Today I have harvested the first of this year’s chillies: a dozen fully ripe Scotch Bonnets from the four plants on the study windowsill.

These are last years plants, and they’re getting cramped in a single 9-10 inch diameter pot! After they finished flowering last autumn I left them on the windowsill, and kept them watered. They continued to flourish as they were getting some warmth and good light, but not enough to keep flowering.

Then in late February I cut them back to about 10 inches. Within days they were growing new side shoots, and within a few weeks were flowering. They’re now good compact plants! Today’s harvest is the result.

Although I’ve not repotted them, they have had their soil topped up and been given some feed. So with regular water and more feed, hopefully they’ll produce more flowers, and chilies, as the summer progresses. Hand pollinating the flowers is the best way to ensure a good crop – an old small watercolour brush is their best sex toy.

I might even try to keep them over another winter although they really will need repotting by then!