SIX MORE FOR YOUR KITCHEN GARDEN

Inspired to grow your own? Here are six more veggies that work well in small spaces

MINT

GREAT FOR Enhancing new potatoes, peas and lamb – and in mojitos, of course! It’s the perfect summer herb. HOW TO GROW Plant outdoors once all chance of frost has gone. Mint is hardy so can survive even through the colder months. Grow in pots otherwise you risk it running rampant and taking over your garden.

HARVEST TIME Just pinch off leaves whenever you need them.

CHARD

GREAT FOR Use leaves raw in a salad, or cook the stalks in a little stock, then add leaves to wilt.

HOW TO GROW All types of chard grow well in deep pots but the bright stalks of the rainbow or ruby varieties look stunning too. Sow seeds 1cm deep and 2.5cm apart, then thin to 8cm apart if needed.

HARVEST TIME Your chard should be ready to pick after 8-10 weeks.

BEETROOT

GREAT FOR Roasting, grating fresh and adding to salads, or pickling. The leaves are also delicious sautéed. HOW TO GROW Beetroot can be grown in large pots, but choose smaller, round varieties for this. Or plant among the flowers in your borders, potager style. Sow little and often for a regular supply. HARVEST TIME Your beets are ready when the roots are golf-ball size.

FRENCH BEANS

GREAT FOR Providing an excellent source of vitamins A, C and K. They’re packed with fibre too. HOW TO GROW Sow seeds directly into the container, about 15cm apart. Once the shoots poke through, add a wigwam of canes to support them as they grow.

HARVEST TIME Start picking when the pods are 10cm long.

CHILLIES

GREAT FOR Adding a kick of heat. If you get a bumper crop, preserve them by drying, freezing or pickling. HOW TO GROW Plant seeds near the top of a deep pot, cover with compost then keep warm. Once the shoots show, keep the pot indoors on a sunny windowsill or outside in a sheltered sunny spot.

HARVEST TIME Pick when green for milder heat or leave till red for more fire!

RADISHES

GREAT FOR Almost instant gratification – some radishes are ready to eat within four weeks. HOW TO GROW Sow seeds 1cm deep into your chosen container and thin out the seedlings if too many appear. Radishes also grow well among other plants in your borders. HARVEST TIME Pick radishes when the roots are about 2.5cm in diameter.