Beginner Where do I start!

[Bacchus]

It's probably worth being a little more specific on where you are. The Ards peninsula is a whole lot different from being up the Sperrins somewhere weather wise. Even where I am in the drumlins of S. Down conditions vary greatly depending on local conditions.

However you really can't go wrong with peas and beans (broad, runner, french). I've never really seen tomatoes grow successfully outside in this part of the world so unless you have a greenhouse, polytunnel or similar, or are happy to have a couple in the house they probably won't do the best.

Dedicating a tub to herbs is a good idea - basil, rosemary, etc - and useful too because unlike those ones you get from ASDA or TESCOS they'll be usable for more than a week.

If you're tight on space potatoes possibly aren't the best idea as they are bulky and you can buy them cheap enough anyway from one of the numerous farm shops where you can get a good choice.

happy growing

[Kristen]

in terms of not needing expensive equipment ...

I do have outdoor space but i wanted to keep it a small operation to start off, rather than putting a lot of time an effort digging up the garden when i don't actually know what i am doing yet

My advice is to dig the garden (well ... a bit of it!). It is far harder to be successful with vegetables in containers than the ground, and the compost to fill the containers will be expensive (and the containers if you have to buy them rather than Blagging them ) - you can reuse compost in future years (but that takes some skill and management of fertilisers for it), but there is still the initial cost

Plants in the ground make watering far easier, and if you never give them any fertiliser or love they will still grow and do "all right" - obviously better with both love, extra water when they need it (maybe never with soft Irish rain?!) and fertiliser but it is much less critical than containers.

With containers you'll need to water them every day, perhaps twice a day in high summer. Going away for the weekend might result in your plants suffering/dying, or you relying on a neighbour - who might let you down.

Other than that my advice to a Newbie is:

1. Make all choices based on likelihood of successful outcome. Failure for a Newbie is harder than for an Old Hand

2. Grow only what you like to eat (especially as this is a "for the kids" project)

3. Grow what is expensive in the shops - soft fruit, Runner Beans - that's more of an adult benefit/motivation though!

4. Grow what has exceptional flavour if fresh - Sweetcorn is a good example, but it takes up quite a bit of space for the yield that you get

[Sharpy]

Have you considered sinking an old washing up bowl or similar. Fill it with some rain water, then plop in a couple of smallish rocks. Then sit back and watch it come to life. How about adding a hand full of wild flowers and or wild grass to the area around it ?. So much you can do for nature, with little effort for large reward.