The Sunday Times name Nick Nairn’s 'Nick's at Port of Menteith' restaurant as a top spot for alfresco dining in the UK. It’s easy to see why, the garden is maturing wonderfully - Brimming with colour and taste, both in the garden and on the plate.
To successfully design a kitchen garden, you will find that different plants do well in varying conditions. Creating different environments has broadened the choice of fruit and veg Nick can grow. It’s the old mantra of right plant, right place. A polytunnel allows for tender plants that like a bit of shelter and heat.
Tomatoes, basil and salad all grace the garden, picked fresh from the polytunnel, straight for the plate. Other plants do well outside in a sunny spot, such as Broad Beans, Nasturtium and Thyme. Some prefer moist shadier conditions, as chives and mint tend to do. So, getting to know the particular preferences for what you want to grow, will go a long way to keeping them happy.
Nick mixes ornamental plants with the produce and is reaping the benefits. Companion planting with ornamental plants not only looks good as a setting for the diners, but it helps encourage bees and other pollinators that do the job of pollinating the fruit and veg. It even helps to keep down pests and disease from the crops. It’s no wonder that this gorgeous setting has been named one of the top UK places for Alfresco Dining in the Sunday Times 25th July 2022.