Growing vegetables in your UK garden during summer can be incredibly rewarding. Whether you have a greenhouse, raised beds, or just containers, there are plenty of summer crops that thrive in British conditions. This guide covers what to grow in your UK garden this summer, from tomatoes and pumpkins to strawberries and chillies.
I’ve suddenly grown green fingers this year with the intense urge to grow things. This is inspired by moving to a house with a bigger garden soon. The issue I’m having is that we’ve not been able to grow as much as we would like, as we have to move everything. This also means we are stuck growing things in pots rather than planting into the ground. Not ideal but we make with it what we can.
Best Vegetables to Grow in UK Summer
Summer is prime growing season in the UK. Here are the top vegetables that grow well from June through September:
- Tomatoes: Cherry and beefsteak varieties thrive in greenhouses or sunny spots
- Pumpkins: Plant in June for Halloween harvest – each plant produces 8-12 mini pumpkins
- Chillies: Jalapeños and hot varieties need greenhouse protection in the UK
- Spinach: Fast-growing, ready to harvest in 6-8 weeks
- Courgettes: Prolific producers perfect for UK summers
Growing Fruit in Your UK Summer Garden
Soft fruits are perfect for British gardens. Here’s what grows well:
- Strawberries: Easy to grow in pots, hanging baskets, or beds. Harvest from June to August, and choose everbearing varieties for a longer season.
- Raspberries: Summer-fruiting varieties crop heavily in July, while autumn types extend harvest into September. Grow in rows with support.
- Blueberries: Thrive in acidic soil or containers with ericaceous compost. Produce sweet berries from mid to late summer.
- Gooseberries: Hardy and reliable, great for beginners. Harvest in early summer for cooking or later for sweeter fruit.
- Blackcurrants: Packed with vitamin C and ideal for jams and drinks. Crop in mid-summer and tolerate cooler UK climates well.
- Apples (early varieties): Some early apples ripen by late summer. Choose compact or dwarf trees for smaller gardens.
Tips for Success:
- Use netting to protect fruit from birds
- Water regularly during dry spells
- Feed with a high-potash fertiliser to boost fruiting
- Position plants in full sun for best yields
Herbs to Grow in a UK Summer Garden
Herbs are low-maintenance, fast-growing, and perfect for containers or small spaces:
- Basil: Loves warmth and sun—best grown on a windowsill or in a greenhouse in the UK. Perfect companion for tomatoes.
- Mint: Extremely easy to grow (sometimes too easy!). Keep it in pots to prevent it from spreading everywhere.
- Parsley: Hardy and versatile, grows well in partial shade and can be harvested continuously.
- Chives: Great for beginners—produces mild onion-flavoured stems and pretty purple flowers that attract pollinators.
- Thyme: Drought-tolerant and thrives in poor soil. Ideal for sunny spots and borders.
- Rosemary: A woody perennial that enjoys full sun and well-drained soil—great for year-round use.
Companion Planting Tips
Pairing plants together can improve growth, deter pests, and maximise space:
- Tomatoes + Basil: Basil may help repel pests and can improve flavour
- Carrots + Onions: Onions deter carrot root fly, while carrots don’t compete much for space
- Courgettes + Nasturtiums: Nasturtiums attract aphids away from your crops
- Strawberries + Lettuce: Lettuce acts as a living mulch, keeping soil cool and moist
- Beans + Sweetcorn: Beans climb the corn while fixing nitrogen in the soil
General Tips:
- Mix flowers like marigolds into your beds to attract pollinators and deter pests
- Avoid planting crops from the same family together repeatedly (rotate yearly)
- Use vertical space (trellises, supports) to grow more in smaller gardens
Budget Greenhouse Options for UK Gardens
You don’t need an expensive greenhouse to grow successfully in the UK. We bought a £45 plastic greenhouse from B&Q with three shelves on each side. For small gardens or balconies, these budget greenhouses are perfect for:
- Starting seeds earlier in the season
- Protecting tender plants like chillies and tomatoes
- Extending the growing season into autumn
- Creating the warm conditions that Mediterranean crops need
Our Greenhouse
When we found out we weren’t moving as soon as we had hoped, we decided to go to B&Q and get one of those cheap plastic greenhouses. It was £45 and a great size for what we need. It has 3 shelves on each side and space in the middle to put larger plants. I’m very happy we got this and had we known the date change, we would have got them sooner so we could have grown more tomatoes!
Here’s what we’ve been growing.
Vegetables and fruits
Chillies
My husband started growing chillies a few months ago. Honestly, it was the most annoying thing as he started them off in the house and he was forever moving them around the windowsills and away from the cats. Then they attracted flies at one point from being outside during the day, and inside at night and our spare room had a load of flies on the windowsill. I banned them in the end and they spent the rest of the evenings in the shed until we got our greenhouse.
We’ve got mostly jalapenos as they did really well last year. There are also some hotter varieties but they didn’t make any chillies last year due to the rubbish whether not being hot enough. We are hoping that a summer in the greenhouse means they will have better conditions. We do have some jalapenos already!
Mini Pumpkins
I planted ten pumpkin seeds in early June. Five orange plants and five white ones. After about two weeks, the first leaves started to pop up! Within a week, all but one had shot up, the last one did eventually make an appearance and is about two weeks behind the rest.
I’ve had to repot them, and they need repotting again! They need to be repotted in the ground, but I’m going to have to put them in big planters and move them to the new house.
Each plant should get between 8-12 pumpkins! I’m looking forward to being able to use them to decorate the house at Halloween! Next year I’m going to grow some big ones, too.
Tomato Hanging Basket
My mother-in-law started this off for us. They’re cherry tomatoes, I think. It hasn’t been hanging in a great location, though, so we keep having to move it into the sun.
Strawberry Plant
I got this from B&Q mid June. It’s flowering now but no strawberries yet!
Raspberry Plant
This is an ASDA find. It’s only given me one raspberry, but they can give a second crop. Hopefully, next year it will be better established and we can get more berries from it.
Tomatoes
Not sure what is going to happen with these. They’re planted way too late and are just an experiment. My husband squeezed them straight from the tomato into the soil, so I didn’t expect them to grow!
Spinach
Planted this mid-June – they should get us some spinach before we move, as they do grow quite fast!
Flowers
Clementis Corinne
This is the fourth year or so we’ve had this beautiful flower. A gift from my mother-in-law. The flowers have died now but they gave us lovely flowers in June!
Wildflowers
Again, these have gone now but we had loads of lovely large daises at the front of the house!
Lavender
We got these from B&Q at the same time as our greenhouse and I think they look so pretty at the entrance of it. One on either side.
Sunflower
I got a sunflower plant from ASDA. It’s so pretty but it is dying back a bit now. Honestly, I haven’t looked into it so I don’t know if we’ve been taking care of it properly, or if it’s normal for it to be dead by now. It depends on the variety I think, some do grow back every year and some only grow once.
Our New Garden
When we get to our new house, there’s so much I want to do! Starting in autumn, getting some tulips planted and then getting ahead to start growing things as soon as we can! Foodwise, I want to grow cucumbers, tomatoes, courgettes, potatoes, greens and carrots next year. As well as looking into some berries!
This year has been very much a practice for us!
What Will You Grow This Summer?
Growing your own vegetables and fruit in a UK summer garden is easier than you might think. Even with limited space and a budget greenhouse, you can produce tomatoes, pumpkins, chillies, and soft fruits. Start small, learn as you go, and enjoy the process. Your summer garden doesn’t need to be perfect – it just needs to grow.
UK Summer Garden FAQs
What vegetables can I grow in my garden in summer UK?
The best summer vegetables for UK gardens include tomatoes, courgettes, pumpkins, beans, peas, and salad leaves. These all thrive in British summer conditions and can be grown in containers or garden beds.
When should I plant vegetables for summer harvest UK?
Plant summer vegetables in May-June for harvest from July-September. Tomatoes and chillies need starting indoors in March-April, while crops like spinach and salad can be direct-sown in June.
What fruits grow well in UK summer?
Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and currants all grow excellently in UK summers. Strawberries planted in spring will fruit the same summer, while raspberry canes fruit in their second year.
Do I need a greenhouse to grow vegetables in the UK?
No, many vegetables grow perfectly well outdoors in UK summers. However, a greenhouse helps with tomatoes, chillies, and cucumbers, extending your growing season and protecting tender crops.