Boxing clever

Hello again. A new campaign caught my eye this week. According to the National Trust, there are some 600 acres of space for window boxes across the country – enough to produce tonnes of cheap, locally sourced and, above all, delicious food every year.

I have to say, I think its a great idea. I'm lucky enough now to have a garden, but I haven't always had that pleasure. As some of you may know, I worked in London for a number of years before starting My Greener Home, and lived in some places where green space was in pretty short supply.

After a while window boxes, containers and hanging baskets (great for strawberries!) became my garden substitute, with courgettes, potatoes and spinach mixing together with all the usual herbs. I even had a bash at an avocado once – it grew quite well but, unsurprisingly, never fruited!

So, if you're one of the five million that National Trust estimates that live in flats with no access to a garden or allotment, then I think this is a great way to make up for it.

If I have one bit of advice though, I think the real trick is getting the right seeds. There are plenty of good suppliers out there, and I'm a big fan of the Real Seed Catalogue in particular, not just because they supply some fantastic and easy to grow varieties, but they also give some really useful instructions on harvesting seeds from your crops for use the next year.

That's one of my favourite things about gardening – there can't be many more satisfying things than seeing the whole process through from beginning to end.

Have a great week!

Edwin