Are cucumbers good for you?

Cucumbers are very high in water, low in calories, and provide small amounts of vitamin K and antioxidants.

How do cucumbers grow?

Cucumbers grow on trailing or climbing vines, fruiting quickly through summer. They are picked young for the best flavour.

Cucumbers need warmth, sun and fertile, moist soil, and are grown in the warmer months across temperate and warmer regions.

Most cut flowers sold in the UK are air-freighted and sprayed. Three questions tell you if a stall is a grower or a reseller.

Did you grow these, or buy them in?

Passing answerThey name their own plot or field, and can tell you what was cut this morning.

Walk away ifA vague "from our supplier" with no farm named. That is almost always imported, air-freighted stock.

Are these in season here right now?

Passing answerThey point to what is genuinely in season, dahlias in late summer, tulips in spring.

Walk away ifRoses and exotics available all year round, which means flown in, high water, often out of a cold chain.

Were any dyes or sprays used?

Passing answerNo dyes, minimal or no spray, stems that look like they grew rather than were painted.

Walk away ifDyed or glittered stems, or no idea what was sprayed on them.