If you are new to growing your own produce or just want maximum results for minimum effort then you may want to start out with easy to grow fruits, vegetables and herbs. The only trouble is, once you’ve tasted home grown you’ll soon want to branch out!
The plants listed below generally require little more than planting in the right place, keeping the soil moist and feeding where necessary. Many of them are also available as young plants by mail order or from your local garden centre, making it even easier for you to get started.
The Usual Suspects:
Strawberries: Protect from slugs and birds and you’ll be fine.
Tomatoes: There are so many varieties to choose from you are sure to be able to get hold of a variety that will suit your growing conditions and give a good crop.
Potatoes: Grow in pots or in the veg plot.
Radishes: Quick and easy, only 4-6 weeks from sowing to harvesting.
Lettuce: If grown in containers you can avoid the main pests.
Beetroot: Generally trouble free, plus you get to make Borscht with fresh beetroot for the very best flavour.
Courgettes: If you’ve got room in the garden then choose a mosaic virus resistant variety and you should have a trouble free crop.
Easier than you might think:
Blueberries: Require acid (ericaceous) soil, but generally trouble free with good crops once established.
Raspberries: Autumn fruiting varieties will reward you well if you feed and water them.
Sweet Peppers (Capsicums): These have the advantage of looking pretty too.
Chilli Peppers: Just 1 plant should be enough and they look good enough to grow in a pot and use as a centre piece on the patio table.
Physalis: As easy as tomatoes. Buy the dwarf variety for maximum ease.
Mushrooms: Button mushrooms and Oyster mushrooms are available in easy to grow kits.