Give it a grow: Raspberries

WHY WOULD I?

Plant now, and you’ll be enjoying the fruits of your labour by summer – raspberry canes will produce fruit from their first year, and even more the next. They prefer sun, but do well in shade, too. You can also try them in large (60cm diameter) containers.

WHEN DO I PLANT THEM?

Any time from November to March for summer fruiting raspberries, if there’s no frost and the soil isn’t waterlogged. Plant each cane 60cm apart, about 8cm deep. In a container, plant a few cm from the side, equally spaced, and ensure they’re kept well watered. 

HOW DO I KEEP THEM ALIVE?

Make sure soil is never too dry or too waterlogged. In spring, add a layer of manure around the base of the canes and you can water them with tomato feed as they fruit. In late autumn cut every cane that has borne fruit that year to about 25cm from the ground. It’s upsetting now, but will make for a more fruitful bush next summer. 
 

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Give it a grow: Bare-root climbing roses

WHAT IS IT?

No surprises here – it’s a perennial plant with exposed roots. Available from autumn to mid-spring, often by mail order, plants are dug up while dormant, roots washed, then shipped. 

WHY WOULD YOU?

Once in the ground, bare-root are exactly the same as container-grown plants, only cheaper. As this is the traditional way to plant roses, you’ll also and more varieties. The key thing is to soak the roots as soon as you can, before planting (if the ground is frozen or waterlogged, plant them temporarily in pots). The planting hole should be deep and wide enough to ensure roots aren’t bent or broken and are covered by at least a centimetre of soil. 

WHY WOULDN’T YOU? 

Perhaps if you were shopping in spring or summer, when only container-grown are available. 

WHICH VARIETY?

With hundreds to choose from, picking the best is a tall order. Rosa ‘Gertrude Jekyll’, a scented shrub variety (pictured above), was once voted the Nation’s Favourite. The RHS suggests ‘Madame Alfred Carriere’ for a north wall or shady spot; ‘Paul’s Himalayan Musk’ to clamber into trees, and ‘Pink Perpetue’ for covering pillars and trellis.

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Give it a Grow: Pilea Pepermioides

WHAT IS IT?

A rather trendy leafy houseplant that, until fairly recently, caused a bit of a brew-ha-ha in the horticultural world because none of the experts knew what it was called. For years it had regularly appeared at Royal Botanic Gardens Kew’s help desk to be identified by mystified members of the public. It wasn’t until the late 1970s that it got a name, when Kew botanist Wessel Marais suggested that it was a Chinese species of Pilea. It now has several common names, including the Chinese money plant, the missionary plant and the pancake plant.

WHY WOULD YOU?

It has a rather appealing story attached to it: the plant was introduced to Europe in 1946 by a Norwegian missionary who had been travelling in the Chinese province of Yunming. Making the most of the plant’s easy-growing nature, he gave cuttings to friends and family in Norway, who in turn passed it on to friends in Sweden, then the UK and so on. It’s easy to grow, needing indirect light, good drainage and an occasional drink when the soil is dry.

WHY WOULDN’T YOU?

It can be hard to find a plant because more often than not, it’s ‘passed on’ rather than sold via nurseries. Try eBay. 

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Give it a grow: Violas (Heartsease)

WHAT IS IT? 

Violas are the daintier but tougher cousin of the pansy. Perfect for adding colour to a dull, partially shady spot in your plot, they are compact enough to thrive under larger shrubs and plants as well as provide the perfect partnership to small bulbs for most of the year.

WHY WOULD YOU? 

Thanks to a bunch of innovative plant breeders, these days violas are happy to put on a show with only the merest flash of sun during the shorter days, as well as coping in cold, wet and windy weather. They flower continuously, too – good news as some varieties are edible and can be added to salads, puddings and drinks. 

WHY WOULDN’T YOU? 

You might be turned off by the gaudy two-tone varieties generally on offer in your local supermarkets and DIY stores.

However, venture online and you’ll discover much more interesting varieties available from independent nurseries and specialists, such as boutsviolas.co.uk.

They can be susceptible to slugs and snails so be vigilant and pick the little blighters off when you see them. You can also try organic slug pellets to spoil their fun. 

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Give it a grow: Beetroot

WHY GROW THEM?

Don’t let the memory of eating that tasteless, shop-bought pickled beetroot put you off growing this wonderful vegetable. Try it roasted, blended (check out Ottolenghi’s incredible puréed beetroot with yoghurt & za’atar recipe) or raw to enjoy its delicious, earthy flavour, as well as benefit from all the vitamins packed within. It’s also one of those crops that can be harvested early as a baby vegetable, or left in the ground to grow to any size between a golf and a tennis ball.

WHEN TO SOW?

Sarah Raven recommends soaking seeds in warm water for half an hour before sowing in the veg patch or container. For a constant supply, sow every three to four weeks from March to July in a sunny spot and good soil. Sow thinly, so crops have a chance to form juicy bulbs, in rows about 30cm apart. You can sow more densely and pick the leaves as a tender, tasty salad crop.

WHEN TO HARVEST?

Crops are ready about 12 weeks after sowing, though pick earlier for a smaller, sweeter crop.

WHICH ONE?

‘Burpees Golden’ for its colour, ‘Chioggia’ to delight diners with its candy stripes, ‘Albinia Vereduna’, which is white so won’t stain hands and ‘Boltardy’, which, as it sounds, is bolt resistant. 

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Give it a grow: Spring onions

WHY GROW THEM? 

Easy and fast- growing, spring onions are also very versatile. They make a great addition to the veg patch, work well squeezed in between ornamental plants in a herbaceous border and are very happy in containers. Just make sure they have some sunshine and are in well-drained soil. 

WHEN TO SOW? 

If you want to be able to enjoy fresh spring onions over the summer, start them off in April and sow every three weeks. There’s no need to start seeds off in small pots, pop them in a prepared channel about 2cm deep – you can make this with the edge of your trowel. It’s important to rake the soil first, removing any weeds, so that it’s a fine, crumbly texture and the seeds can settle into the soil rather than falling in between large lumps.

WHEN TO HARVEST? 

Ready in just eight weeks. You’ll get small, but deliciously sweet, crops if you sow in July. Sow in August and September to overwinter for early spring pickings.

WHICH ONE? 

‘White Lisbon’ is a crisp, tasty traditional variety but for something a bit different, Sarah Raven recommends ‘North Holland Blood Red’ for its flavour, looks and excellent value for money,as it will bulk up to the size of a red onion if left in the ground.

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