Gardens Grow a salad bar on your windowsill
You don’t require a sizeable outdoor space to be able to nurture fresh ingredients
When designing a kitchen that will last, durability should be a key consideration.
Harrison says when it comes to built-in features, a pantry is now top of the must-have list, beating a kitchen island, which came in second place.
‘It’s not hard to understand why, as these storage workhorses are a practical way to store lots of items, while also making it easy to take stock of supplies,’ suggests Harrison.
Malhotra points out: ‘Getting organised has gained huge popularity on social media, which
Want to grow summer salads, but don’t have a garden? Don’t despair! Tomatoes, peppers, leaves and herbs could still be added to your homegrown menu this summer, and they can perk up your windowsill, too.
Garden centre chain Dobbies has introduced a ‘Pick-N-Joy’ range of mature plants for those who want to be able to pick tomatoes off the vine and peppers off a plant (available in-store only) – perfect for windowsills.
So, what are the best salad ingredients to grow on your windowsill?
Cut-and-come-again leaves
Salad crops, including rocket, loose-leaf lettuce and baby spinach can be sown thinly on a sunny, indoor windowsill in moist, well-drained compost, suggests garden writer Felicity Hart, author of My Tiny Window Garden (Summersdale, £8.99).
For the best results, sow a small amount of seeds every two weeks. If you can’t put the pots outside in summer, try to move them into a partially shaded spot when it’s hot, she advises.
Tomatoes
According to new research from Dobbies and Censuswide, tomatoes are set to be the most popular crop this year.
For those with plenty of time, you could sow a micro ‘house’ variety, which will grow in a 15cm pot on a sunny indoor windowsill. Varieties including Micro Tom, Heartbreaker Vita F1 and Vilma will all grow on sunny windowsills in small spaces.
Those with limited time for growing and nurturing may choose to buy a plant that has been started off, and is already producing fruits. Dobbies has a range of ‘Pick-N-Joy’ indoor plants, including tomatoes and peppers, which are already fruiting.
Sweet peppers and chillies
You can grow mini peppers and chillies on your windowsill, as long as you have plenty of light and sun. Look for types with small fruits, and those that are shorter and narrower.
Chillies may be more suitable, as the plants – and fruits – tend to be smaller.
Check when buying seeds or plug plants that the pepper has ‘dwarf ’ or ‘patio’ in the name, as some smaller plants are designed for indoor growing.
Grow them in a good quality compost and give them plenty of water, feeding with diluted tomato fertiliser, once the fruits are set.
Microgreens
These little shoots, which have high levels of antioxidants, are among the easiest to grow and are ready in just a week or two for snipping.
Water them regularly with a fine spray bottle to keep the compost damp and harvest when they are 3-5cm tall.