Crafty Gardening

A garden is a great resource for cooks and crafters alike and, says Adrienne Wild, with a little work, you can become self-sufficient and make money at home

Homegrown veg can be a real money-spinner, especially if they’re organic. Consider getting an allotment, as your plot could provide enough food to feed 20 people when in full production. This means you’ll have plenty to spare – and you can even donate to those in need if you wish.

For maximum profit, concentrate on easy, hardy types, such as beetroot, carrot, cauliflower, leek, onions, turnips and peas to make up weekly veg boxes for local customers and you won’t go far wrong.

Invest in a greenhouse and you could grow some gourmet varieties, too, which will earn you an even higher price. Tomatoes are definitely worth the effort and the Heirloom varieties come in unusual colours, such as yellow, orange and purple, or have green and red stripes. There are purple and ruby-red potato types and multicoloured cauliflowers, too, plus a massive range of chillies to trade, as well as edible blooms, such as pansies, nasturtiums, courgettes and roses that will help grow your savings if sold to restaurants and delis in your area.

With a bit of effort, you could also bake your way to the bank and even turn gluts into tomato sauce and salsas, as well as chutneys, pickles and piccalilli, and sell them at farmers’ markets. When growing your own recipes for Italian classics like pasta sauces, choose the almost seedless Sicilian Paste tomato varieties such as ‘Roma’. When it comes to pickles and chutneys, you’ll find that ‘Barletta Silverskin’ onion, which is mild flavoured and crisp, and ‘Giant Zittau’, a traditional brown skin pickling onion that’s full of flavour, will jump off the shelf.