Right now, in September: Plant overwintering onion sets; harvest squash and the last of the tomatoes.

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Find what you can grow

Grow Food on a Balcony

Grow real, edible dwarf French beans on your balcony — a quick safety check first, then straight into growing your own food, start to harvest.

This course is built around one project — dwarf French beans, grown in a single container. There's no crop to choose between, so you can get straight into it.

  • Beginner level
  • 4 modules, 9 lessons
  • 1 core project — dwarf French beans
  • Self-paced — go whenever you're ready

Two quick checks first — permission and structural safety — then you're straight into growing. If your balcony genuinely isn't suitable, the course tells you plainly rather than letting you find out the hard way.

This course is completely free to follow. Reading the lessons takes well under an hour in total; actually growing the beans takes a full UK growing season, with a few minutes' attention most days. You'll need one container, peat-free multi-purpose compost and a packet of dwarf French bean seeds — as a rough example, that's commonly somewhere around £15–£30 in total from a UK garden centre or DIY store, though prices vary by retailer and this isn't a guaranteed cost. Ongoing care (watering, occasional feed) depends on your own weather and conditions, not a fixed schedule.

Start the course →See the full curriculum ↓

What you'll be working towards

A balcony that's safely and permittedly producing food you'd genuinely choose to grow again — real beans, from a plant you grew yourself, once you've established it's right for your space.

Course curriculum

Four modules, 9 lessons, one core project. Click a module to see its lessons.

  1. 1Is your balcony right for this?Quick checks on permission and safety, then a real decision — before choosing anything.
    1. Check Permission and Safety
    2. Decide If — and How — to Proceed
  2. 2Set up safelyChoose a stable container and position, then choose your one core project — dwarf French beans.
    1. Choose Your Container and Position
    2. Choose Your Crop
  3. 3Plant and care for itSow, water and feed your beans, and know what to do if something looks wrong.
    1. Plant Your Crop
    2. Keep It Growing
    3. What If Something Goes Wrong?
  4. 4Harvest and reflectRecognise a genuine first harvest, and reflect honestly on what you learned.
    1. Your First Harvest
    2. What Did This Teach You, and What's Next?

Before you begin

  • Confirmed permission to grow on your balcony, or a route to confirm it
  • Genuine confidence in your balcony's structural suitability, or a way to establish it
  • A stable container with drainage, and dwarf French bean seed
  • This course focuses on one project — there's no crop choice to make
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