Grow your own veggies in containers

One of the reasons is that many ‘new’ veggiesare being bred for growing in pots or larger containers – there are compact, even dwarf varieties of tomatoes, brinjals, squash, sweet peppers and chillies available. Leafy greens, bush beans, beetroot and even baby carrots are just as easy to grow in containers.

• There is a huge range of baby tomatoes that can be grown in pots. For something different, try the sturdy, compact bush tomato ‘Megabite’ which produces large beefsteak tomatoes. The fruit develops close to the stem and the plant doesn’t need to be staked or tied up.

• ‘Patio Baby’ is a dwarf brinjal (60cm tall) that produces 20 to 25 fruit per plant. The 5–7cm-long fruit has none of the bitterness of bigger fruit. ‘Hansel’ and ‘Gretel’ both grow 90cm tall and produce clusters of black and white elongated fruit (respectively) on bushy plants that generally don’t need supporting. Plants need at least six hours of sun.