Be your own back-garden farmer

Want to eat organic food without paying the high prices? Grow your own in your garden

The following plants are easy to grow outside:

Strawberry
Grow them in full sun and place straw under the trusses to stifle weeds. Net to keep out birds.
Height: up to 30cm
In season: summer

Potato
Nothing beats freshly dug potatoes for flavour; plant in raised mounds and use black polythene to stop weeds.
Height: up to 60cm
In season: autumn

Bay
It not only adds flavour to cooking, it’s also an evergreen that lends itself to topiary. Prefers a sunny spot.
Height: up to 12m
In season: all year

French marigold
Plant them between tomatoes as an organic way of deterring whitefly.
Height: up to 30cm
In season: late spring to early autumn

Chilli pepper
Plant peppers in pots on the patio, ready to add to barbecues and stir-fries.
Height: up to 1m
In season: summer or all year if in a greenhouse

Tomato
Keep indoors until it flowers. When planted out, stake if necessary, nip out side shoots and water daily.
Height: up to 1.5m
In season: summer

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