The Edible Garden

Peas and beans are prolific vegetables but they also look beautiful in the borders. Alys make delicious broad bean falafels, pea-shoot cocktails and forages for willow to make plant supports. And she has two new additions to the family - her chickens.

Salad crops are some of the easiest things to grow and the tastiest to eat. Lettuces, tomatoes and cucumbers can go from garden to plate in minutes.

In the challenge of turning a small urban backyard into a beautiful and edible garden, root crops and leafy greens are the mainstays. Alys doesn't go short of tasty options: beetroot and yoghurt soup, rhubarb and raspberry pie and a good supply of eggs from her two chickens.

Fruit is a costly luxury bought from the shops yet nothing could be simpler to grow. As well as enjoying them for breakfast, Alys preserves their flavor by making jams, tangy fruits leathers and sweet dried apple rings.

Alys grows flowers and herbs to flavor her food and to decorate her home. From herb omelettes, to bread made with rosemary and salads of edible blooms, flowers and herbs are the garden garnishes that bring both the garden and kitchen to life.

Alys shows how her garden can provide for the leaner months. Alongside courgettes, squashes, and kale, she grows Jerusalem artichokes to harvest when the rest of the garden sleeps and learns how to preserve the flavors of her garden using simple pickling recipes.