Gardens: Rainbow chard is as multi-coloured as its name implies

There's always something to be optimistic about in gardening. The pink buds of rhubarb and the first shoots of purple sprouting broccoli tell me that spring has arrived.

Among my usual seeds, I am looking forward to trying some new ones shortly. I like my allotment to look decorative as well as being functional. So I can't resist some of the vegetables with stunning coloured leaves. I noted down the name of some deep crimson lettuces at Mount Stuart on the Isle of Bute last summer and am hoping that mine will look as good, even though the surroundings are not as stately.

Continuing the crimson theme, I am growing red orache for the first time. The leaves can go in salads, and when it eventually runs to seed, I am assured that I will have a stunning plant beloved of bees and other insects. Rainbow chard is as multi-coloured as its name implies. Runner beans have such gorgeous flowers that my husband once picked a bunch mistaking them for sweet peas.

For those without an allotment who are trying to grow something to eat in planters at home, appearance is even more important. Some vegetables will grow quite happily in containers, although they will need attention such as frequent watering. My suggestions would include some cut-and-come-again lettuces, herbs and yellow and red cherry tomatoes for something long-lasting and decorative. For fruit it is hard to beat little alpine strawberries which produce lots of tasty fruit and look lovely in hanging baskets all summer.

Appearance is all-important to that ever-growing band of enthusiasts who have adopted stations under Scotrail's Adopt-a-Station scheme. Not content with enriching our platform experiences with brilliant floral displays, some of them are branching out into growing fruit and vegetables in planters at stations partly to draw attention to the local need for more allotments. Some stations have other attractions that make good use of surplus accommodation, such as second-hand bookshops, craft stalls and cafes. I am delighted to have been invited to the Station Adopters annual lunch to learn more about it. It will be interesting to find out what thrives in the inhospitable surroundings of a draughty station. I am sure to come home with some tips that will be useful on the allotment.

If your station is looking a bit neglected, visit www.scotrail.co.uk/content/adopt-station to find out how to get involved.

• This article was first published in The Scotsman on January 30, 2011