A GARDENING expert has revealed three vegetables you should plant now, so they’re ready to be enjoyed as part of your Christmas dinner.
Winter is fast approaching, and with the days getting shorter, and the weather getting colder, many of us will be looking ahead to the festive season.
And what better way to prepare for December 25th than by growing your own vegetables to eat as part of a festive feast?
Although it is unfortunately too late to plant many Christmas staples such as carrots and parsnips, Craig Wilson, gardening expert and founder of Gardener’s Dream revealed that there are still plenty of vegetables that will be ready in time for the big day.
Potatoes are an iconic Christmas staple and Craig said that a few varieties can still be planted now and be ready in time for Christmas.
He said: “Varieties such as Charlotte and Maris Piper potatoes can withstand the cooler months which makes them the perfect choice for a winter dinner for their buttery and nutty flavours.”
Craig recommended planting potato seeds at least 20cm deep and keeping soil temperatures cool for the best results.
Radishes are delicious when roasted alongside garlic and parsley in a Christmas dinner side dish.
And Craig revealed that they grow extremely quickly, so will be ready for harvest before Christmas.
He said: “Varieties such as Mooli or Black Spanish are winter-hardy and can be sown in October for an early harvest in December.
“When growing these for your dinner, the only responsibility is to ensure the soil stays moist to avoid a bitter crop.
“By Christmas, you’ll have a healthy amount of crisp and peppery radishes to add to your roast dishes.”
Rocket will make a fabulous addition to any side salad, and now is the perfect time to plant it.
It should be shown directly into the soil, and thrives best in partial sunlight and moist soil.
It takes just four to six weeks for it to be ready for harvest, so if you plant it now it will be ready for December.
The Sun’s Gardening Editor, Veronica Lorraine, has shared the jobs you need to tackle in October.
“It’s a good time to trim deciduous hedges – like box, yew, hawthorn, hornbean and beech – plus hedge trimmers are a great upper body workout!
Make leafmould – gather up all the fallen leaves and fill either bin bags or plastic carrier bags. Seal the top, stick a few small holes in the bag – and then store for a year or more. Free compost!
It’s unlikely you’ll get any more red tomatoes so have one final harvest and chuck the plants on the compost. See if you can get the green ones to ripen by putting in a drawer (some say with a banana). Also keep the seeds from a couple – and plant again next year if they went well.
Finish getting in your spring bulbs. Ideally you’d have done daffs and alliums, but tulips are better in the ground when the soil temperature gets a bit colder.
It’s good to leave some plant litter in the ground – it adds to the nutrients as it rots down, and provides shelter and food for insects. But remove the manky brown bits collapsing all over the lawn/winter structure.
Mulch – it not only suppresses weeds, but keeps the soil warm, improves water retention and adds a little winter duvet to your outside space.
October’s a good month for carrots, peas, asparagus, broad beans, and rhubarb.”
Some spinach varieties, such as Giant Winter of Perpetual can also be sown in October, and will be ready for your Christmas dinner.
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FABIAN HURZELER is equally as comfortable discussing Picasso and pressing — although he has a clear preference.
The Brighton boss was once sacked as an art dealer for being too obsessed with football, the sort of dedication which has turned him into a groundbreaking coach.
You may have heard he is quite young, a fact he is constantly reminded of.
But despite being 31, the decision to end his playing career and start coaching at 23 means he already possesses bags of experience.
Hurzeler has been coaching as long as Mikel Arteta, 11 years his senior.
Although the Arsenal manager never had to flog art on the side to keep things going as Hurzeler did when in charge of fifth-tier FC Pipinsried in his first role as a coach.
He said: “Life in Munich is expensive, like in London. When I sold one picture or one painting in a month, it was like I was done so I could focus more during this time and watch a lot of football games during this time during my work.
“That was also the reason why I got fired. The owner, she was very polite but one day she recognised that I’m watching more football during work instead of really working because we weren’t selling any paintings any more. Then I got fired.”
Hurzeler got the job in the first place through friend Roman Plesche, a sports-science student who worked in the gallery.
Plesche, who would later be Hurzeler’s sporting director in his first post as a head coach, recalled: “I told the boss that my best friend speaks good English and can also sell.
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“He had a very good feel for art, he knew how to inspire customers.
“We sold an Andy Warhol together. But I think football is better for him than art.”
Hurzeler has already enjoyed more than the 15 minutes of fame that Warhol talked about.
The German talks a lot about the work ethic his parents instilled in him.
But those values also gave him the confidence to end a playing career which had seen him as a young talent in the Bayern Munich academy.
His family were still taken aback at the decision, explaining: “Of course they were surprised. I always say, it’s my life and it’s a choice I make. I take responsibility for that.
“No one else will take responsibility for my life. It’s something I always try to follow. I have to feel happy with the situation.
“A lot of people don’t understand it and because they said I could easily play, maybe in second or third division.
“But they will never understand the feeling inside of me, what I really want to achieve in life, my vision in life.”
Family values and vision is something Hurzeler comes back to a lot over an hour chatting at Brighton’s Sussex base.
One of four siblings, born to two dentists in Texas before moving to Germany at the age of two, all of them have a fierce competitive streak.
The Seagulls boss already has one yellow and one red card for his touchline antics this season and knows that competitive edge can get the better of him, in a football game or even playing Uno or Catan at Christmas.
He said: “Honestly, when you talk to some guys who I played against, they would say, ‘What an a*******’.
“When we were on the pitch, it was like winning, winning, winning. And that’s the same, honestly, with my family.
“When I’m with my family, let’s say at Christmas and we played games and I lost the game, the night was over for me.
“We are all made of the same blood, so my sisters and brothers and also my father, when they lose, they were the same. That’s how I grew up, it was a competition all the time.”
The desire to compete now extends to the padel court with Hurzeler — like almost everyone in football — having become a huge fan of the sport.
He is now campaigning for a court to be built at the Brighton training ground. Those luxuries are a far cry from his start as a coach, with FC Pipinsried eight years ago.
There was a fast start, promotion to the fourth tier in his first season but then the tests arrived.
Losing the first seven games of the new term taught Hurzeler he must be able to adapt.
He has always wanted to control a game through possession and with a high line but never just for the sake of it.
Hurzeler added: “I had a good start in my career. We went from the fifth league to the fourth in the first year.
“But we started by losing the first seven games. I was sitting in a coffee shop and the media called and said, ‘Do you think if you lose the next game, then you’ll still be the coach or not?’ Then I was like, ‘OK, that’s the business’.”
There has been adapting to do in the Premier League too.
Not even a year ago, Hurzeler was touring English clubs, watching Brighton as well as visiting Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham to try to learn from their experiences.
But that only went so far in preparing him for the Prem, admitting: “I didn’t expect it to be this intense and this demanding.
“Every team in this league, also the teams who were promoted like Ipswich, they have individual quality in their team to win games.
“Then during the game, it’s so fascinating for me… that’s what I learned, you have to work hard for the momentum.
“When you have momentum, you have to use it, otherwise the other team will take it.”
The final match before the international break was a perfect demonstration of this.
Hurzeler said little at half-time, deciding not to go in all guns blazing and it paid off — coming from 2-0 down to beat Tottenham 3-2.
He said: “Football is crazy sometimes.”
For all the questions over his age, that calm approach after a rotten first half showcased the benefit. Few other managers will have such a keen understanding of their squad’s mindset.
Asked what the biggest advantage of being a young manager is, he said: “Speaking the language of the players.
“I’m their age, so we have the same needs. We are in the same situations. Maybe we lose a girlfriend. Maybe you experience the same things, you have a similar sense of humour.”
JUNIOR Andre headed out with his First Dates girlfriend looking the spitting image of his pop star dad Peter Andre.
The 19-year-old was seen enjoying a fright night in London with his reality TV partner Jasmine Orr, 24.
The loved-up pair, who went Instagram official in May, looked happy and in the Halloween spirit as they enjoyed their spooky night at the tourist attraction.
The pair looked good together in their matching denim, white trainers and black combo.
Aspiring music artist Junior topped off his look with a black furry hat, while the brunette looked stunning in a sleek half-up hairdo with natural make-up.
The couple, who have launched a joint TikTok account, posed with props and sat together for pictures in the fake electric chair.
Jasmine previously kissed former Love Island star Adam Collard on E4‘s Celebs Go Dating in 2023 during his rocky romance with co-star Lottie Moss.
The salon assistant manager and content creator counts Love Island’s Tom Clare, Curtis Pritchard, Jack Fincham and Coco Lodge and friends.
Junior’s mum, Katie Price, 46, previously gave the pair a thumbs up and called them ‘so cute’.
A source told The Sun: “Junior’s already introduced Jasmine to his dad and step-mum Emily.
“It was important that they approve of her, but he’s already smitten.
“The relationship has been kept on the down-low so far, but telling his fans he was committed was a big step.”
Model mum Katie spoke about age-gap relationships on her podcast with her sister Sophie.
She said: “Isn’t it funny when your kids get older and they get in relationships and you meet their girlfriends and boyfriends as they’re adults, she’s an adult.”
Katie, who is in a relationship with MAFS star JJ Slater, who is 13 years younger than her, continued: “They’re not like young kids at school.
“‘What’s weird is she’s 23 [24] and he’s 18, see? You can always get an age gap in relationships. As you get older an age gap doesn’t matter.”
Dad Peter, 51, is married to doctor Emily MacDonagh, 35, and share a significant age gap.
Emily gave birth to their first daughter Amelia in January 2014, and in 2015, almost three years to the day of their first public date, the couple tied the knot in a lavish wedding at Mamhead House in Exeter.
Their second baby, Theo, followed just over a year later, in November 2016 and they welcomed baby Arabella in April 2024.
PREMIER LEAGUE great Marco Gabbiadini revealed he had to stop exercising and watching football due to his heart condition.
Gabbiadini, 56, announced in May that he needs to undergo triple bypass surgery after discovering that his heart was “working at about 20 per cent” following a “slight issue” in his chest.
The Sunderland legend noticed the issue after feeling “heartburn” while exercising in the gym and found out his coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart, had an 80 per cent blockage.
The Derby great is still waiting for the operation and the doctors ordered him to avoid any type of exercise – from high-tempo sports like tennis to mundane chores like gardening.
The former striker also needs to avoid any situation that could cause him stress, which means no more live football on the telly.
Gabbiadini told The Mail: “I have had to stop exercising, so I am probably in the worst shape I have ever been in my life.
“Before May, I was still playing tennis a couple of times a week, cycling, gardening, helping the kids with their house renovations.
“But the surgeon said, ‘Stop tennis, no gardening and don’t watch any football on the telly’.
“So I have been watching Sunderland games this season in full on YouTube after they have finished, so I know the score and there is no stress involved.
“Having to have that mentality when you are only in your mid-50s has been a bit of a shock. But at the same time, you have got to count your lucky stars.
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“Reporting it early meant I was put on tablets. I am on blood thinners, statins – eight different tablets to give me the best chance of getting to the surgery.
“To anyone reading this story, if you do have any issues, report is as soon as you can.”
After hanging up his boots at the age of 35, Gabbiadini turned to hospitality and now runs a B&B in York.
The ex-England Under-21 international’s Bishops guest house, which he opened in 2003, is now recognised as one of the best B&Bs in the Yorkshire city.
NOTHING stays the same forever.
And that includes the Premier League, which is making a number of tweaks this season.
Team news will now be released 75 MINUTES before kick-off, 15 minutes earlier than had been the case before.
Things could get crowded on the touchline, with the number of substitutes permitted to warm-up boosted from three players per team to FIVE.
There’s also a change to how added time is calculated when a team scores a goal, an update to the ‘multiball’ system and the introduction of semi-automated offsides – but not straight away.
Go here to read about all the changes to the Premier League for 2024/25.
ROBBIE Williams has paid tribute to Liam Payne following his death aged 31.
The former Take That singer said he is overcome with “shock, sadness and confusion”.
Robbie has opened up about his own demons in the wake of Liam’s death on Wednesday and told his followers to “be kind”.
He wrote: “How to make sense of the Liam Payne tragedy?
“Obviously, my first feelings towards his passing were like everyone else.
“Shock, sadness and confusion. And to be honest as I write these words that’s where I still am.
“I met the boys on The X Factor and ‘mentored’ them.
“I use the word mentored in inverted brackets cos I hardly did anything to be honest.
“I just hung out with them. They were all cheeky and lovely. I enjoyed the light hearted p*** takery and thought about all the times I was that cheeky p***taker with the Popstars that had gone before me when I was in Take That.
“Our paths have crossed ever since that day and I’m fond of them all.
“Liam’s trials and tribulations were very similar to mine, so it made sense to reach out and offer what I could. So I did.
“I guess in these moments it’s worth repeating –
“WE DON’T KNOW WHATS GOING ON IN PEOPLE’S LIVES.
WHAT PAIN THEY’RE GOING THROUGH AND WHAT MAKES THEM BEHAVE IN THE WAY THAT THEY BEHAVE.
“BEFORE WE REACH TO JUDGEMENT, A BIT OF SLACK NEEDS TO BE GIVEN.
“BEFORE YOU TYPE ANYTHING ON THE INTERNET, HAVE A THINK ‘DO I REALLY NEED TO PUBLISH THIS?’, BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT YOU’RE DOING.
“YOU’RE PUBLISHING YOUR THOUGHTS FOR ANYBODY TO READ. EVEN IF YOU DON’T REALLY THINK THAT CELEBRITIES OR THEIR FAMILIES EXIST. THEY FUCKING DO. SKIN AND BONE AND IMMENSELY SENSITIVE.
“I still had my demons at 31. I relapsed. I was in pain. I was in pain because I relapsed.
“I relapsed because of a multitude of painful reasons. I remember Heath Ledger passing and thinking ‘I’m next’.
“By the grace of god and/or dumb luck I’m still here.
“The internet will unfortunately carry on being the internet. The media will unfortunately carry on being the media and fame will carry on being fame.
“As individuals though we have the power to change ourselves. We can be kinder.
“We can be more empathetic. We can at least try to be more compassionate towards ourselves, our family, our friends, strangers in life and strangers on the internet.
“Even famous strangers need your compassion.
“What a Handsome Talented boy. What a tragic painful loss for his friends, family, fans and by the looks of the energy this moment has created – The World.”