Green shoots Get them growing

AS we approach the summer holidays, weather permitting, encourage the kids into the garden and off the computer screens. Almost one in three amateur gardeners has gained inspiration for gardening from their parents, according to YouGov research from Readly magazine app – so there’s no better time to start.

Welsh specialist kitchen gardener and best-selling author Huw Richards selects the following choices which can still be sown and are also suitable for containers:

PEAS

“Peas are my favourite. When you eat fresh peas straight from the pod they are so sweet and like little snacks. Children can eat the pea shoots as well, two or three weeks after sowing, which means they don’t have to wait too long, so it feels like a fast turnaround.

“I’d recommend a mangetout or sugar snap if they want to eat the whole pod. Oregon Sugar Pod is a great variety, while the Ambassador pea is widely available. The seeds are dried peas – easy for little hands to manage.”

Growing tip: Start them off in pots or plant directly into the soil, 2cm deep, in a sunny situation. You can sow peas until mid-June.

RUNNER BEANS

“These have a bigger seed size than peas, so are very easy to handle. They can grow to about 2m and children can enjoy the beautiful red flowers and bumble bees that visit them. The beans you sow are pretty, pink with black dots. Varieties include Scarlet Emperor.”

Growing tip: Grow them on a south-facing boundary or wall and stake them with canes, or make a wigwam to grow them up.

PUMPKINS

Children who love Halloween may enjoy growing their own pumpkins, Richards says. “These are fun and surprisingly simple to grow but need a bit more space.”

As well as carving faces in the pumpkin come autumn, you can tip the seeds out, coat them with cinnamon and roast them, to give the children a healthy snack.

Growing tip: Sow seeds until the end of May. They prefer a sunny site and need a lot of compost to get started. Seedlings should pop up within a week. Good varieties include Jack O’Lantern.

NASTURTIUMS

“Children could plant a hanging basket or container with nasturtium seeds, which will produce bright flowers which they can later put into salads, for a peppery flavour.

“The big seeds look like little brains and can be popped into the ground 2cm deep, or in a hanging basket.

“They grow really fast and trail or spread, creating a profusion of flowers usually in orange, reds and yellows. There will always be a bee on the plant when it’s in flower.”

Growing tip: Sow up to mid-June. A few seeds will create an array of colour. Don’t let the seedlings dry out in the first few weeks.