Ben The Grower - Ben Thornton

Ben The Grower - Ben Thornton Disabled Gardener & Designer🌿
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11/06/2026

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11/06/2026

Planting lemongrass in the polytunnel 🌿
From

11/06/2026

Getting ready for chickens to return to the allotment 🌿🐓🙌🏼🧑🏼‍🌾✅

11/06/2026

🌿 Home Garden Project | Episode 3 🌿

With the banana trees now moved into their new home, it was time to start planting the bed back up.

I’ve got far more plants than will actually fit in this space, but that’s not a bad problem to have. A lot of these plants came from the original bed, so the plan was simply to recreate what was already thriving and then improve on it.

One plant that absolutely had to go back in was the Persicaria ‘Fat Domino’. I love how it looks growing amongst the bananas, producing a sea of deep pink-red flower spikes that fill the space beautifully throughout the season.

I also added some of my favourites including Heucherella ‘Peach Tea’, Heliopsis ‘Lorraine Sunshine’, geums and daylilies. With the shed now gone, this area is going to receive far more sunlight, so I’ve positioned the sun-loving plants around the front and edges where they’ll really thrive.

One thing I always try to do when planting borders is use repetition. Having several of the same plant repeated through a bed helps tie everything together and creates a much stronger display than lots of individual plants dotted about.

Most of these plants have been dug up, divided and moved around the garden over the years, so it’s amazing seeing how resilient they are and how quickly they bounce back.

The bed is starting to come together now and for the first time I can really begin to picture what this part of the garden is going to look like once everything fills out.

More progress coming soon. 🌿

🌱 I’m filling this entire VegTrug using only VegTrug Complete Soil Solution.The compressed blocks may not look like much...
11/06/2026

🌱 I’m filling this entire VegTrug using only VegTrug Complete Soil Solution.

The compressed blocks may not look like much when they come out of the box, but once water is added they expand dramatically, producing a huge volume of growing media.

The peat-free formula is designed to support healthy root development while also containing nutrients that can feed plants for up to 6 months.

For this bed, I’ve used nothing else. No additional compost, just the Complete Soil Solution on its own.

It’s always fascinating seeing just how much growing media comes from a stack of compact blocks, and it’ll be interesting to see how the crops perform throughout the season.

Now it’s time to get planting. 🌿

AD/Gift

10/06/2026

These self-watering planters are one of the best things I’ve ever added to the polytunnel 💧🌱

I’ve been using them for years and they make growing so much easier. The built-in reservoir keeps water available to the plants when they need it, meaning less watering and healthier growth through the summer.

Today I got them all planted up with tomatoes, peppers, chillies, cucumbers and basil, then topped them off with some to act as a mulch and slow-release feed.

Now all that’s left is to fill the reservoirs and let them get on with it. 🌱

Have you ever tried self-watering planters?

10/06/2026

🌿 Home Garden Project | Episode 2 🌿

Managed to get a break in the rain, so it was time to crack on with the garden renovation.

The first job was clearing out what felt like an endless amount of gravel from the area where the banana trees are going to live. Bag after bag later, plus a wheelie bin full, we finally got the area cleared and ready for some decent compost.

Then came the job I was dreading… moving the banana trees.

Thankfully, after digging around them, the root balls came up surprisingly well. The ground underneath wasn’t great, which probably helped, but both plants came out with very little damage and without needing to split them.

Getting them across the garden was another story altogether! 😅

They’re now replanted in their new home, one at each end of the bed, and I’m really happy with how the area is starting to come together. It already feels like a completely different garden.

Next up, it’s time to start planting this area and bringing it to life, so make sure you’re following along to see how this transformation continues.

09/06/2026

One thing I absolutely love about flower shows is discovering plants you simply don’t see every day 🌿

When we visited Malvern Flower Show, I may have got a little carried away at the herb stand Culinary Herb Co. 😅 🌿From Cuban oregano and clary sage to lemongrass, unusual mints, blue tomatoes and even a rare chilli variety I’d been told I needed to try, there were just too many plants not to bring home.

I always think herbs are some of the most underrated plants you can grow. They’re productive, smell incredible, support pollinators and many can be used in the kitchen too. Calendula were also a must-have as they’re a staple on my allotment and I use them in my soap making as well.

Needless to say, the car was a little fuller on the journey home than it was on the way there 🤣🌿

What’s the most unusual herb you’ve ever grown?

🌱 The Next Round of Beetroot Are In!One thing I absolutely love growing is multisown beetroot. Instead of sowing one see...
09/06/2026

🌱 The Next Round of Beetroot Are In!

One thing I absolutely love growing is multisown beetroot. Instead of sowing one seed per cell, I sow small clusters together and plant them out as a group.

The result? Multiple beetroot growing from the same planting hole, making far better use of the space while still producing great-sized roots.

This latest batch has now been planted into the new raised beds and is already looking happy after a good drink. Successional sowing like this is the key to keeping the harvests coming rather than ending up with everything ready at once.

A few weeks from now these should be filling the bed nicely, and then it will be time for the next batch. 🌱🫜

Do you grow your beetroot individually or as multisown clusters?

Planted in VegTrug raised beds using Natural Grower

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