This week is ‘National Gardening Week’, which aims to support the nation to get gardening and grow a new generation of gardeners. The current lockdown is the perfect excuse to get your gardening gloves on, and start growing your own grub. The RHS have some great tips and advice for anyone who is interested in getting started.
There are few tasks in the garden that are more rewarding than pulling up, or picking your own fresh produce, knowing that you have nurtured it to grow. So, with that in mind, we have put together a list of the easiest produce to grow, for any novice gardeners who are keen to get started on their own home grown food.
Courgettes
Courgettes are easy to grow (and delicious to eat!). Plant out in late May into well-prepared soil. You can even buy young plants to save you some time. All you will need is one or two plants – which will produce enough of the vegetable for a family. The plants will also stay productive for weeks, as long as they are picked.
Strawberries
Strawberry plants can be planted outdoors from late June until September. They prefer to be planted in full sun, out of the wind, and can be grown in a wide range of soils, from light sand to heavy clay. It may be necessary to net your plants to protect them from birds. You can expect strawberry plants to crop successfully for four years before replacing them.
Beetroot
Beetroot seeds should be
sown directly into the soil from mid-Spring. They grow best in moist, fertile soil in a spot with plenty of sun, but can also thrive in pots and raised beds. Depending on the variety, beetroot is ready to be picked when the roots are between the size of a golf ball and a tennis ball – which is usually around 90 days after sowing.
Salad Leaves
It’s so easy to grow your own salad leaves, even the more exotic varieties that you often see in supermarkets. The most common crop is lettuce, but there are a whole array of other varieties including rocket, mustard, sorrel, spinach and more. They should be grown in full sun, making sure the soil is well-drained and sown outside from mid-spring to late summer.
Peas
Sow peas from March to June, in an open, sunny position with good drainage, and look forward to the incredible sweet flavour of fresh picked peas from June to August. All they need is some support for their stems and you’ll be amazed at how good they taste. Once they are picked, you should eat them as soon as possible to ensure they do not lose their sweetness.
Onions & Garlic
Onions and garlic are virtually maintenance-free crops and are such easy vegetables to grow. Simply plant onion bulbs and individual garlic cloves on well-drained soil in spring or autumn - then leave them to it!
Rhubarb
Rhubarb crowns are best planted in autumn or spring, and a healthy rhubarb plant will remain productive for at least 10 years, so it makes an excellent investment. It’s not recommended to harvest any stems in the first year no matter how proud and excited you are about your new addition – but boy, oh boy, will it be worth it when you’re tucking into a homemade rhubarb crumble when the time is right!
Tomatoes
Growing tomatoes is a fun and rewarding task, resulting in masses of fresh, nutritious tomatoes that taste better than anything you can buy in the shops. It is also a great crop for children to get involved in growing, owing to its ease. They are long-growing, sun loving plants and should be grown indoors throughout March and April, and then planted outside in growbags in May. A very rewarding feat when you’re munching on a juicy tomato once ready.
Don't forget to let us know how you get on with your own gardens - both indoor, and outdoor!
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