Kitchen Garden Magazine October 2025 Back Issue

Welcome to the October 2025 issue of Kitchen Garden Magazine!

October is one of those in-between months – the harvest is still coming thick and fast, but I can feel the soil cooling
and the evenings drawing in. The kitchen is piled high with apples and squash, and there’s usually a pan of something
bubbling away on the hob. It’s a busy, slightly frantic, time but also one of the most satisfying, as the results of months
of work all come together.

It’s also when the garden seems alive with another kind of activity. I’ve been on vole patrol on my own plot, while Ben Vanheems tackles slugs in his usual wildlife-friendly way. I’ve also been looking at how we can make space for garden visitors, with a few tips to help hedgehogs get ready for hibernation. These creatures are often thought of as nature’s helpers, and there’s certainly something reassuring about giving them the conditions they need to thrive.

I had the pleasure of trying out some new fruit-picking kit too
– ideal for those high branches you can’t quite reach – and I’ll be sharing a peek at some of the new varieties from the Fothergill’s seed trials, which I know many of you will be keen to try. Seeing new seed lines before they appear in catalogues always feels like a glimpse into the future of our plots.

Elsewhere in this issue, our contributors are tackling the jobs we all face at this time of year: improving soil, storing produce, and making the most of seasonal gluts. In the kitchen you’ll find recipes for beetroot, squash, kale and plums – all with that distinct autumn flavour and plenty of ways to keep your stores varied.

For me, autumn is what we’ve been working towards all year:
the stores are filling, the jars are lining up, and the garden’s generosity will carry us through the colder months. Here’s to a sweet end to the plum season – and well-stocked shelves for winter.