Spider plants also add a seventies retro feel to a room when hung in a macramé plant holders. You can be creative with string and beads and make something individual and fun. They also make good presents.

It’s important to start with a good quality compost. You want a nutrient rich soil with good drainage.

Sow the seeds in April. Sprinkle the seeds onto moist potting compost in a small pot, about 2-3 inches (5cm) wide. Aim for about 5 seeds per pot so they don’t get crowded. Then cover the seeds with a thin layer of compost and leave in a warm place. The seeds should sprout in a couple of weeks.

While the seeds are sprouting, keep them warm and in sunlight. Place the pot in a saucer of water to keep the soil damp. When the small plants are established, take out the smallest two so that you have your three healthiest plants in each pot.

The plants are ready to repot again when they have their ‘true’ leaves. Seedlings grow with two small leaves opposite each other, like mini propellers. The true leaves are the ones that develop after this. Wait until the new plants have about 5 true leaves, and they’re a few inches tall, and they’re ready to be potted into their own pot.

Make sure you have a suitable container like a herb planter or window box as these plants need good drainage. The pH of the soil should be slightly acidic to neutral, at least 6.0 and below 7.5. Checking the pH every 4-6 weeks and maintaining the pH with an organic fertiliser will keep it at this level. You probably only need to use this fertiliser at about half the recommended strength to do this. Normally basil isn’t too fussy regarding soil composition but they need a bit more attention when growing indoors. Water the plant regularly and keep the soil moist, but make sure the excess water drains away underneath the pot. Don’t leave plants sat in water or they could rot. If you really want to pamper your plant, use tepid water rather than cold.

To pot plants, gently remove each seedling. Hold the plant by the stem only, and NEVER touch the roots. They are fragile, and often a bit spindly at this stage. Place the seedling in the new pot, in hole deep enough to allow the roots to spread. Tip in compost around the seedling and gently pat the soil down around the plant. Water it in well. If you are putting more than one seedling into a large pot or a winow box, try to allow about 4 inches (10cm) between plants to give them room to grow.

Harvesting basil

Wait until the plant is about 4-5 inches (10 cm) tall before harvesting any leaves. Then just pinch or cut the leaves off as required. Try to restrict yourself to only taking the leaves, not a whole stem, as this can weaken the plant. Pinch off the tops of the plant regularly to encourage more young leaves to grow.

Need some basil seeds?

Choosing a rosemary plant

First off, most rosemary plants are clones or ‘cultivars’, which means they’re grown from cuttings. See the post of how to take cuttings from rosemary as this is how you’re getting started. Personally, I’d recommend buying a plant from your local garden centre. They grow quite slowly, so buy the largest one you can afford. I would buy a shrubbery plant as these make fuller houseplants.

Check that there aren’t roots coming through the bottom of the pot when you buy it, as this means the plant has already outgrown the pot.

Run your hand across the needles. It they’re brittle and fall off, don’t buy it. A healthy plant will have supple, springy spines.

How to grow rosemary indoors

As it’s from the Mediterranean, it prefers a sunny position in your home. A sunny south facing windowsill would be perfect. Rosemary will grow well in a window box, but be aware that some types can grow quite high. Be careful in the winter, as rosemary will not tolerate a frost.

A rosemary plant in a pot can make a full, attractive houseplant, that can thrive for years with little care. However, you do have to remember two golden rules. Your plant needs:

1) Sunlight.

2) A well drained soil.

If you’re growing it in a pot indoors, place it near the window to make sure it gets enough sunlight. Rotate the plant about one a week to make sure all sides get some sunlight – this will keep the leaves healthy.

Pot up your new plant with some all purpose plant fertiliser.

Check the new growth on your plant, and aim to harvest about half of the new growth every year. This should keep the plant healthy. You can dry rosemary by leaving it in a warm dark location (like an airing cupboard), or just use it fresh.

It’s easy to overwater rosemary. Check if your plant needs watering by sticking your finger in the soil to a depth of about one inch. If your finger comes out dry, your plant needs watering.

Rosemary plants don’t like to be disturbed or re-potted too often, so don’t re-pot rosemary plants until they are ‘root-bound’. This happens when the plant gets too large for the pot, and the roots are tightly wound in the bottom of the plant pot.

Tips

Fertilise about three times during the summer, but not during the winter.

Pinch the top of your rosemary plant after potting to encourage new leaves and a bushy growth.

Dwarf citrus trees

These are miniature versions of the outdoor variety, and most species are pretty hardy and easy to care for. Dwarf citrus trees are a popular choice in the UK and can fruit all year round. For the best results, place them in a sunny spot, keep the compost moist and feed according to the instructions.

Berries

Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries are all great choices for the indoor gardener. They will grow in many different types of container as long as you’ve got good drainage. Make sure you choose the right variety for your environment.

Potatoes need a lot of light if you want a good harvest, so choose the position of your container wisely. Make sure there are holes in the bottom for drainage, and line the bottom with stones or a similar medium.

Fill the container to about a third of the way up with compost (you’ll add more as the plants grow) and space the spuds about six inches apart, leaving a good gap to the edges of the container. Cover with another couple of inches of compost, and add more every time the plants reach about six inches above the surface.

Water regularly and within two to three months you should be able to dip into the container and pull out your first spuds.