Crop guides
Everything from sowing to storage — and who near you is growing it right now.
140 crops
Acorn squash
Small, ribbed winter squash with sweet flesh for roasting.
Alpine strawberries
Tiny, intensely flavoured berries on compact plants suited to edging and pots.
Apples
A British garden staple, providing delicious fruit for eating, cooking, and juicing. With thousands of varieties, there's an apple for every taste and garden size.
Asparagus
A true garden luxury, asparagus is a long-term investment, taking 2-3 years to establish, but then providing delicious spears for 20+ years. Requires patience but is surprisingly low maintenance once established.
Aubergines
Exotic and elegant, aubergines (eggplants) are a challenge but deeply rewarding in the UK. They demand consistent warmth, making a greenhouse or polytunnel essential for success.
Basil
The aromatic star of Italian cuisine, basil thrives in warmth and sunshine. Best grown from seed or young plants, it provides fragrant leaves perfect for pestos, salads, and garnishes.
Beefsteak tomatoes
Large, fleshy tomatoes for slicing; give each heavy truss sturdy support.
Beetroot
A versatile and nutritious root vegetable, beetroot is known for its vibrant colour and earthy-sweet flavour. Easy to grow and quick to mature, it's a great choice for beginners.
Blackberries
Vigorous, sprawling canes that produce abundant, sweet-tart berries. Cultivated varieties are often thornless and offer larger, more reliable crops than wild ones.
Blackcurrants
Hardy bushes producing intensely flavoured, vitamin C-rich berries. Relatively low-maintenance once established, perfect for jams, juices, and desserts.
Blueberries
Delicious, antioxidant-rich berries. They require acidic soil, making them a specific but rewarding crop for UK gardeners, especially in pots.
Borage
Blue edible flowers beloved by pollinators and useful beside strawberries.
Borlotti beans
Strikingly beautiful pods and delicious, creamy beans make borlotti a rewarding crop. Grown for their shelling beans, they are a staple in Mediterranean cooking, perfect fresh or dried.
Broad beans
A traditional spring vegetable, broad beans are surprisingly easy to grow and offer a satisfying harvest. The fresh, tender beans are delicious shelled and lightly cooked.
Broccoli
A healthy and delicious brassica, forming a central 'head' of florets. While requiring a little patience, home-grown broccoli is far superior to shop-bought.
Brussels sprouts
A classic winter vegetable, much maligned but delicious when home-grown. Requires a long growing season but provides a harvest when little else is available.
Butternut squash
A popular winter squash, butternut offers sweet, nutty-flavoured flesh that's fantastic roasted or in soups. It needs a long, warm growing season and plenty of space to sprawl, but the reward is a prolific harvest of nutrient-rich fruits.
Cabbage
A versatile and rewarding brassica, offering varieties for spring, summer, and winter harvest. From crisp green to vibrant red, a garden staple.
Calabrese
The familiar green broccoli head, followed by smaller side shoots after cutting.
Calendula
Often called Pot Marigolds, Calendula is a hardy annual with cheerful orange and yellow daisy-like flowers. Known for its medicinal properties and edible petals, it's a great choice for cottage gardens and companion planting.
Cape gooseberries
Golden, sweet-tart fruits wrapped in papery husks; a rewarding greenhouse crop.
Carrots
Sweet, crunchy and far better fresh than shop-bought. Loves light, stone-free soil.
Cauliflower
A rewarding but sometimes tricky brassica, requiring consistent conditions to form perfect white 'curds'. Different varieties for spring, summer, and winter harvests.
Cayenne chillies
Long, slender hot chillies that dry well for flakes and powder.
Celeriac
A unique root vegetable with a knobbly, edible root (or 'corm') and a distinctive celery-like flavour. It's a long-season crop that requires patience and consistent moisture, but rewards with a delicious, versatile harvest.
Celery
A challenging but rewarding crop, requiring consistent moisture and rich soil to produce crisp, tender stems. Trench varieties need blanching.
Chamomile
Small daisy-like flowers harvested for fragrant herbal tea.
Cherries
Beautiful blossom in spring followed by delicious, jewel-like fruit in summer. Sweet cherries are a delightful treat, while sour cherries are excellent for cooking.
Cherry tomatoes
Small, sweet, and incredibly prolific, cherry tomatoes are a joy to grow. Perfect for snacking, salads, and often easier than larger varieties, making them a great choice for beginners.
Chillies
From mild to fiery, chillies are a rewarding crop for those who enjoy a bit of spice. They thrive in warmth, making a greenhouse or sunny windowsill ideal in the UK.
Chinese cabbage
Tender, upright heads for slaws, stir-fries and fermentation.
Chives
A perennial, onion-flavoured herb, chives are a delightful and easy-to-grow addition to any garden or kitchen. Their delicate flavour and edible purple flowers make them a versatile culinary and ornamental plant.
Collard greens
Large, tender brassica leaves that keep cropping into cooler weather.
Coriander
A dual-purpose herb, offering fresh leaves and flavourful seeds. Coriander is essential in many cuisines, but it can be a little temperamental as it's prone to bolting (flowering) quickly.
Cornflowers
Blue edible flowers for pollinators, salads and cut-flower bunches.
Cosmos
Airy flowers that keep pollinators visiting the vegetable patch.
Courgettes
One plant feeds a street. Famously generous — check daily or you'll grow marrows.
Cranberries
Low-growing berries for acidic, consistently moist beds or containers.
Cucumbers
A rewarding, heat-loving crop. Choose outdoor varieties for growing outside in the UK, or greenhouse types for prolific, blemish-free fruit.
Daikon radish
Long white radishes for autumn harvest; crisp and milder than small summer radishes.
Dill
A delicate, feathery annual herb with a distinctive fresh, slightly anise-like flavour. Dill is best known for its use with fish, pickles, and potatoes, and its attractive umbel flowers are great for pollinators.
Dwarf French beans
Compact, productive beans that need little support and suit raised beds.
Edamame soya beans
Fresh green soya beans harvested young for their plump pods.
Edible violas
Small colourful edible flowers suited to pots and cool-season salads.
Elderberries
Flowering shrubs whose dark autumn berries are used cooked in cordials and preserves.
Elephant garlic
Very large, mild bulbs from a plant closer to a leek than true garlic.
Endive & chicory
These slightly bitter leafy greens add a zing to salads. Endive is open-leaved, while chicory can be forced for blanched chicons. Often grown for autumn/winter harvests.
Figs
These exotic-looking trees can thrive in the UK with the right care, offering delicious, sweet fruit. Best grown against a sunny wall or in a pot.
Florence fennel
Crisp, anise-scented bulbs that thrive in cool, shortening days.
French beans
Easy to grow and highly productive, French beans (also known as green beans or common beans) come in climbing ('pole') or bushy ('dwarf') varieties. Deliciously crisp pods are perfect steamed, stir-fried, or in salads.
French tarragon
An aromatic perennial herb for sauces; true French tarragon is grown from plants.
Garlic
Easy to grow and very rewarding, garlic prefers to be planted in autumn for best results in the UK. Each clove planted grows into a full bulb, ready for harvest in summer.
Ginger
A warm-climate rhizome that can be grown in pots in a greenhouse or bright room.
Gooseberries
Thorny but rewarding bushes producing tangy to sweet berries perfect for pies, crumbles, and jams. Easy to grow and tolerant of various conditions.
Grapes
Grow your own grapes for eating or wine, even in the UK! Choose disease-resistant outdoor varieties for best success. A beautiful climber for walls and pergolas.
Ground cherries
Small sweet husk fruits that fall from the plant when ripe.
Habanero chillies
Very hot, fruity chillies that need a long, warm growing season.
Horseradish
A perennial root known for its pungent flavour, horseradish adds a fiery kick to dishes. Extremely easy to grow, but can be very invasive, so careful siting is essential. Grow it once, and you'll likely have it forever!
Jalapeños
Medium-heat chillies that can be picked green or allowed to ripen red.
Jerusalem artichokes
Despite the name, these are not artichokes and not from Jerusalem! They are tubers related to sunflowers, producing tall stalks with edible, knobbly roots. Easy to grow, but can be invasive, so plant with care.
Kale
The toughest crop on the plot — picks right through frost and snow when nothing else does.
Kiwiberries
Small smooth-skinned kiwis on vigorous climbing vines.
Kohlrabi
An unusual but delicious brassica, forming an edible swollen stem that tastes like a mild, sweet turnip or cabbage heart. Quick-growing and versatile.
Komatsuna
A quick Japanese leafy brassica, good raw when young or cooked when mature.
Lamb’s lettuce
A hardy, mild winter salad leaf for cool-season picking.
Leeks
A winter stalwart, leeks are incredibly hardy and can be left in the ground until needed. Their mild, sweet flavour improves after a frost. They require a long growing season but are relatively unfussy.
Lemon balm
A hardy perennial herb with lemon-scented leaves for teas and salads.
Lettuce
The fastest reward in the garden. Sow a short row every fortnight for constant salad.
Loganberries
Tart, deep-red berries on vigorous trailing canes.
Lovage
A tall perennial herb with strongly celery-scented leaves.
Mangetout & sugar snap
Deliciously sweet and tender, these peas are picked and eaten pod and all. Quick to grow and highly productive, they're perfect for stir-fries or eating raw straight from the plant.
Marigolds
Known for their vibrant orange and yellow blooms, marigolds are popular for their cheerfulness, ease of growth, and pest-repelling properties. Available in French (Tagetes patula) and African (Tagetes erecta) varieties.
Marrows
A traditional British allotment favourite, marrows are large, versatile members of the squash family. Best picked young for best flavour, they are easy to grow and highly productive. They need space to sprawl.
Melons
Growing your own sweet, juicy melons in the UK can be a challenge, but highly rewarding. They need maximum sun, warmth, and protection, typically grown in a greenhouse or polytunnel, or against a south-facing wall in a very sheltered spot.
Microgreens
Tiny, tender seedlings harvested shortly after cotyledons (first leaves) appear, offering intense flavour and high nutritional value. Quick and easy to grow indoors.
Mint
A wonderfully aromatic and versatile herb, perfect for drinks, desserts, and savoury dishes. Mint is incredibly easy to grow but can be invasive, so container growing is often recommended.
Mixed salad leaves
A quick and easy crop for continuous harvests. Choose cut-and-come-again varieties for the longest picking season. Perfect for pots and small spaces.
Mizuna
Feathery Japanese mustard leaves with a gentle peppery bite.
Mulberries
A slow-growing tree with delicate dark fruit best eaten straight after picking.
Mustard greens
Fast-growing spicy leaves for salads and stir-fries.
Nasturtiums
Cheery, fast-growing plants with bright, peppery flowers and leaves. Edible from root to flower, they are a fantastic companion plant and add a zing to salads. Available in bush or trailing varieties.
New Zealand spinach
A sprawling summer green that tolerates heat better than true spinach.
Oca
Colourful knobbly tubers that form as days shorten in autumn.
Okra
Also known as 'lady's fingers', okra is a warm-weather crop that can be grown in the UK with the right conditions. It produces distinctive edible seed pods, ideal for stews and curries.
Onions
Low effort, long storing. A sack of home-grown onions carries you through winter.
Oregano
A fragrant, perennial herb essential in Mediterranean cooking. Easy to grow and thrives in sunny, dry conditions, making it perfect for herb gardens, pots, or rockeries.
Padrón peppers
Small frying peppers, mostly mild when picked young, with the occasional hot one.
Pak choi
A fast-growing, tender leafy vegetable with crisp white stems and dark green leaves. Best grown in spring and autumn to avoid bolting.
Paprika peppers
Sweet red peppers grown for drying and grinding into paprika.
Parsley
A kitchen staple, parsley is a versatile herb, beloved for its fresh, vibrant flavour. Available in curly-leaf and flat-leaf varieties, it's easy to grow and adds a touch of gourmet to any dish.
Parsnips
A classic winter root vegetable, parsnips offer a sweet, earthy flavour that deepens after a good frost. They are relatively easy to grow but require patience and good soil preparation.
Pattypan squash
Scalloped summer squash, best picked young while the skin is tender.
Pears
Sweet, juicy, and elegant, pears are a rewarding addition to the UK garden. Best eaten when slightly under-ripe and allowed to ripen off the tree.
Peas
Half never make it to the kitchen. Quick, generous and they feed the soil with nitrogen.
Plum tomatoes
Firm, oval tomatoes with little juice, ideal for sauces and roasting.
Plums
A versatile and rewarding fruit, producing juicy plums for eating fresh, cooking, jamming, or making wine. Many varieties are self-fertile, making them great for smaller gardens.
Potatoes
The most satisfying crop to harvest — tipping out a bucket of potatoes never gets old. Great for breaking in new ground.
Pumpkins
Synonymous with autumn and Halloween, pumpkins are fun to grow and impressively productive. Choose from carving varieties or smaller, sweeter types perfect for cooking. They need space and a long, warm growing season.
Purple sprouting broccoli
A hardy and highly rewarding brassica, delivering delicious purple spears in late winter and early spring when other fresh veg is scarce. Worth the wait!
Purslane
A heat-loving succulent salad leaf with a fresh, tangy crunch.
Quince
Fragrant golden fruit from a small tree, usually cooked into jellies or desserts.
Radishes
The speed demons of the vegetable patch, radishes offer a quick, peppery crunch. Perfect for succession planting, they can be harvested in just a few weeks, making them ideal for impatient gardeners.
Raspberries
Sweet, juicy berries that are a joy to pick straight from the cane. Available in summer-fruiting (floricane) and autumn-fruiting (primocane) varieties, offering a long harvest season.
Red onions
Adding colour and a milder flavour to dishes, red onions are a versatile crop. They can be grown from seed, sets (small bulbs), or young plants, and stored for months over winter.
Redcurrants
Elegant bushes producing glistening strings of tart, jewel-like berries. Ideal for jellies, sauces, and as a garnish, they are easy to grow and maintain.
Rhubarb
A traditional spring favourite, grown for its tangy, edible stalks. A long-lived perennial that provides a reliable harvest year after year with minimal effort.
Rocket
A fast-growing, peppery leaf that's easy to grow. Ideal for adding a spicy kick to salads. Prefers cooler weather.
Romanesco
Lime-green spiral heads with a nutty flavour; a striking cool-season brassica.
Rosemary
A fragrant, evergreen shrub offering aromatic leaves all year round. Rosemary is a Mediterranean herb, thriving in sunny, well-drained conditions, perfect for flavouring roasts, stews, and bread.
Runner beans
A wall of green with scarlet flowers, and buckets of beans from a tiny footprint.
Sage
A robust, shrubby perennial herb with velvety, aromatic leaves. Sage is a culinary stalwart, indispensable for flavouring meats, stuffings, and sauces, and it's also a beautiful addition to borders.
Salsify
A long, pale winter root with a delicate flavour; leave it in the ground until needed.
Scorzonera
A dark-skinned, hardy perennial root with tender, creamy flesh.
Shallots
Smaller and milder than onions, shallots are favoured by chefs for their delicate flavour. They produce clusters of bulbs from a single planted set, offering a good yield for the space.
Shishito peppers
Thin-walled Japanese frying peppers, mostly mild and prolific under cover.
Sorrel
A perennial leafy green with sharp, lemony leaves that reappear each spring.
Spaghetti squash
A winter squash whose cooked flesh separates into long strands.
Spinach
A nutritious and versatile leafy green, best grown in spring and autumn. Can be harvested young for salads or mature for cooking.
Spring onions
Quick and easy to grow, spring onions provide a continuous harvest of mild, pungent green stems and small white bulbs. Perfect for salads, stir-fries, and garnishes.
Strawberries
Warm from the plant, they taste nothing like supermarket punnets. Perfect for small spaces.
Sunflowers
Iconic, cheerful, and relatively easy to grow, sunflowers bring a splash of summer colour to any garden. Edible seeds are an added bonus for you and local wildlife.
Swede
Often confused with turnips, swede (or rutabaga) is a larger, hardier, and sweeter root crop with a distinctive purple-green 'shoulder'. It’s an excellent winter vegetable, improving in flavour after a frost.
Sweet peas
A cottage garden favourite, sweet peas offer an abundance of fragrant flowers in a rainbow of colours. Perfect for cutting and bringing indoors.
Sweet peppers
Bring a taste of the Mediterranean to your UK garden! Sweet peppers require warmth and patience but reward with colourful, crunchy fruits. Best grown in a greenhouse or polytunnel in most UK climates.
Sweet potatoes
Growing sweet potatoes in the UK is an exciting challenge for the adventurous gardener. They need a long, hot growing season, making a greenhouse or polytunnel almost essential for success.
Sweetcorn
Nothing beats the taste of freshly picked sweetcorn! A true summer treat, it needs a sunny, sheltered spot and reliable watering to thrive in the UK climate.
Swiss chard
A colourful and hardy leafy green, great for continuous harvests. Both leaves and stems are edible and highly nutritious. Looks ornamental in the garden.
Tatsoi
Glossy, spoon-shaped Asian greens forming attractive low rosettes.
Tayberries
A raspberry–blackberry cross with long, rich-flavoured summer berries.
Thyme
A low-growing, evergreen perennial herb known for its robust, earthy flavour. Thyme is a resilient plant, perfect for hot, sunny spots and excellent for culinary use in stews, roasts, and marinades.
Tomatillos
The essential ingredient for salsa verde, tomatillos are closely related to cape gooseberries. They are relatively easy to grow and thrive in similar conditions to tomatoes, requiring warmth and sun.
Tomatoes
The classic greenhouse and patio crop. Sweet, heavy cropping and endlessly variable — from tiny cherries to beefsteaks the size of a fist.
Turmeric
Golden rhizomes grown in warm pots; expect a long season in the UK.
Turnips
A fast-growing root crop, turnips can be harvested young for sweet, mild roots or left to mature for a more robust flavour. Both roots and greens are edible, offering dual value from a single plant.
Walking onions
Perennial onions that make small bulbils at the top of their stems.
Watercress
A peppery, nutrient-rich leafy green that loves water! Can be grown in damp soil or hydroponically in water. Excellent in salads and sandwiches.
Watermelon
While challenging, growing watermelons in the UK is possible with care, especially in a greenhouse or poly tunnel. They need consistent warmth, sun, and water to produce their sweet, refreshing fruit.
Yacon
Tall plants with crisp, sweet storage tubers; grown from crown divisions.
Yardlong beans
Heat-loving climbing beans with impressively long, tender pods.
Zinnias
Bright, long-lasting summer flowers for pollinators and cutting.