Raven has recommended her favourite vegetables, for outdoor gardens 

Lettuce and rocket

“Quick crops such as mizuna, any of the mustards, and salad rocket, which can be added to the quick-growing, cut-and-come-again lettuces, such as ‘Black Seeded Simpson’, ‘Merveille de Quatre Saisons’, and the oak-leaf ‘Solix’ or ‘Green Salad Bowl’. American/Land Cress is super speedy too.”

Herbs

“To give all your food a lift. Flat-leaved parsley, coriander, chives, and soon it will be time for basils as well (but don’t sow them until the middle of April).”

Leafy greens

“For a quick crop, go for spinach ‘Medania’ or ‘Toscane’. You’ll be picking from them in four to five weeks’ time. Add Swiss Chard in there too, in any of its forms (the white or green-stemmed taste cleaner than the earthier ‘Rainbow’ or ‘Bright Lights’ chard.) These will give you more meals per square metre than any other plant you can grow and are super versatile, good raw in salad with the green taken off the stem — and fantastic cooked, in so many different ways. And then to sow now, to pick (as a baby leaf) in 8-10 weeks’ time, go for super-healthy kales of any type.”

Courgette

“These are heavy croppers and the more you pick, the more they produce. I love ‘Romanesco’ which has a nutty flavour and texture.”

Tomatoes

“If you have a greenhouse or sheltered, sunny wall, add tomatoes such as ‘Sungold’ and the super-prolific ‘Stupicke Pole Rane’ to your must-sow list, with the cucumber ‘La Diva’ also good for growing inside or out.”

Beans and peas

“Any of the peas are good and quick, and you probably want to go for a heavy cropper such as ‘Alderman’, plus of course Runner Beans are super prolific for sowing now, for cropping in the summer.“

Rhubarb

“If you can, get hold of a two or three-year-old crown of rhubarb. If you pull, rather than cut the stems, they’ll go on producing long and hard and are jam-packed with Vitamin C.”