My first (not half-hearted) attempt at growing vegetables in a small London garden
Updated: Apr 29
I never thought I’d be the kind of person who gets excited about gardening. Yet here I am— in my little London garden, giddy at the thought of the tomatoes I will yield this year.
This all started with a simple thought, and a little bit of envy of my sister who figured out what she loved and went for it: maybe I could also grow my own vegetables. Not on a farm, not even in a big suburban garden—but in a modest little patch of outdoor space.
The Reality of a “Small Garden”
When people say “small London garden,” they really mean small. While I am lucky enough to have a patch of grass for my son to play football - I don't think anyone would be happy if I replaced our football patch with my new hobby. The space I have for growing vegetables in our London garden is just big enough for some chairs, and a few hopeful plant pots.
At first, I thought this meant I’d be limited to herbs at best. But after a bit of research I realised something surprising: You don’t need much space to grow food—just a bit of creativity.
I started thinking vertically—stackable planters, wall hooks, and even a tiny greenhouse squeezed into the corner.
My First Plants (and First Mistakes)
I have begun with what everyone recommends for beginners:
Tomatoes
Basil
Spinach
Chillies
Peppers just for laughs
Simple, right? Well… not quite.
We are down to tomatoes and basil. I did however buy a few more seeds to have another attempt with. Where I went really wrong was popping them out in the cold as they were beginning to take up half of my kitchen table.
Learning the Importance of Light
One of the biggest challenges in London is sunlight—or the lack of it.
To grow my seedlings, I have (up until recently!) been growing them indoors on the kitchen table, where the light reaches. I don't know who finds this more annoying - my husband, every meal time having to shift them out the way, or me, when my kids start plucking my hard earned broccoli sprouts.
I started moving pots around like furniture, chasing the sun throughout the day. It felt ridiculous at first, but it made a noticeable difference.
The Game-Changer: A Mini Greenhouse
The biggest upgrade I made? A small greenhouse. My neighbour happened to be getting rid of one and my husband jumped at the chance to get my pots off the kitchen table and quickly snapped it up for me.
The greenhouse is really nothing fancy—just a compact one that fits neatly against the fence. But has completely changed how things are growing. I found the same greenhouse here on Amazon.
Seedlings are actually surviving outside and the plants look healthier - thriving actually!
For a small London garden, it felt like unlocking a new level.
The Unexpected Challenges
No one warned me about the cold - my biggest lesson has been, don't put them outside!! Not until they are ready at least...
Another small, but significant learning has been to label the pots when I plant the seeds. I bought some little cardboard trays for planting seeds and no sooner had I put the final seed in the tray did I realise I had not marked anything. It just took a little Google Imaging to figure out, but still.
Gardening, I’ve learned, is a mix of patience, trial and error, and small daily check-ins. Some days nothing happens. Other days, everything does.
What I’ve Learned So Far
If you’re starting out like me, here’s what I wish I’d known:
Start small—you can always expand later
Don’t stress about mistakes (they will happen)
Sunlight is everything—observe your space
A mini greenhouse is worth it in London
Growing even one thing successfully feels amazing
Final Thoughts
I’m still very much a beginner. My garden isn’t overflowing with vegetables (yet), and I still Google things like “why aren't my cauliflowers growing”, not realising they grow underground, more often than I’d like to admit.
But there’s something really satisfying about the process.
And maybe that’s the real reward—not just the vegetables, but the small moments of growth along the way.
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