Get ready to get growing

Make time now to start growing your own, says Ruth Hayes

- Ruth Hayes

IF the past year has taught us one thing, it’s that we love to grow our own. As the first lockdown tightened its grip last spring, fruit and veg seeds became as rare as hen’s teeth, such was the demand.

To keep themselves occupied, new gardeners started flexing their green fingers and thousands of more people were bitten by the grow your own bug. After all, what tastes better than peas straight from the pod, or freshly picked raspberries on your morning cereal or suppertime ice cream?

Cropping is a year-round thing of course, and this winter we had homegrown sprouts and leeks with our Christmas dinner, while our kale crop has provided us with a seemingly endless supply of curly leaves, perfect for frying with butter and garlic to accompany bangers and mash, or chopping and pickling in spicy, fermented kimchi.