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Herbs

herbs in pots

Credit: Christine Bird – Shutterstock

Fresh
herbs can make even the most boring of meals super tasty, but the
problem is that they can cost a fair bob and are difficult to keep fresh
long enough to get your money’s worth (although these food storage
tricks should help).

Having
a nice selection of herbs in a window box, outside in pots or in a
hanging basket will be a great addition to your cooking essentials.

How to grow herbs

You
can either grab some seeds from a garden centre or buy a potted herb
plant from the supermarket (you can often find slightly peaky-looking
ones in the reduced section – take them home and replant in your window
box and they’ll come back to life!).

Basil,
chives, parsley and sage will grow happily in a sunny window box or in a
plant pot by the window, and oregano, thyme, mint and rosemary will all
do well both indoors and outside in a garden.

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  Strawberries

  strawberry bush

  Credit: Mirage_studio – Shutterstock

  Who doesn’t love a juicy strawberry in their breakfast cereal, on porridge or sliced up in a homemade cocktail?

  How to grow strawberries

  You can plant strawberries in pots, grow bags or the garden, as long as they don’t get too waterlogged.

  The bonus here is that if you look after them they’ll keep producing fruit year after year.
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  Salad leaves

  salad leaves

  Credit: Shebeko – Shutterstock

  The
  great thing about salad leaves is that you can pretty much grow them
  all year round if you pick different varieties according to the seasons.

  How to grow salad leaves

  Grow
  them in the ground if you have space, or in a window box if you have a
  loose-leaf variety. To spice up your salads, you can also grow spring
  onions and radishes in plant pots too.

  Another
  amazing thing about salad is how quickly the leaves grow – plant seeds
  in the summer months and you will have leaves big enough to put on your
  sandwiches in three or four weeks!

  If you find the slugs are eating them before you, some crushed eggshells or salt around your plants will help ward them off.
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  Chillies and peppers

  chilli pepper plant

  Credit: SparklingOliveStudio – Shutterstock

  Hot or not, peppers and chillies are a great way of spicing up any dish – and they’re pretty easy to grow, too.

  How to grow peppers and chillies

  The plants will do just fine in a small pot by your window.

  You can grow a variety of different types by seeds – just stick to one per pot and water them little and often. Easy peasy.
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• celery growing in glass dishes

  Credit: Daria Minaeva – Shutterstock

  Celery
  is one of a few mind-boggling veggies that can reproduce themselves if
  you just eat what you want then stick their roots in some water when
  you’re done.
  How to grow celery
  All
  you have to do is put the root in a shallow bowl or cup of water by a
  window sill, making sure it’s not totally submerged (but spraying the
  top with water occasionally so it doesn’t dry out).
  A good idea is to stick some cocktail sticks in the sides and rest them on the bowl edges so the top doesn’t go underwater.
  Amazingly,
  after about a week, a new little celery head will pop up, and at this
  point you can transfer it into some soil in a pot or grow bag. You’ll
  have a whole new edible celery within a few weeks!
  To
  save more money on food, it’s worth bearing in mind that there are
  loads of other foods you can regrow from scraps, such as avocados,
  spring onions and ginger.
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  Tomatoes

  tomatoes on branch

  Credit: Reanprayoon – Shutterstock

  Tomatoes
  are a student staple, so why would you not want to grow them yourself –
  especially when you can use them in our super healthy cod and pesto
  recipe.

  How to grow tomatoes

  You
  can either buy tomato seeds and plant them, or opt for a young plant
  that already has a vine if you want to start producing sooner.

  Once they’re of a decent size, you can transfer them to your grow bag, or you can buy special varieties for hanging baskets too.

  You
  might have to use a wooden stake and tie the vine to it with garden
  wire so the plants stay upright, and investing in some tomato fertiliser
  will keep them happy and healthy.

  Once
  they’ve started to turn red, pick them (it’s fine if they’re still a
  bit green/unripened) and pop them on your window sill until they fully
  ripen. Don’t put tomatoes in the fridge until they’re ripe, otherwise
  they’ll lose a load of their taste!
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• cress growing in egg shells

  Credit: Yulia-Bogdanova – Shutterstock

  For the ultimate in easy-grow food, you really can’t get much quicker or easier than cress.
  How to grow cress
  Grab
  an old cress pot leftover from one bought previously at the
  supermarket, or any cheap and shallow plastic pot, and whack in some
  soil and seeds. Pop it in a sunny spot by the window and keep it
  watered. Bingo.
  Cress
  is so easy to get going that you could even plant some in an old
  yoghurt pot, or empty egg-shells if you’re feeling really creative.
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  Rhubarb

  rhubarb branches

  Credit: Ad Oculos – Shutterstock

  Rhubarb
  is great. You can boil it up to make pies, crumbles or just whack it
  with some custard and it tastes amazing (although never eat it raw or
  you will be left with a serious stomach ache!).

  How to grow rhubarb

  The
  easiest way to grow rhubarb is to get some young plants from the garden
  centre and plant them either in part of your garden or in a large pot.

  They
  do need top-notch potting soil, so this is where you might have to
  spend a bit of cash, but rhubarb tends to grow in abundance once it gets
  going so you should get your money’s worth!

  Once you’ve started building your edible empire, make sure you work out how best to store your food so it lasts longer too.
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