If you love growing your own vegetables, or wish to begin doing so, winter may not seem like the best time to do so, its cold, its dry and its gloomy but there are a number of hardy vegetables out their that will grow even in these unfavourable conditions. Growing vegetables in winter allows you to get a jump start on your growing season and the only thing to bear in mind is that if there is a frost predicted a layer of compost or mulch over the top will keep them insulated and alive.
Spring Onions
Spring onion varieties such as the White Lisbon are winter hardy and are greater in winter salads. A fast growing crop which if planted in late autumn will be ready to harvest in mid spring.
Peas
Pea varieties such as Kelvedon Wonder and Meteor will give you those extra few weeks head start over other growers due to their winter hardiness. Plant in the late autumn for a crop next spring, weeks before other growers.
Perpetual Spinach
A variety of spinach which is great for winter. Grows well in tough conditions, through regular harvesting and de-flowering this variety can continue to crop all the way till summer.
Shallots and Onions
Varieties such as Electric and Echatlote Grise are probably the easiest crop to grow over the winter as they basically take care of them selves. Plant early as it wont be ready to harvest until the summer.
Broad Beans
Plant the Aquadulce Claudia variety for some autumn growing and a harvest a month earlier than everyone else.
