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Have you been enjoying one of these?

Thousands of Brits have been planting their own vegetable patches and making compost during lockdown, new research by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has found.

Over the past few weeks, a third of a million Britons have visited the RHS website for advice on how to grow potatoes, tomatoes and strawberries at home. As well as this, searches for growing vegetables in containers has tripled, as more people with small gardens and balconies look for ways to enjoy the benefits of fresh, home-grown produce.

The RHS also saw traffic to their compost pages increase by nearly 500% on the previous year. With a third of British councils temporarily pausing green waste collections, more of us have turned to making compost as a way to put kitchen scraps to good use.

Elsewhere, there has also been a rise of almost 500% in gardeners looking at how to divide perennial plants, plus a 40% uplift in searches regarding moss on lawns and how to sow seeds outside.

Sue Biggs, director general of the RHS told the Daily Mail: "Our overriding charitable remit is growing gardeners, which we do through sharing expert gardening advice, amassed over 200 years, to help and encourage everyone, from beginner to professional, to garden and grow plants.

"Over the coming weeks we will increase our video advice content and social media to help everyone, including this new generation of gardeners, to grow. We'll also be doing more online and exclusively for our members who are the lifeblood at the very heart of our organisation and we are more grateful than ever for their support during this time."

Investing in an informative guide book to tell you what to do and when is a brilliant idea to consistently grow the best produce you can.

To get growing you will, of course, need a range of seeds. You can find them at garden centres, but also online like these ones from Crocus. Some easy-to-grow starter ideas include potatoes, tomatoes, radishes, peas, onions, garlic, salad leaves, broad beans, runner beans and beetroot.

If you're planting in the garden, a hand fork will come in handy for breaking up soil and dislodging stones, before you remove it with the trowel to create your perfect planting spot.

This all purpose compost is for use on your vegetables, fruit and flowers. Made up of GroChar, coir fibre and a blend of vegetable based nutrients.

If you're planting in an allotment or on a plot in your garden, support canes are ideal to help particular fruits and vegetables grow, like tomatoes, cucumbers and broad beans. They can also be used to help reinforce pea and bean netting, garden netting, tree guards and tree shelters, too.

Some types of garden netting is notoriously bad for entangling small animals but this variety is so fine that mammals can't get through it. It's tough and durable and protects edible crops from wildlife, winds, light frost and pests including carrot fly and caterpillars. Simply lay the mesh over your crop and secure it with pegs or stones for short-term use. For longer periods, secure with cloche hoops.

Know exactly what you're growing where with this stylish slate and chalk plant label set.

Keep your hands clean and protected with some stylish gardening gloves – although sowing seeds can be delicate and fiddly work so might just require your bare fingertips. 

All plants need water to thrive, so a trusty watering can will always come in handy.  We love this chic galvanised steel option.

With a purpose-built fitted membrane that ensures proper ventilation and drainage, this planter will give any seedlings their best chance at successful growth.

This stylish rustic galvanised steel windowsill planter is perfect potting Chantenay carrots, beetroot and strawberries.

Make sure your greenhouse, potting shed or kitchen sills are kept organised with a lovely tray to store your seeds in. You can grow seeds in the tray before planting in the garden. Or use the tray to transport freshly-picked vegetables into the kitchen. It's made from sustainable spruce, too.

If you don't have a garden or veg plot, there are plenty of fruit and veg options that you can grow in pots. Try Swiss chard, tomatoes, radish, lettuce, chillies and small carrots.

With more of us currently adapting to a temporary 'new normal', our outdoor spaces have become a place of refuge. Whether it's a small balcony area, a large garden filled with vibrant plants or simply a daily walk in the countryside, lockdown has helped us all to appreciate the little things the outdoors has to offer.

Sue also commented on the benefits of gardening, especially for our mental and physical health. She said: "Gardening, and getting back to nature is, we know, good for our health and wellbeing, especially our mental health, and so we will do all we can to provide advice and ideas for people to keep growing, whether this be in their garden, or balcony or window sill."

Looking for things to do in the garden during self-isolation? Read our Gardening Editor's guide on the 20 things to do in your garden.

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