Jo Bird

I've been growing veg for 9 years.  Enjoy growing everything: flowers (especially perrenials) shrubs, trees and of course veg. Particularly enjoy growing spuds  (11 varieties this year, in small quantities!).  Digging them up is like finding gold nuggets. Nothing especially good at growing - try to be good at everything! Can help via email, or phone if necessary.  Might consider a visit if all else fails.

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My parents had an allotment, but I can't say I was interested when I was young – however I was interested in the gorgeous produce – especially the soft fruit. We now share the raspberries, strawberries and currents with the birds. I have all the gooseberries to myself (mmmm) because the birds don't take them and Pete doesn't like them. I continue to learn as I go along and I don't regard gardening as necessary easy – or even natural. Skills like potting up seedlings takes practice to master and I hope I can help less experienced gardeners by explaining things in a straight forward way that also helps with their confidence.

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Joan Roberts

I owe my interest in vegetable and soft fruit growing to my Father who was a professional gardener all his working life and was able to see a fully functioning walled garden with greenhouses and cold frames in operation as well as keeping hens and geese. We have gardened in the North West, Scotland and now the North East at various sea levels (upto 900 feet) and soils, but always to organic principles for vegetables and soft fruit, using a 4 year crop rotation. At present we have 12 12ftx4ft deep beds with 4 5ftx4ft cloches with assorted other beds to fit in and a polytunnel and small greenhouse in a long, thin garden lying east to west but with trees along the southern edge which is far from ideal but work continues.

Pete Whittaker

Having been conscripted into gardening at an early age by a father who thought double digging was character-forming, it took me a while to realise that growing plants can be fun! In the '80s I grew what I could in the tiny backyard of a Tyneside flat in Newcastle, longing for more space. My partner Ros and I moved to Barnard Castle in 1991 and space is no longer a problem as we garden on one of the few remaining burghers' plots in Barney (thin but very long!) Our lawns, herbaceous borders and trees are established now and just (just!) need maintenance, so I concentrate on the vegetable growing. Alongside the usual, I try to grow at least one lesser-known edible plant every year. Recent attempts (with varying levels of success) have included tomatillos, asparagus peas, gourds, melons, Chinese Veg and Okra.