Recipe pots

Grow a complete recipe in one single container. At RHS Garden Harlow Carr they have planted up single 'recipe pots' containing all the veg for some classic styles of cooking.

Follow their suggestions for the following styles.

Greek

Tomato ‘Lilliput’
Cucumber 'Burpless Tasty Green’
Courgette ‘El Greco’

Pot of Greek bush basil & Greek oregano
Possibly also waxy salad potato such as 'Charlotte' or 'Nicola' in a potato bag

See their great Greek recipes you could try at home

Italian

Tomato ‘Red Alert’
Basil ‘Sweet Genovese’
Dwarf borlotti bean ‘Linia di Nano’

Indian

Aubergine ‘Rosita’
Okra ‘Red’
Chilli ‘Bangalore Torpedo’
Coriander ‘Leaisure’

Thai

Chilli ‘Heatwave’
Lemongrass
Basil ‘Holy Thai’

French

Sorrel
French parsley
Tomato ‘Big boy’
Curled chervil
Dwarf French bean ‘Sprite’
Lettuce ‘Romaine’

English

Parsley ‘Moss Curled’
Sage
Thyme
Onion ‘Stoccarde’

Obviously, there are numerous other combinations you could try.

Growing in the bag
Mediterranean diet needs just two growing-bags

Seed company Johnsons has come up with a novel slant on the recipe pot - the recipe growing-bag. Johnsons suggests growing the following new cultivars in two bags placed in any warm, sheltered, sunny spot.

In the first growing-bag the company suggests growing one plant each of tomato ‘Costoluto Genovese’ and pepper ‘Jaladuro’. ‘Costoluto Genovese’ produces large, ribbed beefsteak fruits that are superb in salads, sandwiches or grilled. A semi-determinate cultivar, the plant should be supported with a cane. Pepper ‘Jaladuro’ is known as the hot pizza pepper as it works so well on that favourite Italian dish. The large, tapering fruits have quite a kick, mature early, turning from green to red and are produced on healthy, disease-resistant plants.

In the second Johnsons recommends one plant of aubergine ‘Ophelia’ and several plants of lettuce ‘Pinares’. ‘Ophelia’ is a compact grower, producing plenty of small fruits. Lettuce ‘Pinares’ is an improved selection of the old ‘Parris Island Cos’. Its sweet, crunchy heads grow to around 30cm (12in) tall and have some resistance to tipburn.

To order Johnsons seeds online visit the company’s website