People have got grow-your-own fever at the moment

Greenhouse enthusiasts have got ‘grow-your-own fever’ at present, as more and more buy garden equipment to help cultivate crops in their outside space, it has been claimed.

Rod Slater, managing director of All-In-One Garden Centre in Manchester, said an increasing number of his customers are buying products such as raised beds and potato sacks.

"People want to grow their own potatoes, but not in the ground – in a tub. They are very easy to grow so a lot of people tend to have a go at that," he explained.

Other big-selling items at present include greenhouses and cloches, Mr Slater explained, which allow individuals to make an early start on their crops.

On top of that, tools such as poles, spades and forks are selling well, he said, as are pots for growing crops on a patio.

Nick Morgan, glasshouse specialist at the Royal Horticultural Society, recently described greenhouses as an "absolute asset" to any gardener and revealed he is fielding more questions about how to get the best out of them than he has had before.