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Learn how you can get growing, even if you don’t have a garden of your own...

Not everyone has an allotment or walled kitchen garden to grow fruit and vegetables in, but the good news is that you don’t need one to grow a huge variety of edible plants. The key to success is utilising available space what’s most suited to your environmental conditions. For example: if you have a sunny balcony, tomatoes in hanging baskets would be perfect, but if you have a shady corner then watercress in containers would be better suited. Read on to discover the top ten edible plants for small spaces, along with some helpful do's and don'ts.Ìý

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1. RadishÌý(Raphanus sativus)

A small but super tasty veg, radishes are easy and quick to grow and canÌýgoÌýfrom seed to plate in a month. Ideal for small borders and containers.Ìý

ExampleÌývariety: ‘Cherry Belle’Ìý

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2. Cut-and-come-again saladÌý

Some types of lettuceÌýsuch asÌýLactuca sativaÌýare designed to have a few leaves picked at a time,ÌýasÌýand whenÌýyou need them, allowing the rest of the plant toÌýcontinueÌýgrowing. Great for containers.

ExampleÌývariety: ‘Salad Bowl’Ìý

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3. BeetrootÌý(Beta vulgaris)

This is another easy to grow vegÌýthatÌýcan be grown for most of the season, andÌýisÌýideal eaten alongside cut-and-come-again salads.Ìý

ExampleÌývariety: ‘Boltardy’Ìý

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4. TomatoesÌý(Solanum lycopersicum)

Some tomato varieties are specifically designed for growing in hanging baskets, makingÌýthemÌýan attractive and productive use of space.ÌýPlantÌýin a sunny, sheltered spot and keep well-watered.ÌýÌý

ExampleÌývariety: ‘Tumbling Tom Red’Ìý

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5. Herbs

Herbs are good perennial plantsÌýwhichÌýthatÌýcan be grown all year round, andÌýareÌýmuch cheaper to grow yourÌýownselfÌýthanÌýtoÌýbuy from the shops. Herbs such as thyme (Thymus vulgaris) and oregano (Origanum vulgare) do well in hanging baskets,ÌýandÌýwhileÌýchives (Allium schoenoprasum) are ideal for containers.ÌýÌý

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6. PotatoesÌý(Solanum tuberosum)

Tatties are very versatile, and certain varietiesÌýcanÌýproduce a heavy crop in containers, or, better still, grow in recycled shopping bags.ÌýÌý

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7. WatercressÌý(Nasturtium officinale)

Another perennial crop, which can be grown in that shady corner you never knew what to do with.ÌýPutÌýa few stems of watercress in a jar of water, and, once roots have grown, plant into a container of wet compost and keep consistently damp.

ExampleÌývariety: ‘Swift’Ìý

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8. Broad beansÌý(Vicia faba)

Dwarf broad beans varieties are bushier than others and do well in containers. Straightforward to grow, theseÌýdon’t need staking, and some varieties can be sown in autumn for an early spring harvest.ÌýÌý

ExampleÌývariety:Ìý‘The Sutton’ÌýÌý

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9. StrawberryÌý(Fragaria x ananassa)

PlantingÌýstrawberries in window boxes or hanging growbagsÌýis aÌývery productive wayÌýof growing these sweet delights in a corner of your garden.ÌýÌý

ExampleÌývariety: ‘Elan’

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10. Fruit trees

ItÌýmay sound strange toÌýincludeÌýfruit trees inÌýa guide toÌýplants for small spaces! But if fruit trees,ÌýincludingÌýapples, are trained, then they can be grown in a very smallÌýarea, such as stepovers on the edge of a narrow border or espaliers against a wallÌýorÌýfence. Not an instant crop, but a worthy investment for any small space.Ìý

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Some useful tips for getting growing – ourÌýdosÌýandÌýd´Ç²Ô’t²õ:Ìý

DOÌýgrow what you love! When space is at a premium, there’s no point growing anything youÌýwon’t enjoy.ÌýÌý

DOÌýmake the most of vertical space for growing,Ìýsuch asÌýwalls, fencesÌýandÌýbalconies.ÌýÌý

DOÌýfeed your soil.ÌýIn general, most crops prefer fertile soil and will benefit if organic matter is added toÌýtheÌýsoil prior to planting. The more you feed your crops, the more they will feed you!ÌýÌý

¶Ù°¿±·â€™TÌýgrow crops which need a large area to grow,Ìýsuch asÌýasparagus.Ìý

¶Ù°¿±·â€™TÌýgrow crops which take a long time to grow,Ìýsuch asÌýparsnips.Ìý

DOÌýsow in succession.ÌýThis means having seedlings ready to go into the soil once the previous crop has been harvested. ThisÌýwillÌýgiveÌýyou months of edibles instead ofÌýa singleÌýweek.

DOÌýgrow varietiesÌýthatÌýare specifically designed for small spaces.ÌýMost traditional edible plants will have varietiesÌýthatÌýhave been bred to be space-savers,Ìýeither byÌýbeing dwarf in height or bushy in width, meaningÌýthatÌýthey can fit intoÌýa small area while still producing a good crop.ÌýÌý

Budding gardeners shouldÌýalsoÌýlook out for our Free for All events,Ìýwhere we’ll be giving away thousands of free seeds and plant plugs atÌýtowns and cities across Scotland.ÌýÌý

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Author: Rebecca Cross