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Spring is my favourite time of year.
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I just love all the blossom.
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I love all the spring bulbs that come through.
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People have been growing produce here
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at Walmer Castle for about 300 years.
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The visitors here really love the connection between the kitchen
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garden and the tea rooms.
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We grow produce all year round, from winter
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vegetables through to salads in the summer.
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All are harvested and taken to the tea rooms
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where they are made into delicious dishes
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for our visitors.
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The kitchen garden itself is divided into four sections.
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The design is very formal, very geometric.
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We need the paths to be able to harvest and look after the produce on a daily basis.
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We have a team of seven gardeners here,
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one apprentice and a
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very dedicated group of volunteers
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who help us keep the gardens at a very high standard.
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Down in the kitchen garden,
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when you pick anything
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it's got such an earthy smell to it.
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Every week I see something new in the ground.
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I have an allotment myself so
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every time I come here and I see that
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they're well ahead of my planting
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it gets me going and enthuses me.
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At the moment we're sowing lots of
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types of vegetables.
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Lots of different types of beans.
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Once the seedlings appear
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and the plants are strong enough
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we'll move them to the cold frames.
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They'll be ready for planting
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after about two or three weeks.
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We grow all sorts of winter veg.
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Celeriac,
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potatoes, calabrese.
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And, in the summer we're growing
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tomatoes, cucumbers,
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lots of different types of lettuces.
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We've got a variety of textures
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and colours, so you can have
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a red iceberg and bright green jabeque.
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And for that to be presented
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on a plate in the kitchen for our visitors
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is really lovely.
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One of my favourite vegetables this time of year is asparagus.
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The kitchen absolutely love it
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and they make the most delicious quiches.
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I think it's very important that our produce
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does go to the kitchen.
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I come here on a Sunday and have a
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Sunday lunch. I can spot
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all the vegetable that we picked
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during the week.
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Rhubarb scones are very nice
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and it's one way of
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using our copious, amazing rhubarb.
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The kitchen garden is a really inspiring place.
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We have the most amazing castle as a
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backdrop, and the sea over the road.
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It makes you feel very proud to be able to work in a place like this.
