I started growing fruit and vegetables about 15yrs ago before I moved to my present home and back then I didn’t have a greenhouse or raised beds so I grew them in the flower beds and pots on the patio. These are my favourites!
Tomatoes 🍅
Tomatoes from my garden (August)
If I only grew one crop, tomatoes would be it! Home grown tomatoes taste far superior to any you can buy in the UK, they provide a huge harvest from a small space and never go to waste, as a glut can be easily used up in soup or chutney.
I don’t grow mine from seed as I like to have a few different varieties such as cherry, sun gold (yellow), plum, and beefsteak. So I buy a couple of plants from each variety from the garden centre in April. I buy cordon varieties which means they have a central stem and grown tall and upright. I plant them in large plastic pots which stand in a tray, using multi purpose compost with moisture control granules. I grow mine in a greenhouse, but if you are going to grow yours outside, wait till the end of May and choose a south facing spot next to a wall or fence for support. If you have a very small garden the tumbling tom variety can be grown in a hanging basket in even the smallest of spaces.
Upright tomatoes need to have their side shoots pinched out, there is a demonstration of this on my Instagram highlight HERE, scroll through to find it. All tomatoes needed watering regularly and feeding when the first fruit has set, again this is on the Veg growing highlight.
Click HERE for my Tomato and Chilli chutney recipe.
There is nothing as good as picking your own tomatoes and eating straight away and warm from the green house, in a simple tomato and mozzarella salad or as bruschetta.
Herbs
Herbs are the easiest way to have edibles in the garden. Rosemary, thyme, golden marjoram, chives, sage, bay and mint can all be planted in the flower beds, either all together to form a herb patch or dotted around between other shrubs and flowers. I always make sure there are some close to the kitchen door, you will thank yourself on a cold dark November evening when you need some thyme for a recipe! Alternatively, as they grow equally well in pots, I always plant mint in a pot before putting into the ground to stop it taking over the whole garden – its very invasive.
Other herbs such as coriander, basil, lemongrass and rocket need to be grown from seed as an annual, as they are too tender for our UK climate.
All herb plants need to be trimmed regularly, so picking often is required. I like to make a wreath from the pickings to dry in the kitchen, see my Herb Wreath Blog Post.
Courgettes
It wouldn’t be summer in my garden without courgettes. They are easy to grow and even the flowers can be eaten! I grow green and yellow varieties from seed. You can buy the plants from the garden centre and find other varieties like round ones. I choose mildew resistant seeds as my plants always get this fungal disease. I find the green courgettes produce more fruit so would recommend starting with these if you are a beginner. I plant the seedlings out into a raised bed in May, they are a greedy plant so add some veg compost (well rotted manure) before planting. I also push a plant pot into the ground next to each plant and water into the pot, this takes the water directly to the roots. The plants need about 2ft square each but can easily be planted in a flower bed (south facing).
My favourite recipe to use courgettes is Jamie Olivers courgette carbonara. The flowers can be used in this recipe along with thyme from the garden.
Mangetout peas
Mangetout peas are another productive and easy to grow crop. As you eat the whole pod, nothing is wasted, and the more you pick the more the plant grows.
I grow mangetout from seed. It is a hardy plant so can be sewn straight into the ground but I prefer to start the seeds in the greenhouse 5 to a pot, and plant the whole pot of seedlings into the ground in April.
The plants need a structure to grow up. I use sticks crossed with a cross pole, tied together with string and twigs in between so the plants tendrils can scramble up the structure. You could also grow these against a fence or wall with canes and string as support.
I usually harvest a good handful every other day from May onwards. Good in stir fries, Thai curry etc.
Chillies
Chillies are a great plant to grow for beginners, they only need relatively small pots, don’t mind if you forget to water them, produce lots of fruit and don’t get attacked by pests or disease. Chillies do need heat and sunlight, so if you don’t have a greenhouse they can grow on a kitchen windowsill.
I buy a selection of plants of different varieties from the garden centre. I don’t grow chillies from seed as I would end up with lots of plants of one variety and they are quite difficult to get to germinate.
I put them in 20cm pots in the greenhouse and water sparingly.
Chillies are fabulous in many dishes, we frequently make Indian and Mexican meals so use lots. At the end of the season chillies can be dried and make a lovely kitchen decoration, or added to a dried kitchen wreath.
I also grow…..
Some years I grow cucumber, squash, garlic, leeks, celeriac, french beans etc, but not every year as I don’t have a lot of space and I grow less if we will be away on holiday a lot during July and August as its too much to expect someone to look after them while we are away. This year I am trying Aubergine and baby sweet corn for a change. The Aubergines will be grown in the greenhouse and the baby sweet corn in the raised beds.
Advice for beginners
Grow what you eat.
Don’t grow too much to start with or you may get overwhelmed and end up putting yourself off the whole idea.
Plan where you will plant everything, how much space it will need, and if it will get enough sun.
Expect pests and disease. It’s impossible to know what your garden will be susceptible to, but its a certainty that slugs will have a nibble at something, its all a learning experience and part of the ‘fun’ of gardening. After the first year you will know what grows successfully in your garden, and what doesn’t.
You do not have to grow everything from seed. As I have said I buy my tomato and chilli plants, you can in fact buy most fruit and vegetable seedlings from garden centres.
Growing your own is not a competition, don’t compare yourself to others. Personally I absolutely love it, picking and eating your own home grown produce is a joy!
I have a highlight on Instagram under Veg Growing which shows my thought process and covers all the stages of tomato growing. Click HERE to watch.
Instagram accounts to follow
@linsdrabwell Lins tried growing here own last year, during lockdown, going from popping a few plants into the flower beds to building raised beds and now thinking about installing a greenhouse.
@naams_garden Naam has just got her first allotment and is documenting her growing experiences.
@growing_greenfield Diana has the most idyllic location and is creating a magical vegetable garden.
@lifeatnumberten Alison has just put some raised beds into her beautiful courtyard garden in Ireland, proving you don’t need a huge amount of space to grow your own.