Backyard Blitz: On the topic of veggies

It’s a bit early to start planting those spring /summer veggies, as most of them are frost sensitive. But if you’re keen to plant some veggies on a sunny windowsill, it’s very similar to a greenhouse and a good place to germinate seeds.

You can order seeds online if you don’t want to leave the house. A lot of online stores specialise in rare and heritage seeds, so by all means grow black or orange tomatoes and purple carrots.

You can save the seeds out of your store-bought veggies, but quite often these will be infertile or need a treatment so results may be disappointing.

All the veggies’ seed packets will have instructions on how deep to plant and how for to space out the seeds and what time of year to put them in.

Peas are ready to be planted outside now (mine are starting to sprout). These will need a climbing frame but aren’t fussy – garden stakes, stick teepees and reo mesh are good options.

To get your veggie patch ready, fill your garden beds with compost and nutrients and work it in and mulch it. That way it will be ready to go when the frost is gone.

Tips by Groundskeeper Dan