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Don't be too ambitious - plants hate being crowded and will be weak and small if they haven't got enough space. With containers, bigger is better!

A courgette will grow happily in a 33cm pot, while a couple of beans will fit in a 25cm wide pot, but using bigger containers will give better results. Choose the deepest containers you can.

Most people use plant pots, but why not use your imagination and recycle - how about using metal buckets or planting your salad in an old drawer?

If space is tight, use a growing bag for salad leaves by sowing a thick row at one end. Plant up your largest pots (at least 33cm), one with a courgette and one with a few beans, and sow a sprinkling of carrot seeds in a 25cm pot.

After a couple of weeks, sow another row of salad leaves and another pot of carrots - keep going till you run out of room. Then, when you've harvested one lot you'll have another one just ready.

If you've got a big yard, try planting one or two courgettes in a growing bag. You could try using two growing bags on top of one another, with holes cut through the plastic to give extra depth. Beans grow well planted around the edge of a very large pot (50cm across), with a tepee of sticks for them to climb.

For your carrots, try large pots and boxes, at least 25cm deep. Salad leaves will grow fine in shallow containers, while basil will be happy in medium to large pots in a sunny, sheltered position, or even inside on a windowsill.

Use compost specially designed for containers as it will hold onto water better and have extra nutrients added to get your plants off to a good start. Things to look out for on packaging when choosing are; soil or loam-based composts; extra nutrients or plant food; and water-retaining granules.

Put a layer of stones, bits of broken pots or, if you want to save weight, broken polystyrene packaging in the bottom of your pots or boxes to help excess water drain away. Then add the compost and lightly firm it down. Give it enough water to be just moist, and you’re ready to start planting.

Containers can dry out very quickly so need frequent watering. Beware of over-watering - that'll kill plants, too. Test if you've got it right by poking a finger into the compost. If it's slightly moist just below the surface it's perfect. Collect rain with a water butt connected to the drainpipes on your house. Using rainwater is better for your plants - and the planet. And it'll help you beat any hosepipe bans!

Don't forget to give your plants an extra feed once they've got going. Living in pots, boxes or bags, they'll soon use up all the nutrients in their compost. Get a liquid feed and use once a fortnight at least.

Lots of veg - like the Dig In courgette and beans - have pretty flowers, too, so grow them where they can easily be seen. Try planting some flowers among the veg - French marigolds are particularly good because as well as looking pretty they discourage pests.

Or if you prefer flowers, why not slip in a few veg in between them? The frilly foliage of carrots or yellow blooms of courgettes can make a lovely - and tasty - addition to the flower bed.