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A walk on the Wilde side: Kim's gardening secrets
During her eighties pop career Kim Wilde had no garden, let alone any gardening knowledge. Now she is know well known for her green fingers and contribution to UK garden design. She told iVillage.co.uk how she makes her garden grow
When did gardening become something more serious for you?
Kim Wilde: Gardening first started into something more serious when I married and had children. I wanted to make a dream a reality and inspire my children with a wonderful garden. I had a blank canvas.
At first I wanted it all to look great. I was bothered by the aesthetics of things. It took me a while to find the beauty in things that perhaps didn't look perfect. I then took a course a Capel Manor College in Enfield and followed by my City & Guilds qualification and then I started to get planning and grow my own.
I started off with no knowledge and no garden. Now, 10 years later I have knowledge and a garden, both of which I'm proud of. I take such joy from my garden. There's such pleasure when plants you've forgotten you've planted come up again. And, of course, anything you eat that you've grown yourself is fantastic.
What would you advise as a good all-round vegetable to grow?
Kim Wilde: My favourite vegetable to grow is beetroot. Its big seeds are easy to grow and it's a hardy vegetable. It's fantastic in soups, raw in salads and I also pickle it with garlic and horseradish. The leaves are fantastic in salads so I like the fact the whole thing gets used and enjoyed.
I grow a few vegetables. A moderate amount of the food we eat is from our garden and I only buy organic fruit and vegetables. My children enjoy planting things like radishes, salad leaves and pulling up the produce when it's ready to harvest.
If you want to start gardening, where should you begin?
Kim Wilde: There's nothing more inspiring that seeing a seed grow. Buy a small container, sow a seed and see what happens. I defy anyone not to be inspired to grow more. Herbs are also an easy thing to grow, with low commitment required! Shop-bought herbs are expensive so it can save you money, and the quality of home-grown herbs is much better.
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