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Bring On The Good Thymes

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By Allison Hay

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Aldi partners with celebrity horticulturist Matt James to help customers find their green fingers and plant the ultimate herb garden, as they launch their latest range of gardening equipment…

Want to start gardening but need a little encourage-mint? There’s never been a better time, with so many of us staying close to home. It’s great fun, too, so why not get the whole family involved?

Recent studies have shown that over half of millennials grow their own produce as a cheaper alternative to buying it, and 84% of millennials are looking for ways to make gardening easier. To help make that happen, Aldi has partnered with TV horticulturist Matt James as the supermarket’s popular Grow Your Own and Spring Garden Prep collections returns. The ranges are available now in stores or from Aldi’s online Garden Shop.

Designing bespoke landscapes and gardens, Matt James rose to fame on Channel 4’s popular show The City Gardener. He has also published several books including How to Plant A Garden and The Urban Gardener.

Armed with a whole host of products from Aldi’s gardening ranges, Matt James is keen to give gardeners some sage advice to show just how easy it is to create the ultimate herb garden with quality products at an everyday price. Once fully grown, these herbs can be used in recipes and as cocktail garnishes, meaning gardeners can make sure they get the most out of their garden!

Matt James, explains, “Looking to grow your own but not sure where to start? Try herbs! They’re easy to propagate and are a magnet for bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects too.

Aldi has a super range of gardening essentials, which are great value and importantly do the job which will help you get off on the right foot this spring – particularly for perennial favourites like sage and thyme which in particular need little TLC once established. Herbs off to Aldi!

Aldi’s latest gardening ranges include everything customers need to get growing their own produce in any space, from the Seed and Cutting Tray (£2.99), 4 Tier Grow House (£19.99) and Windowsill Greenhouse (£1.99). Each product will help both complete beginners and gardening aficionados alike get the best out of their gardens.

While the Large Walk In Greenhouse (£49.99) is perfect for those with a bit more space, the Wooden Mini Greenhouse (£59.99) will give plants more room to grow even in the smallest of areas.

Matt’s 5 top tips for taking you from roots to shoots and beyond

1. Most herbs aren’t fussy but do need free draining soil, otherwise they’ll rot. Dig in horticultural grit to improve drainage if needs be. No garden? No problem – you can still crop herbs in patio pots. Where space is truly tight; basil, chives and curly parsley will thrive on a cool kitchen windowsill.

2. Why not save a packet and grow your own herbs from seed? All you need is some seed compost, small pots or modular trays, and a simple unheated propagator. Usefully, Aldi has a space-saving propagator that’s thin enough to neatly fit on the kitchen windowsill.

3. Other herbs like rosemary, sage, mint and bay laurel can be propagated by seed, but it’s quicker to take cuttings from plants of friends or neighbours in early-mid summer. A cold frame or small greenhouse will help get them off to a good start.

4. Many herbs don’t just taste good, they’re attractive to look at too. Group favourites like sage and rosemary in terracotta pots on the patio or mingle plants together with colourful flowering summer perennials for a display that really does look enough good to eat!

5. To keep maintenance to a minimum, remember happy plants are healthy plants, so rule No.1 is to give plants some sun and the right soil.  Watch your watering too – too much is just as bad as too little. Be sure to only water when dry and never let pot plants in particular sit in standing water.

Grow inside or out

Even when space is tight, shoppers can romaine calm – as Matt explains, there are plenty of herbs that are adaptable for a variety of conditions, inside or out! Better yet, once they’re fully grown they can be plucked from pots and added an extra dash of flavour to recipes, or be used as a garnish for one of Aldi’s award-winning tipples.

Aldi’s Grow Your Own and Spring Garden Prep ranges are available online and in stores now, while stocks last. The full ranges can be found below:

Spring Garden Prep:

Grow Your Own:

Online Only:

Next week…

We hope Matt has inspired you to get planting!

Next time, we’ll show you how to make delicious drinks and a dessert using the fresh herbs you’ve grown.

For more information on Aldi’s gardening range, visit their online Garden Shop.

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Allison Hay

I joined the "My Weekly" team thirteen years ago and, more recently, "The People's Friend". I love the variety of topics we cover both online and in the magazines. I manage the digital content for the brands, sharing features and information on the website, social media and in our digital newsletters.

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