Fab flowers,fl foliage… and food!
The other tuber I always start earlier is Jerusalem artichoke. These sunflower relatives produce tubers that have a nu y, sweet flavour and are loved in my household for their ability to make a delicious soup, plus they roast well too. I grow a variety called ‘Fuseau’, which is less knobbly than the unnamed varieties, allowing you to peel the tubers with ease. Tubers can be started off in 5-10-litre pots of po ing compost as long as they’re kept in an unheated tunnel or greenhouse. Water once, then not again until the soil’s dry or the first shoots are visible. Overwatering at this time of the year can cause them to rot and die. The growing plants can be kept in their pots until the last frost has passed, then planted out in beds or in front of your compost bin or any other unsightly area you want to hide.