Sow, grow, glow

We’ve teamed up with the experts at BBC Gardeners’ World to guide you through the best produce to sow and grow, giving you the freshest fruit and veg for summer and beyond

- EMMA CRAWFORTH and OLIVER PARSONS

guides EMMA CRAWFORTH and OLIVER PARSONS

recipes SAMUEL GOLDSMITH

THE BENEFITS OF GROWING YOUR OWN

In this new series, we’ll show you the many perks to growing your own. You’ll have the satisfaction of nurturing something from seed to plant, as well as turning homegrown produce into something delicious, which is often cheaper. You’ll have more nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables, while reducing waste. Plus, there’s the sense of wellbeing you get from losing yourself in an activity.

What to grow how PEAS & BEANS

Peas and broad beans are legumes, which provide protein, making them particularly good for vegetarians. They’re exceptionally hardy, so if you sowed some last autumn, you could be gearing up for picking now. Just one seed can result in a large plant, producing masses of pods. And, as they grow upwards, they don’t take up much ground space for the harvest you get. Both podding peas and broad beans can be dried for easy storage in jars. To dry peas, leave them on the plant as long as possible, then cut off the pods and spread them out somewhere dry to split open. Or, shell the pods and freeze the contents after boiling for 1-2 mins so you’ll have plenty of peas to eat all year round.

When to sow

This month is your last chance to sow broad beans until autumn, when you can start overwintering varieties. Peas have a long sowing season, from midwinter to midsummer, plus some varieties in autumn. Short cultivars of shelling peas are ideal for sowing direct in the soil now.