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Don't be too ambitious - plants hate being crowded and will be weak if they haven't got enough space. Choose the deepest pots you can.

Containers should be at least 15cm across for basil, while a couple of beans, a handful of carrots or a scattering of salad leaves would each suit a 25cm pot. A courgette plant will need a pot at least 33cm wide.

Why not try using your imagination and recycling too - how about planting carrots in an old welly and beans in a deep painted tin?

One growing bag is enough for one or at most two courgettes, or you could sow salad leaves all over it.

You could try a few beans too - try using two growbags on top of one another, with holes cut through the plastic to give extra depth. Beans will need a lot of water, and don't forget to give them a cane tepee to climb.

If space is tight, grow some basil indoors on a sunny sill, and a few pots of salad leaves, carrots and beans outside. Basil will appreciate the warmth, while the other veg are a bit tougher.

If you've a little more room, use your 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.

Use compost specially designed for containers, as it will hold onto water better and have extra nutrients 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.

A good container for French beans is a large (33cm or larger) pot, so long as you give them something to climb up like a cane or a trellis - they can easily get a metre and a half tall. Grow near to walls to make the most of your space - they have pretty flowers, so look good too. On balconies, protect beans and other plants from wind damage by weighing their pots down and tying them securely.

Water can be a big problem - containers dry out very quickly, and often rain can't reach them because of roof overhangs. Water often, but don't overwater, 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.

Don't forget to give your plants an extra feed once they've got going. Living in pots, boxes and 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, so try to grow them where they can be seen. You could plant a few flowers among the veg - French marigolds are particularly good because they discourage pests as well as looking nice. Or you could even slip a few veggies - a bit of frilly carrot foliage, or a border of brightly coloured salad leaves, round your flower pots!