What can each plant give you?

The fastest salad leaf there is — peppery, up in a week, picked in a month.

The forgiving first herb — warm, sunny, quick. Pinch the tips often and one plant gives all season.

The head is a flower caught before it opens — which is why steady water matters more than anything else.

Heat and patience — a sunny spot, an early start, and a long warm season pay off in fruit.

Cilantro or coriander depending when you pick it — sow direct, sow often, keep it cool.

Two months, full sun, no bulb — sow a pinch every fortnight and never run out.

Still standing in November — and the cold improves it.

The quickest balcony win — cool, shallow-rooted, and forgiving. Baby leaves in three to four weeks.

The fastest thing you can grow indoors — a shallow tray, a bright sill, and about a week.

Almost too easy — keep it potted, keep it moist, and it gives fresh leaves for months.

Slow to germinate, then generous for months — mark the row and don't give up on it.

Ready in about four weeks and happy in a window box — the surest first success, if you pick it on time.

Sown in late summer it is easy; sown in spring it is a race against the daylight.

One sowing, leaves until the frost — and it does not bolt when summer comes.

The rewarding classic — hungry for sun, generous in return. One big pot, steady water, and a feed once it flowers.