Fresh tomatoes on tap

Although purpose-built pots are available, the use of a Styrofoam box, 20-25cm deep, will be most suitable.

Ensure it has drainage holes in the bottom.

Mix together the following: 2 buckets of potting mix; 1 bucket of garden compost; a few good handfuls of coir peat (that has had water added to it); a 1litre container of fowl manure pellets; half a 400g tin of blood and bone; and a pinch of sulphate of potash.

A variety of plants can be included, such as; lettuce (leaf-picking varieties), rocket, Asian tatsoi (pak choy), mizuna (Japanese salad green), English spinach, endive and red chickory.

Water the plants in well. A weekly application of a liquid fertiliser will ensure a continuous supply of new leaves. Plants should be harvested regularly to also encourage new growth.

If a new box is started every two months, a continual supply of fresh leaves will be available through the following months.

Tomatoes are one of the vegetables most grown by the home gardener. Many varieties, that suit different gardening styles and purposes, have been developed.

Some of the more popular varieties that are available for growing from seed, or by commercially raised seedlings are:

Sweet Bite: This variety is often the most vigorous of all tomato varieties. It quite often self-seeds, with plants appearing in areas where the plants were grown in the previous season. If these plants are given appropriate support, they will be very prolific in their production.

Roma: These tomatoes have a thinner skin and produce fruit that is egg-shaped. They are less acidic than other tomato varieties. The fruit should be picked before it gets too ripe as they can become soft if left for too long.

The bush grows to a medium height and benefits from a prior application of lime.

Apollo 3: This variety will form its fruit early in the season as it is able to set its fruit at a temperature that is lower than that usually required for tomatoes. Because of this factor, Apollo 3 is also particularly suitable for cooler regions. Apollo 3 is an improved version of the old Apollo variety, which was much more prone to bacterial speck. The fruit shape is round. This plant is a tall grower, so early side-shoots should be pinched out in order to encourage upright growth.

Grosse Lisse: Over the years this plant has been perhaps the most popular variety. It has heavy fruit with a good flavour. In order to have a succession of fruit, an earlier setting variety, such as Rouge de Marmande could be grown in conjunction with some Grosse Lisse plants. Grosse Lisse tomatoes are also tall growers, requiring the side shoots to be removed and with a preference for two main leaders to be allowed to develop.

Green Zebra: This has medium- to small-sized fruit, with spectacular striping, and a very sweet, old fashioned flavour. Growing on a medium bush that doesn’t require pinching or staking, the fruit should be kept off the ground by staking of the plant. Although the green colouring of the fruit can be somewhat disconcerting, the taste of the fruit is that of a very traditional tomato.

Black Russian: Another variety that produces fruit of an unusual colour. It is a very old variety that is particularly suitable for cooler areas. Plants grow to a medium height and can be grown without the need for pinching out the side shoots, although some staking will help the plant to remain upright.

Sweet Grape: This tomato is one of the new breeds of tomato. It can fruit as prolifically as a cherry tomato, but has fruit that many regard as being sweeter in flavour. Sweet Grape tomato plants are tall growers, so the early side-shoots should be pinched out from the main stem. Two main leaders should be developed, although the plant will cope with more leaders if it is fed well.

Tomatoes grown in pots will require more watering as the surrounding air flow will contribute to more water evaporation than for plants grown in the normal garden bed.

However, the resultant plant is both attractive and very productive.

Wisteria is a deciduous, climbing plant that displays its beautiful, pendulous flowers during spring.

When grown over an outdoor shade area or over an extended framework, wisteria creates a stunning effect that is also very cooling in appearance. Wisteria plants are also very effective when grown as standard specimens, that is, plants with a single trunk forming an umbrella shape with the overhanging branches.

Wisteria should be grown in full sun and are frost-hardy plants.

If young plants are well fertilised, they will soon establish a strong framework, although reducing the application of fertiliser to mature plants will encourage more prolific flower production. Late spring or early summer pruning will help in maintaining a desired shape.

Wisteria sinensis is the most commonly available variety, producing the familiar lavender-blue flowers in long racemes during spring.

A white flowered variety, wisteria floribunda alba is available.

Double-flowered varieties are also available, although it is preferable to choose your plant while it is in flower, ensuring you purchase the particular flower type that you want.