Spring is the best time to start vegetables growing Easy ones are: potatoes, cabbage, onions (from sets), peas, broad beans, french beans, climbing beans, salad leaves or lettuce, radishes, spring onions, beetroot, Chinese leaves of various sorts, kale, carrots, parsnips... If you are new to growing vegetables I would suggest buying a book a good one is 'Grow your own Vegetables' by Joy Larkcom, published by Frances Lincoln ISBN 9780711219632. Or look in a second hand bookshop for 'The Complete Vegetable Grower' W. E. Shewell-Cooper, published by Faber and Faber ISBN 0571047971

One of our members writes a blog once a month about growing by the moon. Her name is Moongrower. Google her name in the box, top right and when you get to moongrower click on her blogs. A list of blogs which she has written is on the right hand side. Click on November 2010 to get her blogs from then. Click on succeeding months and you will get lots of tips about what to grow and when and even how to harvest them. You may not want to grow by the moon but the information is still going to help you. If you do not fancy or do not have time to read all about it I grow potatoes. I try to get the seed as early as possible so that I can put them on a windowsill to chit - start growing. They get planted in March April depending on the weather. Depending on the size of your veg plot you may choose to grow only early or second early varieties. We found Vanessa particulary good as an early although it was later in being ready than most. Onion seed should be planted on the shortest day, so Boxing Day, and planted out when the weather gets warmer. Shallot sets can go in in February if there is no snow or frost on the ground when you do it. I sow carrots broadcast on top of a 40 gall plastic drum filled with a mixture of sand, compost and garden soil. It needs to be quite loose so the seeds can produce long carrots and because the top is higher than 2' above the ground it keeps carrot fly out. Lettuce I cheat and buy living salad in the supermarket and repot at 6" intervals in my big pots again. Used as cut and come again I have a lovely mix of salad leaves all summer. Hope this helps. I'm sure you will get lots of information from other members.

ps just noticed Moongrower got there first. Click on her name and then blogs and you can read her interesting blogs.
Hi mg hope you don't mind the plug but i find your info very useful.

No problem with the plug Scotsgran...

Wow! Thankyou both! I'll look forward to reading those blogs and see how I get on! :)

Have fun and remember if it doesn't work the first year you have the next year to try again!