Grow For It!

In recent years gardens have been seen as outdoor ‘rooms’, extensions of the home that are used for dining, lounging, playing, entertaining. But while that still holds true and relaxation and pleasure are reason enough to step outside, the current economic climate has prompted a resurgence of wartime enthusiasm for growing food.

With very little effort it’s possible to grow a variety of delicious organic vegetables, edible flowers, herbs and fruits – and you don’t even need a garden to do it. A balcony, window box, terrace or patio area large enough to house pots, planters etc is all your need to reduce your weekly food bill and carbon footprint. The fun thing about container gardening is that you can give free rein to your imagination – and children can also be involved.

Garden centres have containers to suit all tastes and budgets, but also consider giving new use to old or un-used items. An enamel colander can make a very pretty hanging basket (with drainage holes built in) for edible flowers like nasturtiums and marigold, while old ceramic sinks, half-barrels, wheelbarrows and wicker baskets can all house leafy coloured lettuces and rocket, garlic, tumbling cherry tomatoes and more. Other plants that grow well in containers include beetroot, aubergines, dwarf beans, carrots, courgettes, summer squashes, chard, cucumber, garlic, lettuce, leeks, peas, rhubarb and soft fruits. An excellent book on growing-your-own is The Edible Container Garden by Michael Guerra (Gaia Books, £11.99).

Lettuce has short roots and will grow in almost anything with good drainage. However, it likes to be kept moist and it’s easier to keep plants moist in a larger container that holds more soil and therefore retains more water.

What you need:

• Recycled plastic shopping bag

• Potting Soil

• Fertilizer (if not mixed in with the soil)

• Lettuce seedlings, herbs, flowers or a combination

• gravel or small stones for drainage