Growing simple fruit and veg

[Nottsangel2015]

Hi everyone

My youngest is coming up to 3 and loves to be outside and getting dirty. I would love to grow some simple fruit/veg with her. I would like to add that I am not a gardener so nothing complicated or that needs lots of attention as I work every day during the week but would like this to be a nice little activity to do together I'm not looking to grow to replace buying anything but would be nice to grow something she can look after and eat as I hope this may encourage her to eat more veggies.

What sort would you suggest?

I am going to get a small greenhouse (the moveable ones so I can move it around if need be)

Hoping it encourages me to also be more green fingered in the garden.

Thanks :-)

Strawberries and tomatoes are the easiest, very low maintenance and difficult to kill.

If you need to be slug resistant tomatoes are good. Water frequently. Mine kids like picking sugar snap peas. Strawberries are perennial and very resilient. Nastursiums.

Runner beans! They grow like crazy and are very low maintenance.

Thank you so much for your quick replies!
They all sound great! Was hoping strawberries would be a good choice.
Runner beans sound good to, I think I remember my older one growing one at school and bringing it home. Don't think it ever grew a bean but I remember it growing quite long!
Never thought of sugar snap peas so will look at those too!
Thank you :-)

Meant to ask. When is good to start? I get paid at the end of the month so was going to start then but not sure if it's the right time yet.

I've just planted courgette seeds as everyone says the main problem with them is you end up with too many courgettes! They haven't sprouted yet though, so I can't verify....

Surprised nobody has mentioned raspberries, just cut them down to just above ground level in December and they spring up and give fruit all summer/autumn. Just make sure they're contained as they spread like mad!

now is the best time.
agree with strawberries, tomatos, peas.

you can get plug plants (baby plants) at garden centres now.

lots of plants are poisonous, so teach dc 'no picking, no licking' without your permission.

Start now. I don't think tomatoes are that easy. Courgettes are really easy but they do take up space. Same with potatoes. Something like perpetual spinach is also easy.

Over the past few weeks I have sown courgettes, pumpkins, peas, runner beans, spinach, sweetcorn, tomatoes, aubergines, mange tout all about 50p a packet from lidl.

Courgettes in a large pot. The flowers are edible and they give off quite an impressive amount of foliage.

get some pumpkin seeds planted they'll be huge by October and perfectly ripe for pumpkin soup
oh and sunflowers are easy too

We have:

Courgettes
Tomatoes
Peppers
Peas
Pumpkins
Runner beans
Sunflowers
Strawberries

At various stages. My 2 (+ 9 months) son loves helping with them.

We have had loads of success with courgettes, Pumpkins, potatoes and tomatoes over the years.

do you have an allotment or community garden nearby?
lots of spare seedling to buy for pennies.

I've found carrots fairly easy. We buy the mixed coloured ones so get yellow and red carrots as well as orange. Lettuce are fairly easy but need protecting from slugs and snails. Our first year of tomatoes failed miserably but the second time we got it right, used a better type. Sunflowers as other have mentioned are really easy too and look great.

i have raspberries which the grand daughter loved to pick, i'd grow those in a container because they throw lots of runners!!
potatoes need soil but are easy and you could use an old one from your pantry (free)
if your neighborhood has a facebook page ask if anyone has chives plant that they needed to split or rhubarb (although like potato leaves rhubarb leaves are not healthy to eat). or seeds to share. i have a relatively small garden and a pack of seeds either lasts two years OR i give half away to neighbors.
peas with edible pods are fun, and bush wax beans are small and compact plants ideal for planters.
i use to put together patio pots with chive, red leaf lettuce and marigolds.
i agree a nice tomato plant in a planter (with a nice cage) would be fun, last year i had 4 plants (beefsteak, roma, and cherry) they produced enough to eat fresh and i froze the remaining in quarters (the frozen lasted till February at least).

Amazing responses thank you everyone! I get paid next week so definitely starting!

I'm going to have a go with strawberries, beans and tomatoes to start with and see how we go. Quite like the pumpkin idea. Do I need to plant them straight in the ground rather than a container?

I actually saw a video on Facebook last night of growing hacks and they were growing potatoes from an old one which had sprouted, same with some ginger and a few other things. I know someone mentioned the potatoe thing. I've seen some special potato growing bags with a cut out section at the bottom, are these recommended?

Thank you :-)

Thank you for the sunflower suggestion. My older 2 want to do this too. We are going o have a completion to see who can grow the biggest! Might do this with pumpkins also :-)

pumpkins can grow in containers. but they need huge amounts of fertiliser and water.
and they grow absolutely huge. the plant itself, not just the pumpkin.