Lazy Vegetable Gardening
A slower, simpler way to enjoy growing and eating seasonal veggies
You can’t eat a meal at my mum’s without her mentioning which ingredients she grew herself.
She’s a seasoned veggie gardener, with a well stocked shed, raised beds, cold frames and a polytunnel to maximise vegetable-yields.
My vegetable gardening approach is… gentler.
I love the quiet, grounding rhythm of gardening.
…But I can’t be doing with spending hours each evening tying up plants, hunting for caterpillars, or wrestling with weeds.
So, I’ve developed my own way: a slower, simpler version. Lazy vegetable gardening.
My guiding principles: 👩🌾
Harvest at my own pace. Runner beans are delicious, but when they all ripen at once, it’s overwhelming. I want to pick and eat when I feel like it.
Low-maintenance only. No veg that needs daily fussing or pest patrol. I want deliciousness with ease, not another to-do list.
Minimal planting. It’s all fun and games when you’re buying seeds, but sow too many and you’ve got a jungle of needy plants come June.
My lazy gardening plan for this year:
Sun Gold tomatoes - 10/10 delicious - Sow April | Plant out (in pots next to my south-facing wall) May | Harvest July - September
Leeks - dig them up when you’re ready to cook, all the way through to February. Sow April | Plant out May | Harvest October - February
Courgettes - the easiest veg out there, beginner friendly. Sow April | Plant out May | Harvest July - September
Pumpkins & Squashes - I love lining my windowsills with these come autumn. Sow April | Plant out May/ June | Harvest October - December
Carrots - Hot tip: get carrot fly resistant seeds. Sow directly into raised planter/ veg patch in April | Harvest August - November
Strawberries (regular & alpine) - a bit faffy but worth it. Sow February in a heated propagator if you have one, or on a south facing windowsill | Plant out in May (ideally in a planter or pot away from slugs) | Harvest July - September.
