HANGING GARDENS
Three more edible hanging baskets to try…
The global chef basket
Using a large hanging basket, plant a potted chilli in the centre
– a compact variety such as Prairie Fire or Thai Mound is ideal – and plant alternate sowings of spring onion and coriander seeds around the edge of the basket. The seedlings will need thinning out as they grow. When the chilli plant flowers, start regular feeding with liquid tomato fertiliser. Harvesting the chillies will encourage more to grow. Pick coriander regularly by pinching out the tips of each upright stem when they reach about 6in to avoid them bolting to seed. Start snipping the leaves of spring onions when they get tall and green. Pinch off spring onion flower heads to encourage growth, or allow some to flower and use them in salads.
The garden cocktails basket
Herbs love the well-drained soil of a hanging basket and will thrive in a sunny spot with regular watering.
Depending on your mood, this basket will provide herbs for cocktails or teas, as well as for cooking. Mint is a thug in the flower bed but stays nicely contained in a basket, and is delicious in a julep, Pimm’s or a mojito. There are many types you can grow, from classic garden mint or peppermint to pineapple, chocolate or Moroccan mints (the latter is great for making tea). A sprinkle of fresh oregano leaves takes a Bloody Mary to the next level, while the aromatic sweet flavour of basil muddles beautifully in gin or vodka. Add lemon verbena to the basket for a refreshing gimlet with gin, sparkling water and fresh lime, and it makes a lovely herbal tea, too.
The summer salad basket
Cut-and-come-again salad leaves are one of the most useful of summer crops and so easy to grow from seed. If you have space, a small chive plant will grow happily, too, and both stems and flowers can be snipped for salads. Radishes are quick to grow from seed, so stagger sowings in your basket throughout the season to avoid a radish glut. Add trailing nasturtiums as a bright long-flowering companion plant to help prevent pests and for the colour and flavour they bring to summer dishes. Annual nasturtiums can be grown from seed outdoors in a hanging basket (or start in pots and transplant) until May.
“JAZZ UP COCKTAILS OR FRESH TEAS WITH A HANGING HERB GARDEN”