When do I start planting my veggies?

Okay, so I donned the wellies and cords!!! and created a space for veggies in the garden. When do people start planting and what is likely to give me the most successful crops in a south facing enlcosed garden that gets good sunlight?

I bought a selection of seed potatoes in Woodies yesterday. They had about 10 varieties in stock. A 2.5 kilo bag for €7.99 with about 20 seed potatoes in it. I opted for the smaller pack 2 for €5 as I wanted to experiment with 4 different varieties. I won't put these out until late March.
I also purchased my seed vegetables. Last year we grew them in trays around March. This year we are going to try and put them direct in the ground in April and scrap the tray idea, just to see.

Thanks WW, hadn't thought of getting different potatoe varieties, good tip

Generally you would wait til March /April to start sowing seed in the ground...You could plant Onion or Shallot sets now and possibly Garlic if ya get a rush on...

I don't know where you are based but I would agree that April is early enough to start planting - I usually by small plants in seed trays from a nursery and don't plant until very late April -early may when I am sure the frost is past. From experience i get the best crops from green beans, onions, leeks ( which are great as they can stay in the ground all winter and you can just dig as needed) and sweet corn although you need a good summer for this to ripen. Brassicas eg. broccoli, cabbage, kale are good until the caterpillars kill them off and I have yet to find a way to stop them.

The basic answer to your question is what do you want to grow.

The traditional wisdom with regard to planting potatoes is something or other about St. Patrick's Day - I think it's don't plant before.

Garlic would normally be planted in October but I think you can get some varieties to plant in spring for a later winter harvest.

I found courgettes to be a great starter vegetable for growing. Beautiful flowers, nice big spread so it feels like you've really done something. Cucumber would be similar but I hate cucumber so have never grown it. Which leads to the most important thing, which can never be repeated enough, don't grow based on what you think will grow well unless you are also making sure that you are growing what you will eat.

Now is also the time to get your hands on seed catalogues and lose yourself in those for a few evenings. Try SeedSavers or the Organic Centre for example.

Since your garden is south facing and protected you might have some luck growing things like chillis too, in case that thought floats your boat. One of my favourite cook/gardening books is A Taste of the Unexpected - I really enjoy looking through it again and again and dreaming of all the lovely things I will grow when I have a garden or an allotment. Not jealous of you at all, btw.