5 EASY CROPS FOR POTS

Perpetual spinach

The perfect cut-and-comeagain crop, this will be prolific throughout summer and autumn and into the following year, giving you a steady supply. Pick smaller leaves for the salad bowl and just remember to keep on harvesting – and it will keep on giving. Try ‘Popeye’ or ‘Medania’.

Zesty rocket

The one salad leaf you won’t want to be without. Packed with flavour, it looks pretty growing in a handy pot by the back door, too. The tastiest salad leaf around is also the easiest one to grow. Just remember to pick regularly to keep the leaves coming fast. Try ‘Skyrocket’, ‘Apollo’ or ‘Runway’.

Dwarf French beans Available in purple and yellow varieties, as well as green, these love a container and only grow to around 40-60cm in height. They don’t need a bamboo wigwam, either, as they’re self-supporting. Even better, they’re stringless, which means less prep in the kitchen. Try ‘Boston’, ‘Amethyst’ or ‘Green Arrow’.

Tumbling tomatoes Choose a compact bush variety with clusters of cherry tomatoes that will cascade over the sides of a basket, container or window box, with no need for training or trimming off side shoots. A great option if space is limited. Try ‘Tumbling

Tom Red’, ‘Balconi Red’ or ‘Tumbler’ varieties.

Spring onions

Sow seeds in a large pot of compost, keep the soil moist and as soon as they are pencil sized you can start harvesting them for salads – usually in around eight weeks. Leave others to round out and remember to keep sowing for a regular supply. Choose ‘White Lisbon’ or red-stemmed ‘Apache’.