RHS on the benefits of protecting crops

Growing your own food can be a very pleasurable experience – especially when you sit down to a meal made from your own produce.

The same goes for flowers and plants – a tremendous sense of satisfaction can be taken when watching a plant grow from a tiny seed into a blooming beauty.

But the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has suggested that gardeners who partake in these sorts of practices bear in mind that fruit and vegetables and younger plants are often more susceptible to the cold and harsh weather of a UK winter.

With that in mind it may be best to protect them under glass until more favourable weather returns.

"Good planning in autumn and extra protection in cold spells should help ensure a tasty harvest of crops such as broad beans and garlic, ready for enjoying during early spring," the RHS said.

A number of fruits and vegetables can also be grown in the greenhouse throughout the year, with tomatoes being a traditional favourite.