Three Tasty Veggies You Can Grow Anywhere This Summer
Nothing beats the taste of homegrown vegetables. Here are three summer veggies that are easy to grow in your garden, or in planters or pots.
1. Lettuce
Lettuce is the easiest veg to grow bar none. Although usually thought of as a garden veg, lettuce will grow just as happily in planters and pots (minimum 15cm soil depth). You can grow it indoors, too.
There are dozens of different lettuce varieties. Planting a few different ones together will add colour, interest and extra taste to your summer salads.
Loose-leaf lettuces are easier and quicker to grow than hearting varieties. (With loose-leaf lettuce, you can cut a few leaves as needed, and the plant will keep growing.)
2. Carrots
Carrots are so versatile. They can be used in a salad, a Sunday roast, a healthy smoothie or eaten raw.
Plant carrots in light, well-drained, stone-free soil. If you’re using pots or planters, ensure that there is at least 30cm of soil or compost depth.
As well as classic orange carrots, be adventurous and try the so-called rainbow varieties – white, yellow, red or purple carrots.
3. Green beans
Green beans (or French beans) can cost a small fortune in supermarkets, as they’re often imported from warmer climes. But they grow perfectly well during the British summer. They bring flowers and colour to your space too.
If you’re short on space, choose a dwarf variety. These will grow to 40cm or so at most. If you have a larger area, climbing varieties can grow to 1.5m or more. They’ll need canes or nets to support them as they grow.
Harvesting the beans as soon as they’re ready to eat will encourage the plant to produce more.
Tips for summer veggie success
While you can speed things up by buying seedlings from garden centres, growing from seed is cheaper.
Sow a few seeds every week from now until August. This will give you a plentiful supply of fresh veg right up until early autumn.
For perfect vegetables, follow the watering, planting and care instructions on the seed packets carefully.
We hope you’ve found these ideas interesting and inspiring. If you know someone who might like them, please feel free to share.