OKRA has become increasingly common on supermarket shelves and market stalls as well as in ethnic shops.

But the vegetable - often used in African and Indian cooking and known as ladies' fingers or gumbo - can been grown in this country.

It will need full sun and a hot, humid environment to crop well. So it's better to grow it in a greenhouse, a polytunnel or under a cloche in the sunniest spot you can find.

Seeds should be sown indoors in late winter or early spring in a heated propagator in a bright position in individual 31/2in pots of moist seed compost.

Don't let the seed dry out before it germinates. Warm up the soil for a couple of weeks before planting, by laying down sheets of black plastic and erecting the frames beforehand, then plant the seedlings through slits cut in the sheets. When the plants are about a foot tall, pinch out the growing tips and keep them well watered and fed with a high potash liquid feed. They can reach about 1.2m (4ft) in height and will need staking. Pods form soon after flower and should be picked frequently to stop them becoming tough and stringy. Good varieties include Clemson's Spineless, which is ideal for Asian dishes.