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Ten easy vegetables
Many of the reliable and popular vegetables suggested here can easily be harvested in three months from sowing to provide nourishing, home-grown produce
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For an easy vegetable garden choose plants that can be sown directly where they are to be harvested with little or no thinning. Large seeds, such as beans, are easy to sow, and courgettes, pumpkins, and squashes can be sown singly in pots under glass. Station sow easy-to-handle seeds, such as beetroot or lettuce, at their final spacing, sowing two or more seeds and thinning to the strongest.
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Runner beans on a simple wigwam support.
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Pumpkins and squashes
Most of these form large, trailing plants that can be trained in circles, over strong supports or left to sprawl. Sow the large seeds in pots in mid- to late spring or in situ in early summer. They require a moist soil and plenty of sun.
Early potatoes
For a supply of new potatoes, grow early potatoes that are harvested before potato blight or drought become problems. Plant chitted tubers from early spring for first earlies, early to mid-spring for second earlies, and harvest in 13 weeks.
Courgettes and marrows
Marrows usually trail, and courgettes are mostly bushy and are harvested young. Sow in situ after all danger of frost has passed, from late spring, or individually in pots in mid-spring for planting out. Harvest 10-14 weeks from sowing.
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Lettuce
Choose small lettuces such as 'Tom Thumb' or 'Little Gem' for low wastage, harvesting 8-14 weeks from sowing. Sow in fertile, moisture-retentive soil with lots of compost. Start sowing from early spring, thinning early.
Beans
French beans need rich, well-drained soil. To avoid staking, choose dwarf cultivars like 'Purple Queen'. Sow outdoors in late spring to early summer, once the soil has warmed up, for harvest in 8-12 weeks.
Runner beans are easy, attractive, and prolific, needing daily harvesting. Sow in a well-prepared, sheltered site when the soil is warm from late spring to early summer. Harvest after 12-14 weeks.
Broad beans are the hardiest beans. Dwarf cultivars require less space or staking. Sow from early to late spring for harvest 14 weeks from sowing.
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Harvest round beetroot from 11 weeks after sowing
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Beetroot
The seed of beetroot is easy to station sow, but can be tricky to germinate. Sow from early spring and thin early. Choose cultivars resistant to bolting, such as 'Boltardy'. Harvest round cultivars from 11 weeks after sowing.
Radishes
Sow radishes fortnightly from early spring for a continuous crop; sow thinly to avoid the need for thinning. They should be ready in 3-4 weeks
Garlic and shallots
Garlic needs a well-drained, sunny site. Plant in late autumn; in heavy soils grow in modules outside and plant in spring. Lift and store from midsummer when the foliage starts to yellow. Shallots from sets in late winter to early spring yield 8-12 shallots per set after 18 weeks.
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