Growing even a small amount of your own food is rewarding, economical and genuinely satisfying. You don't need much space — a few containers on a patio will do.
The best beginner crops
- Salad leaves: sow direct, harvest in 4–6 weeks, sow again. Fast, easy, expensive to buy.
- Courgettes: plant one or two in early June. They'll produce more than you can eat.
- French beans: high yield, few pests, grow in containers.
- Tomatoes: grow in pots on a sunny patio. Cherry varieties are most reliable.
- Radishes: ready in 4 weeks. Brilliant for impatient gardeners.
Key timing (UK)
Most vegetables are sown indoors from February to April and planted out after the last frost (mid-May in most of the UK). Check the Royal Horticultural Society website (rhs.org.uk) for crop-by-crop guidance.