokes to harvest when the rest of the garden sleeps. She also learns how to preserve the flavours of her garden using simple pickling recipes and forages for seeds in the 'wild larder'. Finally, Alys plants up winter crops to tide her over until next spring.


First broadcast:  April-May 2010
Duration:  30 minutes per episode

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