You can grow an amazing range of veg, salad crops, herbs and fruit in pots, window boxes and even hanging baskets on a sunny patio, balcony or windowsill. For best results, choose plants that are specially bred for growing in containers – check on the seed packet or plant label for information. Dwarf, compact and mini-vegetable varieties are ideal. You can space these plants more closely than larger-growing ones, and harvest them when young and tender. Popular compact crops include carrots, beetroot, dwarf squash, chillies, tomatoes, courgettes and strawberries.
As plants in pots only have a relatively small amount of compost to sustain their growth, you need to feed and water them more often than those in the ground. And if you go away for a weekend when the weather…
