THE CROP THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

What’s not to like about chard? It provides oodles of nutritious leaves for months on end, is easy to grow, attractive enough for the flower border or a mixed container and, unlike its annual summer counterpart, won’t throw up flower spikes at the first sign of a hot, dry spell.

Perpetual spinach or leaf beet is a biennial plant, which means that it will grow to full size in year one after sowing and overwinter to flower the following season. With care you can be harvesting all year round. This can be done either from garden-grown plants allowed to reach full size,