PLANT A SALAD BOWL TO BRIDGE THE HUNGRY GAP

A container full of cut-and-comeagain salad greens makes harvesting a breeze. Just pick a leaf or two off each plant – straight into the salad spinner and workday lunches are sorted. Good choices are spinach, loose leaf lettuces, coriander, mesclun, rocket, Asian greens, mizuna, mustard, radishes and beets.Microgreens can be popped in too.

Greens grown rapidly don’t get a chance to be bitter so it’s worth cosseting the container in a warm place where you can give it daily attention. Keep it evenly watered and liquid feed weekly with seaweed fertiliser or worm tea.

Cover with a cloche for protection from birds, cats and the weather. Salad greens grown this way can be much closer together than those in the garden.