Peas in London

Garlic is a hardy, sun-loving bulbous vegetable from the onion family, grown for its pungent cloves used in cooking. It’s easy to grow in a warm, well-drained spot and needs minimal fuss – plant individual cloves and they will develop into full bulbs by the following summer. Most garlic varieties require a cold spell over winter to form good bulbs, so in the UK they are generally planted in autumn. There are two main types of garlic: hardneck and softneck. Hardneck types produce flower stalks (scapes) which should be removed, and their bulbs have fewer but larger cloves (they store for around 4–6 months). Softneck types have more, smaller cloves and rarely bolt; they also store for longer, often up to a year.

A staple root vegetable grown from seed potatoes, producing tubers underground. In the UK, potatoes are classified as first earlies, second earlies, or maincrop, each with different planting and harvesting times. They thrive in well-drained soil and full sun, and require earthing up to protect tubers from light.

Basil is a fragrant, tender herb whose leaves are a staple of summer cooking. Native to tropical regions, basil is treated as an annual in temperate climates like the UK because it cannot tolerate frost. It thrives in warm, sunny conditions and can be grown in garden beds or pots for a steady supply of fresh, flavourful leaves throughout the summer.