Bristol-based Cinead McTernan got the go-ahead to write her book on growing city vegetables just as the UK entered its first lockdown in spring 2020. She needed to practise what she was preaching — and have it photographed — but couldn’t get hold of seeds and plug plants. “The nation was going ‘grow your own’ crazy and everything had sold out,” McTernan says.
Many city dwellers who, during the pandemic, had a go at growing on balconies, in yards or, if they were lucky, some open ground, will be reflecting on the experience and pondering whether to bother again. McTernan — whose book City Veg: Inspiration from an Urban Garden was published last month by Bloomsbury — encourages them to do so. “It can be frustrating living in a city with a small outdoor space but it is quite possible to elevate your summer display to be productive as well as attractive.”