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This salad in a box will keep growing through the summer, providing you keep cutting the leaves.

Equipment needed:

• Watering can

• Paintbrush

Materials needed:

• Vegetable storage boxes (such as those found in a greengrocers or supermarkets)

• Exterior paint

• Newspaper

• Compost

• Water

• Pack of beetroot seeds

• Wooden mallet

• Pack of mixed salad leaves

What to do:

• In order for your vegetable box to withstand the elements, it is a good idea to paint the box with an exterior paint. Use different colours and designs to jazz things up!

• When the paint has dried, line the bottom and side of the box with three or four sheets of newspaper. This not only contains the compost but also helps retain moisture.

• Next fill your box with compost (preferably peat free) to just below the surface, and give the box a tap to settle the compost.

• Give the compost a good watering, especially around the edge where it tends to dry out quicker.

• Scatter half of the box with the beetroot seeds keeping them about 2.5cms (1in) apart.

• Scatter the other half of the box with the mixed salad keeping these around 1cm (1/2in) apart.

• Now just cover the seeds with a dressing of compost slightly thicker over the beetroot seeds.

• No need to water now as you have already watered the compost, watering now would slosh the seeds to the sides of the box. Wait for the seeds to germinate before watering again.

• Harvest your beetroot and lettuce leaves when they are young and full of flavour.

• You can cut and re-grow your beetroot leaves and mixed salad up to three times.

• Just keep well watered and don’t let them get too hot to reduce bolting.

• These veg boxes work well with other salad and herb crops too, such as rocket and coriander.