Raised beds are the ideal way to grow one of my favourite crops.  I just love watercress and, as someone who is lactose intolerant, it is a very important source of calcium. In fact, it contains 270mg of calcium per 100g – that’s twice as much as milk!

Photo credit: tz1_1zt via Flickr

Watercress in very easy to grow and does not need to be grown in water. My raised beds are filled with the right moisture retaining soil, rich in humus. I have just started to add a little lime to make sure the soil is slightly alkaline, thanks to the advice of Andy McIndoe on the Alan Titchmarsh Show. As the watercress grows it has a rambling habit which is neatly contained inside the walls of the raised bed. Any watering is also more easily retained within the walls.  All in all it is the perfect place and I have at least 4 beds growing summer and winter, some watercress and some land cress. Lets hope I will be self-sufficient this year, thanks to the more tips from Rebecca Bevan from Wisley.