Right now, in November: Move tender containers somewhere frost-free; plan next year's crop rotation.

No Garden Required
Find what you can grow

New here?

Which space have you got?

Pick one. You'll get your first crop, three things to read in order, and nothing else.

Not sure, or got more than one? Answer three questions and we'll tell you what fits.

Windowsill

Your windowsill in three steps

Your first crop. Pea shoots: soak, sow on compost, cut in about three weeks. They grow happily all winter.

  1. Windowsill Herbs: Which Ones Survive Indoors (and Which Don't)
  2. Vegetables You Can Grow on a Windowsill (Not Just Herbs)
  3. Cut-and-Come-Again Salad: How Many Cuts to Expect
Cover of the Windowsill Starter Pack beside the UK Container Sowing CalendarWant all 12 weeks laid out?Windowsill Starter Pack, £6.5012 weeks of fresh food from one window. Start any month, even in winter.

Balcony

Your balcony in three steps

Your first crop. Garlic: plant five cloves in a pot this November and pick in July. Salad from March.

  1. Are Balcony Railing Planters Safe?
  2. North-Facing Balcony: What Will Grow in Shade
  3. A 2 m² Balcony Layout That Grows Real Food
Cover of the Balcony Starter Pack beside the UK Container Sowing CalendarWant all 12 weeks laid out?Balcony Starter Pack, £6.5012 weeks to your first harvest. No drilling, no digging, no experience.

Patio

Your patio in three steps

Your first crop. Garlic now, then potatoes in a bag from March. Both are hard to get wrong.

  1. Best Vegetables for Your First Patio Container Garden
  2. Growing Carrots, Beetroot and Potatoes in Pots: What Size You Need
  3. A Six-Pot Patio Plan for Your First Season
Cover of the Patio Starter Pack beside the UK Container Sowing CalendarWant all 12 weeks laid out?Patio Starter Pack, £6.50Potatoes, tomatoes, courgettes and strawberries from a few paving slabs.

Three habits for any space

Water by feel, not by schedule

Push a finger into the compost. Dry at fingertip depth? Water. Damp? Leave it.

The finger test →

Use fresh compost

Peat-free multi-purpose is fine for almost everything. Garden soil isn't.

Choosing compost →

Wait for the last frost

Tomatoes, courgettes, beans and basil go out from mid to late May.

Sowing calendar →