The beginner's guide: vegetables to grow with your children

I am feeling invigorated and raring to go in the garden. I think it must be to do with the nice weather and seedlings sprouting on every available windowsill. The children feel it too.

Don't worry if you haven't started sowing seeds yet or if you've never sown one in your life. It's not hard and, thankfully, not expensive. Free seeds can even be obtained from the BBC's Dig In Campaign. Here's what my children are sowing:

• Carrots. These are small seeds and best grown in pots because I've found them to be incredibly fussy sown in the ground. You can buy carrot seed tape which is easier to handle. The only drawback is they come in bog standard colour and shape. Instead try growing round paramex, purple, or cosmic carrots.

• Peas. These are great because the seeds are big enough for children to handle, they seem to come up reliably (I sow them in pots, some people use old guttering) and are super tasty eaten straight from the plant.

• Tomatoes. I wouldn't ordinarily recommend these because the seeds are so tiny but this year I've discovered two new varieties called jellybean and chocolate cherry. So while I'll do the seed sowing and careful transplanting, the children will water and help pollinate the plants. While they're always great for the greenhouse, you can get varieties that do well outside or in hanging baskets -- tumbling tom is a good one.

• Salad. Another reliable one that seems to grow well. The seeds are again very small but as you get so many in the packet I don't mind the children sowing these. My girls love different lettuces after growing some in pots by the back door.

• Squash. There are so many to choose from -- my favourite is baby bear and this year we're also trying munchkin. Growing Jack O'Lantern squashes for Halloween is fun too. Courgettes come in gold and the usual green and like pumpkins the seeds are easy for children to handle. Just remember to grow all these seeds on their sides to prevent rotting.

• Radish and Beetroot: I've put these two together because they also are easy to grow. My kids won't eat radishes even if they have grown them themselves, so they don't grow that. However, we have a bit more success with beetroot, which also comes in candy stripes of pink and white which is appealing to the kids.

• Beans. They're easy to grow and there are so many varieties to choose from - purple, french, runner, even dwarf beans, but I suspect most children will love watching their bean plant rise into the sky like Jack and the Beanstalk.

• Potatoes. We grow these in sacks but old compost bags, with drainage holes, will do. Fill the bottom with compost, place three tubers inside, cover and water well. Every time a shoot appears fling on some more compost. The plant will eventually be out the top and once flowering you can harvest. It's like digging for treasure and the children love it.

Don't be put off if you haven't got much space or live in rented accommodation. Many of these can be planted in pots and will thrive if watered regularly. Every gardener kills plants so don't worry about greenfingers either!

Photo copyright: Debbie Webber