Want quick results? Then get sowing some speedy veg!
French beans
Why grow them? Just one plant gives a succession of handfuls of fresh beans and they take up little room on the veg plot if grown close together. Seeds are large and easy to sow. How to grow: Sow indoors now, two seeds to a 5cm (2in) pot and keep them at 20C (68F). Harden them off and plant out in a sunny spot after the risk of frost has gone. Time to harvest: 65 days after sowing.
Radishes
Why grow them? These roots add strong flavour and colour to salads and are hardy so you can grow them in a cold greenhouse if there’s no room indoors. How to grow: Sow seeds thinly in a 20-30cm (8-12in) pot of watered, multi-purpose compost. Cover the seeds, keep the pot somewhere well-lit and water compost when dry.
Time to harvest:
30 days after sowing.
Salad leaf mixes
Why grow them? They can be grown in the smallest of spaces; all you need is a spare 20cm (8in) pot and some windowsill space. A lot of money can be saved on expensive supermarket salad leaves because the harvest is continual.
How to grow: Sprinkle the seed evenly over the compost surface and cover the seeds with sieved compost. Water the pot from the bottom and keep it somewhere well-lit. Water each time the compost dries out.
Time to harvest: 28 days after sowing