Growing Ingredients

One surefire way to know how good your ingredients are is to grow some of your own. Even if you just have a little window box in front of your kitchen window with a few everyday herbs such as basil, parsley and corriander or pop a couple of tumbling tomato plants and some radish seeds or spring onions in a pot beside the door, you'd be surprised how fulfilling it can be. Almost as good as cooking (but not quite!).

If you fancy being more adventurous, you could transform your garden and create a larger growing area with the help of a landscape gardener, with a potting shed or greenhouse (or both), some cold frames for extending the growing season, and some raised beds so you don't have to bend down.

Getting the kids involved is easy but it's best growing things like the radishes and some lettuces (though beware, you'll need to go on regular slug patrol to ensure they don't fall foul of the slimy invaders) because they're fast growing. There's nothing more impatient than a kiddie or two! They're bad enough waiting at the oven door for the latest batch of slice and bake cookies or chocolate chip muffins, but with plants, sheesh!

Anyway, if you decide to plant some seeds, or if you're short on space and time, buy and plant out some pre-grown small plants from a DIY store or car boot (you can get some good bargains at a good old ca boot sale!), drop me an email or send some pictures. I'd love to know how you get on!