Celebrity gardener and English chartered horticulturist, David Domoney, lets us in on the one thing all beginner gardeners should be planting right now to instantly experience success in the garden – and it's something you've likely already done before in school when you were younger.
Now that the clocks have gone forward, it's safe to say that the beginning of spring is finally here, which often means one thing: the task of bringing your garden ideas up to scratch is officially in order. However, when you're a novice in the world of growing your own fruits and veg at home, getting started can often feel extremely daunting.
Luckily, David Domoney has the perfect easy garden idea for you to get started in dipping your toes into, and it's guaranteed to germinate every single time. What is it, you ask? None other than cress, of course.
David Domoney's cress planting tips
Speaking to us at the Ideal Home Show, we asked David for some beginner-friendly recommendations that novice gardeners can plant right now – and his response was immediate.
'Cress,' he begins. 'Grow cress on a bit of kitchen paper, toilet paper, cotton wool, or even on a saucer. It'll germinate within 48 hours so you get a big kick. First of all, you sow it – which brings about a positive mental response of looking forward to seeing it germinate – then you crop it and you eat it.' Simples.
'Get a couple of slices of granary bread. Toast it so it's nice and the knife cracks when you hit. Put butter over the top, then cream or scrambled egg, a little bit of salt and pepper, and then finish it off with your crest. You get the nutty flavour from that.'
Similar to growing watercress, having this essential as part of your herb garden is not only extremely easy but will save you some serious pennies down the line – especially if you're a foodie and want to indulge in its benefits for a delicious snack, as suggested by David himself. It's no wonder learning how to grow microgreens is so popular, too.
Continuing, David says, 'And you know cress, it's got more calcium than milk, more vitamin C than an orange, and more folate than a banana. It's incredibly healthy,' he assures.
'And that's just the thing,' continues David. 'You've now seen you've had success with this and everything else becomes easy in the garden from that. For example, growing chillies on the kitchen windowsill or growing basil on the windowsill. For these things, you don't even need a garden. You just need sunlight and then you just add water.'
Yes, it really is that simple. Rest assured, experiencing success in even the smallest of small gardens and container garden ideas are just within reach – and little did you know that it all starts with something tiny. In this case, cress.
The Ideal Home Show is the world’s longest-running home and interiors exhibition and is returning to Olympia London from Friday 22nd March until Sunday 7th April 2024.
