anyone know how to grow cucumber plants?

Cucumbers want sun and warmth more than anything, so I'd give them the sunniest bit you've got, even if that means a big pot on the patio rather than the lawn edge. Don't sow outside until the frosts are done. Give them something to climb. Water little and often. Uneven watering is what makes them bitter. Keep picking them small too, the plant stops producing if you leave fruit on it.