CAN you grow fruit and vegetables from the food you buy?
It’s a question many ask – especially as another pile of butternut squash or tomato seeds are scraped into the bin for the umpteenth time.
But Simon Ackeroyd’s here to give you answers – in his new Sunday Times bestseller ‘Grow Your Groceries – 40 hacks for growing plants from your weekly shop.’
Author of more than 30 gardening books, Simon – currently head gardener at Painshill Park in Surrey, has amassed more than 1.5m followers on social media – showing his global audience how to grow from scraps.
One of his TikToks, about growing kiwis from supermarket kiwis got 35.1 million views.
Another about strawberries got 21.3 million.
In the 36-second video, he cuts thin slivers of the strawberry skin and puts them on some kitchen towel.
You're instructed to wait for them to dry off, then a few days later you can scatter them over compost in a pot.
Keep well watered and they'll turn into strawberry plants.
The Kiwi video explains how you just scoop the seeds from the supermarket kiwi – dry them off, sprinkle them on compost, take a freezer bag and pop it over the top.
Eventually you'll have kiwi plants.
He told Sun Gardening: “I came up with this book after talking to a friend of mine who wanted to start gardening, but found going to the garden centre really intimidating because they didn't know what they were doing.
“They said: ‘I don't know what things are, I don't know what a herbaceous perennial is or what a mixed border is or what a deciduous shrub is or ericaceous compost.
“It’s not like when you just walk down the supermarket aisle and you just pick these things up and you know what you're doing.'
“And I sort of thought, well, actually you can do that in a supermarket because you are literally walking past living plants.”;
The book covers subjects like growing lettuce from the stalk, tomatoes from slices of tomato, celery from the base and sweetcorn from corn on the cob.
There’s a section on growing from the ‘dried foods aisle’ – including camomile from a teabag, lentils from dried seed, hazelnuts from nuts and chia from seed.
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To grow camomile from a teabag you simply rip the bag open, sprinkle the contents over some peat free compost in a pot – and then water.
You can prick them out when they get a bit bigger – moving them into larger pots.
Aldi currently have Camomile teabags on sale for just £1.05.
And there's chapters on growing herbs – mints from cuttings, garlic from a clove and ginger from roots.
There’s all sorts of fresh fruit like pineapples, passion fruit, kiwis and melons from seed – as well as apples and lemons from pips.
What’s not in the book, but Simon assures me is perfectly possible – is even propagating frozen blueberries.
And he’s constantly advocating recycling supermarket plastic veg punnets to grow in – particularly grapes – as they’re the right shape, and already have holes in.
Lidl are currently selling punnets of grapes for £1.59.
Or you could use Morrison's clear mushrooms plastic pots – which are on sale for £1.
He added: “Social media is where it's at. I think it's completely changed.
“When I started and even up until about five years ago, I think it was, you had to be really a TV presenter on something like Ground Force or Gardeners World to sell a book in big numbers.
“Nowadays, what I'm seeing is actually that the TV presenters aren't really selling the books. When you now look at the best sellers, it is the social media influences. And that's where your biggest market is by miles.
“I know that there's a lot of negative things about social media, but I have learned so much about gardening.
“I mean, I'm a professional gardener, but I'm still learning so much, by seeing videos of these great techniques and things that people are using and doing.
“Hopefully my hacks will teach everyone a fresh gardening adventure, while saving money and being kind to the environment.”
Grow Your Groceries by Simon Akeroyd is published by DK, out now.
Also in Veronica's column this week...
News, top tips and competition to win a £75 Elho houseplant bundle
NEWS! IT’S back! The Cuprinol Shed of the Year is now taking new entries. And this year it’s got a new ‘Eco Haven’ category – celebrating the crucial role of biodiversity in our gardens.
Other categories include Most Colourful Shed, Simple but Effective, Budget, Unexpected/Unique, Cabin or Summerhouse, Pub or Entertainment and Workshop/Studio.
This year’s winner will receive £1,000 in cash, £250 worth of Cuprinol products, and an exclusive nature’s getaway experience (worth up to £500). To enter, visit www.readersheds.co.uk. Entries close at midnight on Saturday 31st of May.
NEWS! Talented topiarists from across the UK and Europe are being called upon to sharpen their shears for the Henchman Topiary Awards 2025. For more information and full T&Cs, visit: www.henchman.co.uk.
WIN! Make caring for your houseplants simple and stylish with one of four houseplant bundles from sustainable plant pot company, elho, worth over £75 each PLUS Elho’s groundbreaking innovation – the smart pebble. To enter, visit www.thesun.co.uk/PEBBLECOMP or write to Sun Elho Pebbles Competition, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP. Include your name, age, email or phone. UK residents 18+ only. Ends 23.59GMT 12/04/25 T&Cs apply.
JOB OF THE WEEK! Time to sow sunflowers – you can get them straight in the ground, or in pots – and think about sowing companion plants like marigolds, to grow alongside veg.
TOP TIP! – Garden centres are bursting with stunning bright primroses right now – which look fabulous in pots or borders – provide early and lasting colour – don’t cost too much – and come back every year.
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