FIVE EASY CROPS FOR POTS

PERPETUAL SPINACH

The perfect cut-andcome-again crop, this will be prolific throughout summer and autumn and into the following year. Pick smaller leaves for salads and just remember to keep on harvesting – and it will keep on giving. Try ‘Popeye’ or ‘Medania’.

DWARF FRENCH BEANS ZESTY ROCKET

Packed with flavour, this salad leaf looks pretty growing in a handy pot by the back door, too. The tastiest salad leaf around is also the easiest one to grow. Pick regularly to keep the leaves coming fast. Try ‘Skyrocket’, ‘Apollo’ or ‘Runway’.

Available in purple, yellow and green varieties, these love a container, only grow to 40-60cm in height and are self-supporting. Even better, they’re stringless, which means less prep in the kitchen. Try ‘Amethyst’, ‘Boston’ or ‘Green Arrow’.

SPRING ONIONS TUMBLING TOMATOES

Choose a compact bush variety with clusters of cherry tomatoes that will cascade over the sides of a container with no need for training or trimming off side shoots. Great if space is limited. Try ‘Tumbling Tom Red’, ‘Balconi Red’ or ‘Tumbler’ varieties.

Sow seeds in a large pot, keep the soil moist and as soon as they are pencil sized, harvest for salads – usually in around eight weeks. Leave others to round out and keep sowing for a regular crop. Choose ‘White Lisbon’ or red-stemmed ‘Apache’.