Grow Your Own Guides

HIP Toolbox

Grow Your Own Guides

A practical garden library for growing useful food, flowers and container displays at home. Start small with herbs or salad leaves, then build up to UK classics, warmer-climate crops, fruit, supports, seasonal planting and bigger garden projects.

Back to Garden & Exterior All Project Guides

Specialist Care & UK Classics

These crops are popular, productive or traditional, but they need a little more planning around warmth, spacing, support, pests, harvest timing or storage.

Butternut squash growing on a support frame

Grow Butternut Squash

Warmth, space, feed, support and fruit protection for better UK results.

Sweet potatoes growing in pots with cloche protection

Grow Sweet Potatoes

Slips, warm containers, shelter and harvest timing for a tricky UK crop.

Runner beans growing on cane supports

Grow Runner Beans

Strong supports, moisture-retentive soil and regular picking.

Courgettes growing in a raised bed

Grow Courgettes

Spacing, watering, feeding and what to do when fruiting gets odd.

Cucumbers growing on greenhouse supports

Grow Cucumbers

Greenhouse support, watering, ventilation and variety checks.

Leeks growing in rows with seedlings

Grow Leeks

Transplanting, dibbing-in and autumn/winter harvest planning.

Rhubarb crowns and established rhubarb

Grow Rhubarb

Crown planting, feeding, harvesting and forcing early stems.

Brassicas under mesh protection

Grow Brassicas

Kale, cabbage, broccoli and sprouts with mesh and pest protection.

Onion sets planted in a raised bed

Grow Onions

A classic low-maintenance crop with spacing, firm soil and drying tips.

Quick Wins

Beginner-friendly crops and containers that give visible progress without needing a full vegetable patch.

Herbs growing in pots beside garden tools

Grow Herbs in Pots

Small-space herbs for patios, balconies, windowsills and kitchen-door containers.

Salad leaves growing in containers and a raised bed

Grow Salad Leaves

Fast cut-and-come-again leaves for shallow trays, troughs and raised beds.

Sunflower seedlings and supports in a garden bed

Grow Sunflowers

A cheerful beginner project with simple sowing, staking and watering steps.

Hanging basket being planted on a garden table

Plant a Hanging Basket

Build a fuller basket with the right liner, compost, plants and watering routine.

Everyday Vegetables

Reliable edible crops for beds, bags, containers and small gardens.

Tomatoes growing in pots and grow bags

Grow Tomatoes

Pot and grow-bag tomato setup, supports, watering and feeding.

Potatoes growing in bags and pots

Grow Potatoes

Seed potatoes, chitting, earthing up and container watering.

Carrot seedlings in a raised bed and container

Grow Carrots

Deep containers, fine compost and steady watering for straighter roots.

Garlic cloves planted in a raised bed

Grow Garlic

Plant cloves at the right depth and spacing for a simple low-maintenance crop.

Chilli pepper plants and seed trays

Grow Chilli Peppers

Start chillies indoors, pot them on and keep them warm enough to fruit.

Peas growing on netting and bamboo supports

Grow Peas

Simple supports, containers, watering and regular picking.

Raised beds built for vegetables and flowers

Build Raised Beds

Plan a sturdy growing bed with timber, fixings, drainage and access.

Fruit

Compact fruit growing for patios, borders and smaller gardens.

Strawberries growing in pots and raised beds

Grow Strawberries

Pots, beds and baskets with simple mulch and watering tips.

Raspberry canes trained on garden supports

Grow Raspberries

Support wires, pruning basics and spacing for compact gardens.

Blueberries growing in pots with gardening tools

Grow Blueberries in Pots

Use acidic compost, rainwater and the right container setup.

Flowers & Display Growing

Seasonal colour and useful planting projects for borders, pots and front gardens.

Spring bulbs being planted with garden tools

Plant Spring Bulbs

Tulips, daffodils and seasonal colour for pots and borders.

Bare root rose soaking before planting

Plant Bare-Root Roses

Soaking, hole size, soil prep and planting depth while roses are dormant.

Hanging basket being planted

Plant a Hanging Basket

Build a full basket with trailing, upright and filler plants.

Sunflower seedlings in a garden bed

Grow Sunflowers

A simple beginner planting project with big visual payoff.

Soil & Ongoing Care

The unglamorous jobs that make everything else grow better.

Home compost setup for garden waste

Make Compost at Home

Balance greens, browns, moisture and turning without overcomplicating it.

Garden weed removal with hand tools

Keep Weeds Down

Use mulch, hand tools and repeatable habits to reduce regrowth.

Grow Your Own note: start with one or two crops that match your space and routine. The best garden plan is the one you can actually water, check and enjoy.