With a little bit of work, you could have fresh vegetables in weeks

Choosing where to put your vegetable plot is important, as it can make the difference between a full, healthy crop and failure. Make sure your first plot is small, as it can always be extended later. The ideal site for a vegetable patch is in an open area that gets sun for the most of the day. If it’s in a windy area, you’ll need fences or hedges to protect your crop, as even light winds can reduce your crop by 20 percent.  Before planting your vegetables, dig the site deeply to improve drainage, or raise the soil level in beds or ridges to increase the depth of well-drained earth. Include lots of compost and well-rotted manure, as it will add body to lighter soils and open up heavy clay soil.

Artichokes
Artichokes are considered a gourmet vegetable due to the delicate flavour of the flowerheads, and are one of the most delicious vegetables you can grow in your garden. They can be grown among flowers as well as in your vegetable plot. You can grow the plants from seed, but it’s a very lengthy process – it’s much easier to buy ready-rooted suckers. Choose an open, sunny area in spring with well-drained soil, dig a hole slightly bigger than the plant, and place the sucker in a hole so that the soil mark on each stem is level with the soil surface. Fill with soil until firm and water well to ensure they don’t dry out. Cut back stems in autumn and protect the crown over winter with a thick mulch of bark chippings. In early spring add well-rotted manure to boost growth. Trim off any buds in the first year, then harvest in the second summer, before the flower head begins to open.
Harvest: Next June

Asparagus
The king of gourmet vegetables, asparagus is tasty and delicate. Choose a sheltered, sunny area and dig a trench 20cm deep by 30cm wide, and add a 10cm mound of soil running through. Place the crowns 30cm apart on top of the mount and spread the roots out either side. Cover with 5cm of very fine, sieved soil. As stems grow, gradually fill with soil – it should be full by autumn. Water well and keep damp during dry weather. Succulent spears may appear soon after planting but avoid the temptation to harvest them or you will weaken the crowns – harvesting is most fruitful to two years after planting to allow ferny stems to develop. Cut to 5cm above the ground in autumn and keep the beds free from weeds.
Harvest: Two years after planting. When spears are 12cm long remove them with a serrated knife, cutting them off 7cm beneath the soil. Stop harvesting in mid-June to allow the plant to build up energy for next year.

Carrots
Carrots grow best in light, fertile, stone-free soil, so turn the soil thoroughly until it feels fine and crumbly, and remove any stones. If your soil is heavy clay don’t add manure to the soil as this makes it too rich for the seeds, but a week before sowing you can add in a light scattering of fertiliser. Sow the seeds sparingly on a dry day, in shallow holes around 2–3cm deep, and cover. If you’re planting in March and April or in cold weather, protect the seeds with a fleece. Once the seeds have germinated and are showing their leaves, thin the seedlings to 5cm between plants. Water often, otherwise you will have coarse, woody roots.
Harvest: June/July onwards, start pulling up as soon as they’re big enough to eat.

Celery
Branded as a difficult vegetable to grow, if you buy ready-grown seedlings, rather than seeds it’s actually rather simple. Plant 27cm apart in May or June, ensuring the crown is at ground level, and plant in a grid pattern rather than long rows in order to get the best stems. Keep well watered, and boost with a liquid fertiliser about a month after planting.
Harvest: August until the first frosts of the year.

Courgettes
Quick and easy to grow, courgettes are one of the most productive vegetables in the garden. Begin sowing March–May; fill a 7.5cm pot with compost and press until firm. Place one seed on its side about 2.5cm deep and cover with soil. Put on a windowsill and water regularly to keep it moist. When the roots begin to poke through the bottom of the container, move to a larger 12.5cm pot. Plant into soil in late May and sow seeds on their side 2.5cm deep and once germinated, remove the weakest one. Water regularly and add mulch for moisture.
Harvest: keep the plants productive by harvesting three times a week. When you harvest them depends on the variety, but around 10cm is usual.

Kale
One of the hardiest vegetables, kale can withstand extreme temperatures, and is barely bothered by pests. Sow between April and June, and seedlings will appear about 7–10 days after sowing. Once established, around 6–8 weeks later, move them to your vegetable plot, and space about 45cm apart. Water thoroughly, and tread around the base of the stem to stop larger varieties swaying in the wind.
Harvest: Autumn–mid-spring. Once the crown has been stripped, you can harvest the side shoots between February and May. You can keep picking until flower buds appear and the stems become coarse.

Potatoes
Potatoes are a great vegetable to start off your plot. You don’t even need to dig up your vegetable plot beforehand as they break up the soil just as well as digging. If you are going to plant your potatoes in April, start allowing them to sprout (known as chitting) in February. When the shoots are about 1.5–2.5cm long they are ready to plant. In mid-March/April dig a trench 7.5–13cm deep, and add a light sprinkling of fertiliser. Plant the potatoes about 30cm apart with 40–50cm between the rows. Gently place the chatted potato tubers into the trench with the shoots pointing upwards and cover lightly with soil. As soon as the shoots appear, cover each row with a ridge of soil so the shoots are just buried – you’ll need to do this often.
Harvest: from June through to September depending on the variety and growth.