Seeing as many of us are bound to the perimeter of our home for most of the day and probably have some time on our hands and/or children to entertain, I figured this could prove a handy activity for a sunny spring afternoon. Also, what’s not to love about growing things that you eventually get to eat?! The beginning of April is my own annual reminder to start planting out in the garden, I thought it would be good timing in case any of you also fancied channelling your inner Charlie Dimmock. And let’s face it, no-one’s popping round for a cuppa these days so your own bra is entirely optional.
Potatoes
Plant maincrop in Early April – Harvest from June onwards
I find these by far the easiest vegetables to grow. Either plant some sprouting ones you found at the bottom of your cupboard or if you’re more serious about it, order the variety you like from your local garden center online. They work well planted in a bag, barrel or plot. The main plant is quite big and leafy and you’ll need to keep gathering the soil up higher over the base as they grow (also called hilling). But other than that, just keep them watered and in a few months, you’ll have a glut of potatoes.
Snow Peas
Plant seedlings out in April – Harvest July to September
Another easy peasy plant to maintain. Plant your little seedling at the base of something they can climb up like a trellis or some chicken wire. Keep them well watered and watch the tendrils climb and entwine their way up and outwards. Sometimes they can lose their way and you’ll need to tuck them into your structure of choice. These rarely make it into the kitchen though. My kids and I can’t resist eating them straight from the garden.
Spring Onions
Sow seeds from March to August (in 3 weekly intervals for a steady crop) – Harvest June to October
I actually planted a load of these and forgot about them entirely. I didn’t mark them, didn’t care for them and yet they grew really well! It was only after a while that I realised that they weren’t weeds but spring onions. We will plant more this year because they’re great for so many meals and summery salads. You just pull up onions as you need them and leave the rest in the ground.
Carrots
Plant or sow April to July – Harvest from June to October (some varieties can be harvested year round!)
Of all of the things I’ve listed, carrots were probably slightly more tricky. But I think this is because I planted from seed. Quite a few seeds didn’t take or were eaten before they were given a chance. Of those that did start to grow though, we had a handful of the most delicious carrots I’ve ever tasted in my life. We’re going to try again this year.
Salad Leaves
Sow Late April – Harvest right through summer
Get yourself a massive pot and scatter in it an array of salad leaf seeds. With a sunny spot and a bit of watering, by the time summer comes, you’ll have a pot of salad leaves you can pluck from any time you’re having a summertime feast. If you get a mix of green and purple salad leaves you’ll also have a really pretty pot plant.
Asparagus
Plant crowns in April – Harvest from June
Asparagus are perennial, so you’ll only need to plant them once and you’ll get years and years of crops. It shoots up as edible asparagus spears straight from the ground. The beauty is that when you click off a few spears, more keep growing. Although you’ll only get a few shoots the first couple of years, apparently asparagus crowns take two years to establish properly before you get a good glut. Asparagus requires a bit of patience but is definitely a cost-effective crop to grow at home. It can be so expensive to keep buying at the shops!
Spinach
Sow seeds from March to August (in 3 weekly intervals for a steady crop) – Harvest June to October
We planted our spinach from seed in our veggie patch last year. This year though I’m thinking of planting it in a large pot like my other salad leaves. We harvested from this constantly last summer so would be good to have this handy by our back door.
