The range of Sweet Peppers you can buy may have increased in recent years, but the choice you get from growing your own is far wider. You don't need a greenhouse to grow sweet peppers – as long as you start them on a windowsill and have a warm, sheltered and sunny site, you should get a decent crop. Sweet peppers are attractive plants (especially when in fruit) so are ideal for growing on a south-facing patio or window sill.

Sow sweet pepper seeds on the surface of a good, free-draining, damp, seed sowing mix and cover with a fine sprinkling of compost or vermiculite. Place seed trays in a propagator until after germination and ensure they receive plenty of sunlight.

When seedlings are large enough to handle, transplant into individual 9cm pots and grow on in cooler conditions. When plants are well grown and all risk of frost has passed, transplant them into grow bags or containers, or plant them in well prepared beds of fertile, moist, well drained soil. Peppers may be grown undercover in a greenhouse or polytunnel, or outdoors in a sheltered position in full sun at a distance of 60cm apart.

When growing peppers outdoors, gradually acclimatise them to outdoor conditions prior to transplanting them in June.