Now the frosts have gone, there’s no better time to plant small salad crops.
These can be in containers, hanging baskets or even among your flowers.
The great thing about planting small or plug plants is that any tricky seed
sowing has been done for you. All you are using are mini versions of the
final product. There’s nothing easier than small plants of lettuce Cancan (a
variety you can cut a few leaves from and come back for more later) or the
deep red, oak-leafed lettuce Rushmoor – both will thrive anywhere sunny.
Make sure there’s plenty of compost or organic matter in the soil. Keep the
plants watered in dry spells and guard against slugs and snails. In a month
you will be picking fresh leaves. The only problem? They’re so tasty, they
may never make it to the kitchen. It is deeply satisfying to nibble on a
handful as you wander the garden.
But not all tasty greenery is in the form of lettuce – nasturtium foliage has
a strong peppery taste and looks fantastic in hanging baskets and sprawling
over walls. The flowers are a terrific garnish in salads. Now is the perfect
time to plant them and you can also pop a few seeds into existing pots for
later in the season.
If you haven’t got a plot dedicated to veg – and your name is way down the
allotment waiting list – try growing a few edible crops in among your
herbaceous perennials and shrubs.
If the border is hot and sunny then plant herbs. Rosemary is a tough plant and
adores dry, sun-baked situations. Wild rocket becomes stronger tasting as
the temperature rises. Young plants are a great way to try out a wide range
of herbs.
You can, of course, mix and match herbs, young vegetables and your existing
plants to create a true cottage garden – one that supplies both blooms and
food for the house. There few rules to growing your own vegetables.
Once you’ve tasted your home-grown crops there will be no turning back.
Vegetables will soon appear in all your containers and hanging baskets,
squeezed into gaps in your borders and whole portions of the garden will be
turned over to their cultivation. Grow what you like to eat and trial as
many new varieties as you can.
*Next week: the ultimate city garden
More gardening ideas from this series:
Garden
structures: how to create arches and pergolas
Make
your garden patio an ideal retreat
Unearth
Your Summer Garden homepage
Waitrose Garden:
For even more ideas and tips, as well as advice on how to get the most from
your crops, visit waitrosegarden.com
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