Kitchen Garden Vegetables to Sow Now (Spring/Summer 2025)

There’s something timeless about stepping into a kitchen garden in early summer — the smell of warm soil, the buzz of bees around flowering beans, the first blush of tomatoes swelling under a canopy of leaves. Whether you’re sowing from seed or planting out young starts, now is a wonderful time to fill your beds with reliable, flavour-packed vegetables that love the warmer months. Below is a handpicked guide for the current 2025 season, spotlighting what you can grow right now — along with trusted Amazon links in parentheses for getting your seeds sorted fast.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are sun lovers, and by late spring, young plants are ready to stretch their roots outdoors. Choose a sunny, sheltered spot and take time to harden off seedlings if they were grown under cover. For best results, pinch out side shoots regularly and feed with a high-potash tomato fertiliser once fruits begin forming.

Top pick: Gardener’s Delight Tomato Seeds (amazon)  — a cherry tomato classic, sweet, prolific, and perfect for salads or straight off the vine.

Companions: Basil and marigolds help deter pests and boost flavour.

Cucumbers

Cucumber seeds can go directly into the soil now, especially in southern regions. Choose a spot that gets full sun and is well protected from wind. Use a trellis or bamboo teepee to support climbing types. Water generously and feed weekly once flowering starts.

Top pick: Marketmore 76 Cucumber Seeds (Organic) (amazon) — rugged, high-yielding and suited to UK gardens.

Companions: Marigolds planted nearby can discourage aphids and attract helpful pollinators.

Lettuce

You can keep sowing lettuce every couple of weeks right through the summer. It loves moisture, so a shady corner or morning sun spot works well in hot spells. Try sowing thickly and harvesting as cut-and-come-again leaves.

Top pick: Little Gem Lettuce Seeds (amazon) — small, crisp and ideal for containers.

Companions: Garlic chives or marigolds can help fend off aphids.

Carrots

Still time to sow! Sow thinly in loose, stone-free soil. A new short row every 3–4 weeks ensures fresh carrots through to autumn. Use mesh to protect from carrot root fly and thin during the evening.

Top pick: Flyaway F1 Carrot Seeds (amazon) — bred for resistance to carrot fly with sweet, crunchy roots.

Companions: Interplant with onions to deter pests.

Onions & Leeks

It’s too late to start onions from seed, but sets planted earlier this spring are swelling nicely now. If you’re keen to sow, go for spring onions like White Lisbon, which still do well sown now. Leek seedlings can be planted out from now into July.

Top picks:

• Sturon Onion Seeds (amazon) — a sturdy yellow bulb for storage.
• White Lisbon Spring Onion Seeds (amazon) — quick and mild.
• Musselburgh Leek Seeds (amazon) — classic, hardy, and reliable.

Companions: Onions and leeks help mask scents of nearby crops like carrots and beetroot, reducing pest pressure.

Peppers (Sweet & Chilli)

If you’ve got pepper seedlings, now’s the time to get them outside — but only if nights are reliably above 10°C. Pick a warm, sunny corner or a sheltered patio pot. Feed regularly and keep them consistently moist.

Top picks:

• Gypsy F1 Sweet Pepper Seeds (amazon)
• Hungarian Hot Wax Chilli Seeds (amazon) — a mild-to-medium chilli with early harvests.

Companions: Basil and marigolds deter aphids, while oregano attracts hoverflies.

Spinach

True spinach bolts in hot weather, but some varieties hold out longer. Keep it in part-shade and water well. For summer greens, try Perpetual Spinach (actually a beet) or sow heat-tolerant spinach in late June.

Top pick: Medania Spinach Seeds (amazon) — bolt-resistant and rich in flavour.

Companions: Grow beneath taller crops like beans or corn to provide natural shade.

Beans (Runner & French)

Get them in the ground now! Sow climbing beans at the base of supports and water deeply through flowering. Harvest pods regularly to keep production high.

Top picks:

• Polestar Runner Bean Seeds (amazon) — stringless and prolific.
• Cobra French Bean Seeds (amazon) — reliable with purple blooms and long, tender pods.

Companions: Nasturtiums make excellent trap crops for aphids.

Peas (Mangetout & Sugar Snap)

Still just in time for a final sowing of peas. They’ll climb quickly and deliver crisp pods by late summer. Use sticks or netting for support and keep the soil damp.

Top picks:

• Kelvedon Wonder Pea Seeds (amazon)
• Oregon Sugar Pod Mangetout Seeds (amazon)

Companions: Sweet peas encourage pollinators and add colour to your plot.

Courgettes

Courgettes love compost-rich soil and full sun. Plant them now and they’ll produce fruits well into autumn. Regular picking encourages more. Sow 2–3 seeds per station or transplant hardened-off seedlings.

Top pick: Defender F1 Courgette Seeds (amazon) — productive and disease-resistant.

Companions: Pair with beans and sweetcorn in a Three Sisters-style planting.

Beetroot

Still plenty of time to sow beets. Sow direct, thin later, and keep soil moist to prevent woody roots. Young leaves are great in salads too.

Top pick: Boltardy Beetroot Seeds (amazon) — dependable and sweet with strong bolt resistance.

Companions: Grows happily with lettuce, onions, and radishes. Avoid shading from tall crops.

This season is ripe with opportunity. With just a few packets of seed and some gentle attention, your garden can reward you with colour, crunch, and flavour well into autumn.

Give Your Tomatoes the Shade They Deserve – Only When They Need It!

On those blazing hot days when the sun shows no mercy, your tomatoes can suffer from overexposure. But when the skies are kind, they thrive on natural light. So what’s the perfect balance? A retractable awning, of course!

With our premium electric awnings, you can protect your garden from intense sunlight at the push of a button—no more dragging out tarps or improvising with umbrellas. Just extend the awning when the heat is on, and retract it when your plants are ready to soak up the sunshine.

And here’s a fun fact: some of the juiciest, sweetest tomatoes we’ve ever tasted were grown right under our awnings. Coincidence? We don’t think so. 😉

Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting out, our retractable awnings are the smart, stylish, and practical way to keep your plants—and yourself—happy.

Smart shade, healthy tomatoes. It’s a win-win.