We're venturing into bleak midwinter territory, but you can still learn how to grow broad beans – in fact, now is the best time to tackle this hardy vegetable if you want a tasty crop come summer.

And although they are often overlooked by their more popular cousins, fava beans are more versatile than other legumes, since ...

Sowing broad beans under cover can give more reliable germination especially if you have trouble with frozen soil or pests like mice. Sow one per 7cm (3in) pot filled with multi-purpose compost.