How does Rest Less make money
We make money through advertising and commission from affiliate links, which enable us to offer Rest Less as a free service to our users. The content on this page may use affiliate links, which track traffic from our website to a third party provider and enable us to receive a commission or payment from any traffic we refer.
* Affiliate links on this page have an * next to them. We place enormous importance on our editorial independence and the integrity of our content which means that we will never change how we write about something as a result of an affiliate link.
If you’ve always dreamt of growing your own vegetables, you’ll be pleased to know it’s probably easier than you think.
Home-grown veg just tastes better than shop-bought produce. Plus, it’s cheaper, greener, and helps you avoid unnecessary chemicals. There’s something satisfying about cooking and eating food you’ve grown yourself – and if that weren’t enough to tempt you, growing your own veg is a great way to stay active.
Of course, some plants are easier to grow than others, so if you don’t have much gardening experience, it’s best to start with produce that’s simple to nurture. But the good news is that these include some of the most delicious and nutritious veggies!
Our guide to the 10 easiest-to-grow veggies will help you create your own kitchen garden.
1. Beetroot
If you’ve never eaten homegrown beetroot, get ready for a treat!
Garden-fresh beetroot is far tastier than the packaged stuff you get in shops, and growing your own means you’ll have a glut ready to roast, eat fresh in salads, or turn into soup. Plus, beetroot is packed with vitamins A and C, is high in fibre, and is a beautiful way to add colour to your dishes.
Beetroot is also compact and easy to grow, so it’s ideal if you’re a beginner with a smaller garden. Beetroot seeds do well when sown into the ground from March to July, so now is an ideal time to start your crop. It usually takes around two months before beets are ready to eat, and you can pull them up when they’re about the size of a golf ball.
Some of the easiest beetroot varieties include ‘Boltardy’, which has a classic deep red flesh, while ‘Boldor’ has vivid orange flesh and a sweeter flavour. For a gorgeous range of colours, you can try a rainbow mix. And make sure you keep the leaves, as these are delicious sautéed until tender!
To learn more about growing beetroot, check out this RHS guide.
2. Salad leaves
If you’re excited about growing vegetables and don’t want to wait long to sample your produce, you might like to grow some salad leaves. These are some of the fastest-growing veggies, with some varieties ready to eat in three weeks.
You don’t even need a garden to grow many types of salad. If you’re a fan of rocket, just sow the leaves into a pot of compost and pop it on a sunny windowsill.
If you’re looking to grow lettuce, it’ll take around six weeks. It’s best grown outside, either in patio containers, window boxes, raised beds, or straight into the ground from spring to autumn.
You could try growing a range of different leaves so your salads always have different colours, textures, and flavours – or you could just grow mixed varieties, like ‘Nice ‘n’ Spicy’ or ‘Crunchy Blend’. Bear in mind, however, that you’ll probably need to protect your lettuce from slugs and snails.
To find out more about growing your own salad leaves, check out this RHS guide.
3. Radishes
Another vegetable that’s incredibly easy to grow is the humble radish, which is also one of the quickest to grow from seed.
Radishes can be ready just 24 days after sowing, and their light, peppery flavour and crunchy texture are an excellent way to spruce up salads. They’re also delicious in stir-fries, noodle soups, or sliced on top of avocado toast.
You can sow seeds directly into the ground or a pot – just keep them about two inches apart in loose soil. One of the reasons radishes are so easy to grow is that they’re hardy plants that require very little maintenance and don’t usually struggle with pests or frosts. Because they also like cool weather, you can sow them well into autumn, but seeds sown in spring and summer usually do best.
One of the most popular radish varieties is ‘French Breakfast’ – which has crisp red and white roots – while ‘Scarlet Globe’ is a vibrant crimson with white flesh. The ‘Pink Beauty’, ‘Easter Egg’, and ‘Valentine’s Day’ varieties are easy to grow, too, and if you’re looking for a bright selection of colours, try ‘Rainbow Mixed’.
For more on growing your own radishes, have a read of this RHS guide.
4. Courgettes
Courgettes are known for being one of the easiest vegetables to grow from seed. They just need some well-composted soil, sunshine, and plenty of space – and just one plant will produce an abundant crop. If you have two plants, you’ll have so many courgettes you’ll likely need to start sharing them with your neighbours!
For best results, the RHS recommends sowing your courgette seeds indoors in April or early May, before planting them outside in early summer. Or, if you’d like to sow them directly into the ground outside, try this once the soil has had a chance to warm up in late May or early June.
If you’re planting in soil, try to leave at least three feet between seeds so there’s room to grow. Courgettes love moisture, so be sure to water them regularly.
If you end up with too many courgettes, just pick them when they’re really small. Baby ones are delicious in pasta and salads. The ‘Defender’ variety grows well in the UK and is great for small spaces, but you might like a yellow crop like ‘Gold Rush’. Just make sure you don’t throw away the flowers, as they’re delicious stuffed and fried.
For more details on growing courgettes, check out this RHS guide.
5. Tomatoes
Fresh, juicy, and sweet, tomatoes are a great source of folate, vitamin C, and potassium – and growing your own means you’ll always have some to cook with or pop into sandwiches and salads.
If you choose the right type of tomato, they’re also easy to grow from seed or as small plants from garden centres.
If you’re growing from seed, it’s best to choose a low-maintenance bush variety rather than a cordon type. Cordon tomatoes grow up to six feet and need tall supports, whereas bush tomatoes are shorter and wider, so they grow easily in pots and baskets. They also don’t need much maintenance other than watering and feeding.
However, if you have a large garden or a greenhouse, you can grow either type – just bear in mind that tomatoes like lots of sun, whether it’s a bright windowsill or a sun-drenched patch of garden. The ‘Romello’, ‘Red Profusion’, ‘Balconi Red’, ‘Alicante’, and ‘Tumbling Tom’ varieties are some of the easiest tomatoes to grow.
The RHS recommends sowing tomato seeds in late winter if you’re growing them in a greenhouse. But if you’re nurturing your crop outside, early spring is better.
For more on growing tomatoes, have a read of this RHS guide.
6. Peas
If you love peas, wait until you try them freshly picked from your garden. Peas grow easily in the UK, and our cool, damp climate means we can pick from a variety of delicious peas, including shelling peas, mangetout, and sugar snap pods.
If you have space in your garden, you can sow your pea seeds straight into the soil, supporting the growing plants with stakes and canes. But you can also grow peas in containers – just be sure to choose a compact variety that doesn’t require the same support. Peas take around two to three months to be ready, and the more you pick, the more peas your plants will produce.
And, more good news is that you can sow peas nearly all year round. RHS advice suggests that, if you’d like to start growing from February to March, sow seeds under cover to prevent rot. Though from late March, you can sow them directly into the soil outdoors.
For lovely plump peas, you might like to try ‘Kelvedon Wonder’, or if you’re growing in a container, the ‘Half Pint’ variety is a safe bet. For an abundance of shelling peas, try ‘Rondo’ – or, for something totally different, try the mangetout ‘Shiraz’, which has deep purple pods.
Whatever type of pea you choose to grow, try to use it as quickly as possible once picked, as they don’t have much of a shelf life.
To find out more about growing your own peas, check out this RHS guide.
7. Onions and spring onions
Onions are one of the most versatile vegetables, and growing your own means you’ll always have some on hand to use in your cooking.
You can grow onions from seed, but the easiest and quickest way is from immature bulbs called sets. For best results, plant an onion set into the earth sometime between late winter and mid-spring and watch it grow.
You can plant onions throughout spring and into late summer, though if you go for the latter, they won’t be ready until the following spring. Your onions are ready to pull up when the leaves become floppy and turn yellow. For a colourful mix of red, white, yellow, and pink onions, try a four-colour mix.
Alternatively, you could plant spring onions. Despite their delicate appearance, spring onions are very hardy, and even frosts and icy temperatures usually won’t kill them. You can sow spring onions into late autumn and have your first crop ready for early spring. If you’re planting in late summer or autumn, try the ‘White’ Lisbon variety.
To find out more about growing onions, have a read of this RHS guide. Or, if you’d like to plant some spring onions, check out this advice from Love the Garden.
8. Kale
Aside from being one of the most famous superfoods (kale is packed with vitamins A, C, and K, as well as manganese, calcium, and potassium), kale is incredibly versatile. It’s delicious in salads, stews, pastas, and smoothies, and can be baked, fried, steamed, or sautéed. It’s also surprisingly easy to grow!
Kale is a compact crop, so it can grow in pots, containers, and the ground. It has very few issues with diseases or pests, is hardy, and can tolerate all kinds of temperatures – it even tastes better after a few frosts! You can harvest kale at many stages, and its flowers and buds are also delicious.
If you prefer to eat younger leaves, you may only have to wait two months for your first crop to be ready. Cavolo Nero (or black kale) is one of the best varieties. Other good varieties include ‘Meadowlark’, ‘Kapitan’, ‘Curly Roja’, ‘Reflex’, and ‘Black Tuscan Lacinato’.
You can sow kale seeds directly into the ground from late spring to early summer. For more on growing kale, have a read of this RHS guide.
9. Green beans
Green beans are another popular choice for new gardeners because they only need sunlight and moderately rich soil to flourish. Even when the soil isn’t of good quality, they can still do well because they fix the nitrogen levels as they grow.
There are two types of green beans: bush beans and pole beans (aka climbing beans). Bush beans work well in small spaces and can grow in containers, pots and the ground. Climbing beans grow vertically, so they’re great if you don’t have much room, though they need tall, sturdy supports. They can also grow in pots, as well as on the ground.
Green beans are packed with vitamin C, folate, and vitamin K, and their plants are generous yielders, so you’ll have plenty of delicious fresh beans to use up in your kitchen. Easy varieties to grow include ‘Blue Lake’, ‘Provider’, ‘Cobra’, ‘Contender’, ‘Maxibel’, ‘Dragon Tongue’, and ‘Tongue of Fire’.
The RHS recommends sowing outdoors from early spring to late summer. For more on growing green beans, check out this RHS guide.
10. Swiss chard
Swiss chard (or just chard) is a member of the beetroot family, though its dark leaves and mild flavour are more similar to spinach. It’s one of the most beautiful vegetables you can grow, with stalks coming in gorgeous jewel colours – from ruby red to pomegranate pink and golden yellow.
Though its deep green leaves are similar to spinach, it’s easier to grow because it’s much hardier, and you can sow seeds straight into the ground from March to July. It can tolerate high and low temperatures, and a single sowing will mean you can enjoy chard for many months. Chard grows best when planted directly in the ground, though if you’re growing in winter, you’ll probably need a greenhouse.
Chard is also a superfood packed with vitamins A, C, and K. Young leaves are delicious eaten raw in salads, while larger leaves are better cooked. Try the ‘Bright Lights’ variety for an array of rainbow-coloured stems, ‘Charlotte’ for striking red stems and veins, and ‘Bright Yellow’ for golden yellow stems and green leaves.
For more on growing Swiss chard, check out this RHS guide.
Final thoughts…
Growing vegetables is something many of us have always wanted to do, but never got around to. If you don’t have much gardening experience, it can be difficult to know where to start, but you definitely don’t need a green thumb to grow your own produce.
You don’t even need a garden to grow veggies. Depending on the plant, a balcony or sunny windowsill is enough to begin creating your kitchen garden. Food always tastes better when it’s homegrown – and growing your own veg from scratch won’t only help you save money, it’ll encourage you to eat more sustainably, too.
And if that weren’t reason enough to pop to your local garden centre, remember that gardening is known as a relaxing and meditative activity – so the whole process may help you de-stress, too.
For more outdoor inspiration, why not visit our gardening section? Or you might like to check out our upcoming gardening events over on Rest Less Events.
Do you grow veg at home? Or are you thinking about giving it a go? We’d love to hear your growing experiences in the comments below.
* Links with an * by them are affiliate links which help Rest Less stay free to use as they can result in a payment or benefit to us. You can read more on how we make money here.
Start your new chapter abroad with this free retirement guide
With Your Overseas Home, you will receive honest guidance, expert advice and a helping hand every step of the way.
Download the free guide to find out how to cut everyday living costs, get tax, pension and visa checklists, and discover top tips from the expat community.
Join the discussion
Read our full commenting terms and guidelines