KITCHEN GARDEN

Growing A Caribbean Kitchen Garden in South London

Picture a stand of red-stemmed amaranth and a pot of glossy chilli plants hung with lanterns of orange and scarlet. A tangle of okra on a sunny wall. These plants carry stories, and this Black History Month we want to tell a few of them.

When the Windrush generation and the West African families who followed them made South London home, they brought more than suitcases. They brought seeds, recipes and a deep know-how about growing food. Generations on, that knowledge is woven into the gardens and kitchens of our neighbourhood. And here’s the good news for every gardener: many of these crops grow perfectly well in a London plot, with a little planning.

Callaloo: for a tasty stew

In Jamaica, callaloo usually means amaranth, a leafy green steamed with onion, garlic, tomato and a whisper of scotch bonnet. Amaranth is wonderfully obliging. Sow it outdoors from late May, once the soil has warmed, in a sunny spot. Pick young leaves often and it will keep giving all summer. It’s handsome, too. The red-leaved varieties look as good in a border as on a plate, and the tassel-like flowers are a magnet for bees. Leave a plant or two to set seed in autumn and you’ll have next year’s crop for free.

Amaranth

Scotch bonnets: the slow burn

The scotch bonnet is the heart of Caribbean cooking: fruity, fragrant and properly fierce. It’s a chilli that likes warmth and a long season, so start early. Sow seeds indoors between January and March in a heated propagator at around 25°C, then grow on in a greenhouse, conservatory or the sunniest windowsill you own.

Scotch bonnet

Okra and garden egg: for the greenhouse

Okra loves heat and sulks in a cold summer, so in London it’s happiest under glass or against a hot, sheltered wall. Sow in April in warmth and plant out only when nights are reliably mild. Pick the pods small and often; they toughen quickly. Garden egg is a small, round, often white aubergine loved across West Africa, and needs similar treatment. Treat it like any aubergine: a warm start, a greenhouse home and a regular feed once the flowers appear.

Okra

Your October job: if you grew chillies this year, don’t let the first frost finish them off. Chillies are perennials at heart. Pick the last of the pods, trim the plant back by about a third, and bring it indoors to a bright, cool, frost-free spot. Water sparingly over winter. In spring it will burst back into growth and fruit weeks earlier than a fresh sowing. Autumn is the perfect time to dream up next year’s plot. Make a list, order your seeds early and think about where you could give heat-lovers a sheltered spot. A heated propagator or a simple grow light can make all the difference to those January sowings.