Get started
March is a great time to sow slow-growing tender crops such as aubergines, peppers and tomatoes, and get some pea seeds into the ground or in pots.
■ Peas: these are so easy to grow and lovely to do with children as they germinate incredibly quickly. They’re decorative in the garden too. You can sow them indoors – I like to use small biodegradable pots on a tray, cover them in clingfilm and place on a sunny windowsill – you’ll have tiny shoots coming up in just a few days. You can also sow them directly outside next to pea canes or a twig wigwam. For me, outdoor sowing resulted in hardier vines, as I mollycoddled the indoor seedlings and they suffered for it once outside.
■ Aubergines and peppers: these need a really, really long growing season, so start sowing now for harvesting in autumn. I cook with both on a weekly basis, so they’re always on my list to grow. The peppers will come up fairly quickly and have pleasingly pointy leaves to match their future shape, while the aubergines’ are more rounded. Both plants love warmth, so keep them indoors until it’s time to harden them off in a cold frame.
■ Tomatoes: Sow your seeds now or in April. Pop each seed into its own small pot to save you pricking them out later, cover with clingfilm and leave to germinate somewhere warm – put them on a heat mat or into a heated propagator if you have one. Last year mine came up within a week if memory serves. It’s lovely to try unusual varieties – I tend to go for cherry tomatoes for their sweetness and flavour, and grew yellow ‘Galina’ and heart-shaped ‘Gardeners’ Sweetheart’ last year, both of which were heavy croppers with excellent flavour (and I remembered to feed the plants!).