It is not necessary to have an allotment to grow your own fresh, tasty vegetables. Having vegetables growing in containers on your backyard or patio is easy and convenient! Here are some of our recommended varieties that are specifically bred or suitable for growing in containers.
Cucumbers
- Cucumber Marketmore An excellent variety of cucumber for growing outdoors producing good-sized juicy cucumbers that are crisp with a fabulous flavour. Awarded the RHS Award Of Garden Merit (AGM).
- Cucumber Green Fingers F1 These are ideal for the children’s lunch box. Green Fingers produces small finger-sized 10cm or 4-inch cucumbers which have a smooth skin and are bitter free.
Leeks
- Leek King Richard An ideal variety for growing on the patio producing extra-long slim leeks that can be sown direct and do not require earthing up. Grow King Richard leeks close together for delicious baby leeks.
- Leek Volta F1 An early variety with a good long stem that can be sown direct and used as tasty baby leeks.
- Leek Tornado Suitable for growing as baby leeks, Tornado produces good long stems that have some rust resistance.
Lettuce
- Lettuce Little Gem A deliciously sweet and crisp small lettuce with a solid head which is ideal for growing in containers.
- Lettuce Tom Thumb A compact, small butterhead type lettuce which has lovely, crunchy but soft leaves and is perfect for close spacing.
- Mixed Salad Leaves Most of the seed suppliers to sell packets of mixed salad leaves which are ideal for container growing as a sprinkling of seeds will produce a harvest of various varieties, colours and flavours all in one container.
Mangetout
- Mangetout Oregon Sugar Pod This variety produces a heavy crop of large mangetout pea pods, also known as snow peas, which are crisp and delicious. The pods are stringless when young and are excellent stir-fried. Growing to 90cm or 36 inches simply give the plants some twiggy pea sticks for support.
- Mangetout Norli Norli is a true French type mangetout pea which produces small dark green pods that taste so sweet and crisp. This variety is resistant to fusarium wilt and grows to 60cm or 24 inches. Again give the plants a little support from twiggy pea sticks.
Marrow
- Marrow Baby Bush A bush type marrow plant producing a great harvest of tasty baby marrows which are approximately three quarters the size of standard marrows.
Pak Choi
- Pak Choi Green Revolution F1 This is a compact variety of pak choi, which is slow to bolt, can be used as a tasty ‘baby leaf’ in salads or the heads can be left to mature.
- Pak Choi Hanakan F1 When mature Hanakan produces gorgeous green leaf baby heads of Pak Choi which are fabulous in stir-fries.
Peas
- Pea Kelvedon Wonder A prolific cropping dwarf variety of pea producing huge crops of pods containing approximately seven extremely tasty peas that grow to just 45cm or 18 inches in height. Give some support with twiggy pea sticks. Resistant to pea wilt and tolerant to downy mildew. Awarded the RHS Award Of Garden Merit (AGM).
- Pea Half Pint Half Pint is a wonderful dwarf variety which will grow to only 30cm or 12 inches in height and requires no support. Continous picking of the pea pods will prolong the harvest. A great variety for children to grow.