Knowing where to start in any hobby can be tricky. But whether you’ve been dreaming of starting a garden for a long time or are picking it up as a New Years resolution, there are so many brilliant beginner plants you can get going with.
The start of the year can be a tricky time to start gardening, because the colder months are not ideal for many plants to grow. However, there are some plants and varieties that you can get started with in January and February, especially if you have a sunny windowsill or a greenhouse to protect delicate seedlings as they grow.
Lettuces
The brilliant thing about lettuces is that they’re easy to grow both inside and out, and many varieties will grow fast from seed. If you’re planting in January or February, you’re likely to need a cold frame, greenhouse or windowsill to grow them, to protect them from frosty nights. Having found the lettuces, you love in the early months, you’ll be able to plant crops of them outside later in the spring, to keep you in salad leaves all the way to summer.
There are so many varieties, leaf shapes and colours, and flavours to choose from. You may like to choose a range to start with, to find the ones you enjoy growing and eating the most.
Lettuce seeds are tiny. The packet will say how far apart to plant them, and how deep they should go. But don’t worry if your hand slips and you sprinkle more seeds than you had meant to – like with many crops, you can “thin them out” once they have sprouted to about an inch tall. This means picking out some of the seedlings to make room for the others to flourish.
Some varieties will be ready to harvest and eat in about a month, so it won’t be long before you’re tasting the fruits (or more accurately, the leaves) of your labour.
Radishes
Sticking with a delicious salad theme, radishes are another fast-growing tasty crop that is easy to care for. You can start your radish seedlings as early as February, though you’ll want to avoid frost, so again, a greenhouse or cold frame will be beneficial. It’s important to choose the right variety of radish for cold-season planting, so check the seed packets before you buy.
More organised radish growers will like to plant them in rows, about 1cm deep 10cm apart (again, check the seed packet for precise details for the variety you’ve chosen!) – but others will scatter seeds and thin them out once they have sprouted. Because it’s the root of vegetable we’re after here, the depth of planting will matter to how the radish forms.
Some varieties of radish will be ready to harvest in as little as four-to-six weeks, so get them in the soil in February for a fiery addition to your plate in March and April.
Herbs
Herbs are another great option for beginners, and can be grown indoors, on windowsills or in pots. The best place to start with herb selection is your kitchen – which herbs do you use the most? Basil, mint and parsley are all easy to grow and absolutely delicious in dishes.
Choose your seed packets and the placement of where you’d like to grow them. Follow the instructions for how to plant, and then remember to keep them watered as you go.
If you want to plant them out, make sure you choose the placement of them well. While some herbs thrive in a vegetable bed, make sure not to plant mint out, as many varieties will spread and become a problem for other plants you’re trying to grow. Traditionally mediterranean herbs like thyme and oregano need a lot of sun and heat, and less damp soil, while sage and rosemary often thrive in typical British conditions.
Tomatoes
You may have seen allotments or vegetable patches with large tomato vines growing. But don’t be daunted, growing tomatoes from seed is a brilliant introduction for new gardeners. For beginners, we recommend compact or cherry varieties that are easier to manage and don’t require frames.
You can start the seedlings indoors, and once the risk of frost is past, transplant them outside. If you do this, you’ll want to ‘harden the plants off’ for a few days, which means a gradual transition from inside to out when the time comes, by moving them outside during the day and back in at night. This is good to know right from the start, because it may inform which pots or trays you choose to plant your tomato seeds in. Maybe the big, heavy terracotta isn’t the right choice when you’ll need to move them around quite a bit!
Carrots
Another favourite crop for beginners, carrots require minimal care and can be grown in containers or in garden beds. Some varieties can be planted as early as February in greenhouses or in a cloche. One thing to think about is that carrots prefer cooler temperatures, so if you start carrots off in a greenhouse in colder months, they will not necessarily thrive there when the heat of summer arrives.
Beans
Beans can be fun for beginners because they are fast-growing and productive, and once you’ve set them up, don’t need a huge amount of maintenance to thrive. Pick the variety of beans you’d like – runner beans, green beans, whichever your favourite types to eat are – and get them planted in seed trays indoors or in a greenhouse, ready to plant out in the warmer months.
Sunflowers
If you’re looking for an easy flower to grow that brings joy and brightness to your garden as the year goes on, Sunflowers are a perfect choice. They are hardy and low maintenance, which means you don’t need the greenest of fingers for them to thrive. And best of all, they have such a joyful impact when they are in full bloom.
Choose a variety based on where you’d like to plant them out. Some can be incredibly tall, which is fun and impressive, but not ideal if your garden gets very windy. Plant inside in seed trays or small pots and keep them watered until the weather has warmed and you can plan them out.
These are just a few ideas, and really, there are no strict rules to follow as you start gardening. See what works for you. If you want to try a more challenging plant variety, go for it – just make sure to follow the instructions for the seeds you plant, with a specific eye on soil depth, light and heat, and how much water the seedlings like.
As you start your gardening journey, remember that it’s ok to get it wrong and start again. Some plants will thrive, others may not. Over time you’ll find out which plants do best in your garden, and what you get the most pleasure from cultivating. Good luck as you start gardening!