Everything you need to start gardening on a balcony or windowsill

Taking just two weeks to proliferate (the mushrooms literally double in size each day after just one week), this fuss-free kit is a fantastic introduction to growing your own at home. It couldn’t be easier to set up either; it’s simply a case of cutting an incision in the bark (which is made from upcycled coffee grounds), letting the bark soak in water for 12 hours, then spritzing with water with the accompanying spray bottle twice a day. Mushrooms begin to sprout after a week.

You get a lot out of this kit: once you’ve gobbled up your creations, you can start the process another time (or three times if you’re lucky). We love how easy it is to set up, how tasty the mushrooms are and the kit’s eco-friendly credentials – once you’ve had your mushroom harvests, you can reuse the compost.

Bring your lockdown cooking to life with this handy gift box set. Containing basil, wild rocket, thyme and coriander seeds, this collection features everything you need to set up your own kitchen garden, but it could equally make a great gift for a friend or family member. The seeds come packaged in an attractive box – ideal for storing any other seeds you may collect – and keeps them all in one place once a packet has been opened. Handily, the box also contains instructions for how to eat your respective herbs and salad, from making homemade pesto to dressed salads. Other available collections include an edible flower garden set and a wildflower garden gift set.

It’s amazing what you can grow in pots – and this illustrated guide is testament to that. Whether you have window boxes or terracotta pots, this helpful 240-page book is teeming with cultivation tips for growing more than 25 vegetables, fruits and herbs in pots and containers. Grow Fruit & Vegetables In Pots also contains more than 50 tasty recipes, written by gardener and cook Aaron Berelsen, of Sussex-based country house Great Dixter, to help you make the most of your spoils.

While beer gardens may be closed for now, why not recreate your own at home with the help of Camden Brewery? Inspired by the aromas of spring, this citrus-led and fruity limited time beer is certainly one to sip in the sun. Not only that, in addition to tasting good, for each can sold, 20p will be donated to the bumblebee conservation trust.

Additionally, each four-pack of blooming hells lager bought from Sainsbury’s comes with a seeded wildflower beer mat, which can be planted in a pot on your windowsill, balcony or patio – you’ll be well on your way to creating that beer garden vibe in no time.

For anyone interested in gadgets, this self-watering herb planter is guaranteed to provide hours of amusement during lockdown. This innovative indoor garden conveniently takes the unpredictability out of herb and vegetable growing, ensuring a crop of healthy greens during these uncertain times, without any of the hassle usually associated with growing herbs.

This stylish kit features an LED light system to accelerate growth and enhance flavours – which handily adjusts itself depending on the amount of light available – plus two “lingots”, which are essentially little soil beds containing plant seeds. You can also download an accompanying app, so you can check in on the light and water levels of your salad and herbs. Each “lingot” lasts for six months and should provide a harvest on a weekly basis.

This brand is celebrated for its handmade glassware, and this stylish self-watering planter is no exception. Made from recycled glass, this two-tiered planter, designed in collaboration with Cornwall’s Eden Project, is great for growing a selection of herbs indoors. Simply fill the bottom half with water and the top compartment with soil along with your choice of herbs (or plants if you’d prefer not to grow anything edible). The plants will then feed themselves via the wick which joins the two compartments. Measuring 22cm high and 24cm wide, this may be too big for some spaces, but a smaller version (13x14.5cm) is also available.

Made from sustainably sourced materials, these metal planters are galvanised (covered in a protective coating) making them suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. This set comes with three different sized oval planters: small (9x29x10cm); medium (9x36x12cm) and large (9x43x14cm) – ideal for creating an indoor or outdoor herb garden, depending on the space available. We particularly liked their embossed botanical design – they’re pretty as well as functional.

If you don’t happen to have soil or gardening tools, pre-potted plants can save you a lot of hassle and still provide you with a much-needed spot of greenery. This potted cherry bush, while typically designed to be planted in soil to reach its full potential, comes in a 3l pot – ideal for small balconies and outdoor spaces. On top of being hardy for winter, this bush promises fragrant cherries each summer, so all you need to do is sit back and enjoy the fruits of your (little) labour. Due to high demand, this one is currently out of stock, so keep an eye out for when it’s back.