US Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ditched politics in favour of gardening gloves over the weekend, revealing that sheโs tending to a community garden plot for the next few months.
โWhat should I plant?โ she asked her Twitter followers, adding that ideally sheโd like to have โat least one edible thingโ but also some flowers.
More than 7000 people offered up their tips in response, among them Labour leader and allotment lover, Jeremy Corbyn. AOC later shared photos of a planter filled with lavender, dahlias, sage, coriander, rosemary and spinach.
For those, like AOC, who are new to the allotment or veggie patch game (or simply in need of garden inspiration), we asked the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) for some tips for easy-to-grow and hard-to-kill fruits, veggies and flowers.
Hereโs what chief horticulturist Guy Barter recommends (with some easy links to click and buy if youโre feeling inspired).
Herbs
โFresh herbs are so much better than bought ones,โ says Barter. He recommends basil, dill, coriander, marjoram and parsley, which are easily grown from inexpensive seed.
Chives and mint will grow in some shade, while shrubby herbs like bay, rosemary, sage and thyme work best in pots by the back door and in the sun.
Salad Leaves
โSalads are absurdly expensive in shops, but quick and easy to grow from cheap seed,โ says Barter.
For two or more crops, he advises planting chard, chicory, kale, lettuce, spinach or rocket: โSow them thickly, a finger width between each seed, in beds, pots or troughs.โ
Strawberries
โIdeally get strong plants in pots as it is getting late to plant these,โ advises Barter, adding that Pegasus, Rhapsody and Red Gauntlet strawberry plants are especially resistant to diseases.
Runner Beans
Runner beans keep growing until the autumn frosts โ โa wigwam of 1.8m canes or sticks covering 1.5sq metres can be enough for one household,โ Barter says. If runners seem a little coarse, he advises trying climbing French beans for โsucculent delicate podsโ.
Courgettes
Courgette plants can produce lots of produce so Barter advises limiting yourself to three (โfive if youโre greedyโ) to prevent waste. โAmbassador is an old and reliable favourite,โ he says. โPeople short of space might favour the climbing โBlack Forestโ and โShoot starโ (yellow) varieties that, with a little tying, can be led up a wigwam of canes or sticks.โ
Cruciferous Vegetables
Kale sprouts are delicious and quick-growing, according to Barter. They are tall stems from which crunchy fresh kale buds are gathered in winter.
For a summer veg, try a broccoli hybrid such as โSticcoliโ, a cross between Chinese kale and calabrese which โsends up succulent flower shoots week after week if they are gathered promptlyโ.
Salad Onions
These are quick and easy to grow and can be used in cooking, especially oriental dishes, as well as in your salads. โWhite Lisbonโ seed is cheap, says Barter, and any you donโt use will form white onion bulbs for use as required.
Top tip: sow or plant salads, herbs, radishes, salad onions and turnips every three weeks until the August bank holiday for a continuous supply.
Flowers
If youโre looking to add a splash of colour on the cheap, trays of bedding plants provide an affordable way to stock up. Barter recommends fuchsia and petunia. And the nationโs favourite, roses, can be planted in spring.
โFor low-maintenance gardens consider small shrubs with pretty foliage such as choisya and hebe,โ he adds.
If you have a shaded area, go for tolerant evergreens such as camellia and viburnums. While sun-baked dry spots suit Mediterranean shrubs such as cistus and lavender and sunny walls suit clematis, honeysuckle and climbing roses.
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