Personal Growth is an occasional column that asks how people become gardeners, what they love most about their gardens - everything but the gardening.

What kind of garden do you have?

I basically have a yard – it’s very much a city garden [in Peckham, south London]. But within it I’ve put in some raised vegetable beds, and I also have a flat roof with grow bags. It’s not as green or as large as I’d like, but it’s good that I’ve got the two different spaces.

What do you grow?

I grow all sorts – courgettes, beetroot, carrots, a few potatoes left over from last year, kale, spring onions, radishes and chard. My long- suffering partner has to tend to the garden when I’m away on tour, particularly this year, where I was only around for the early stages. It’s quite sad missing out on all the harvesting, but we’ve still got some beets and carrots to go. She takes the credit for this year’s produce.

Who’s more of a gardener, you or your girlfriend?

I think I’m slightly keener on it, but I’m not sure she would agree. I met her in Vancouver and she lived in a house with a garden, and one of the first things I did when I visited her was to sort it out for her – it needed a bit of love. Of course, I got teased for it as all my friends said she was getting cheap labour, but I did it out of love.