Vegetable growing is becoming more popular each and every year and if you have space in your garden its worth giving it a go.

Its not just about saving money, no, far from it.

Its knowing that your own home grown veg are grown naturally, it’s the sheer delight of having grown them yourself, it’s the unbelievable flavour of straight from the garden to the kitchen, to the table, its, well you could just keep going on and on.

But let's come back to reality.

Growing them does take time and effort, it all depends on what you grow.

Most of the effort is preparing the ground, but you can cheat hear a wee bit.

Make a raised bed, about 15cm (6inches) deep will do, but 23cm (9inches) is far better and worth the extra effort.

Don’t make the raised bed too wide. You need to be able to reach the middle from both sides without standing inside it. You do not want to stand on the soil and compact it.

Planned properly raised beds will give you years and years of easy veg growing and harvesting with no more digging, ever, just a top up of compost is all that’s needed.

Once the bed has been finished, the ground dug over and plenty of compost or well-rotted manure added it is so easy from there on in!

Vegetables are easy to grow, you just sow your seeds, plant your potatoes, cabbage seedlings and the rest of your favourites and watch them grow, then harvest and eat.

Well ok, that’s a bit simplified. But once the bed is built you do not have to dig it again.

Just top up with compost or well-rotted manure at the start of each season and it is ready for your next lot of crops.

Before you go ahead and start your veg plot give some thought to what you want to grow, how much time you have and what space is available in your garden.

Pushed for time? Then go for easy to grow, look after themselves vegetables like potatoes, parsnips, turnips, onions, beetroot.

Not much space, then just grow what you and your family really like. Even a small patch will produce a good crop of mouth wateringly fresh vegetables.

What's best and easiest to grow?

Give some of these easy veg a try

• Runner bean

• Broad bean

• Onion

• Beetroot

• Lettuce

• Carrot

• Parsnip

• Radish

• Potato

You don’t have to grow all of them, pick the ones your family likes the most. They are all fairly easy to grow.

Get hold of a seed catalogue now, sit down with your family and decide what vegetables you want to grow.

Order the seeds in January, or at the latest very early February, so you can get a good early start in February and March.

That’s one of the secrets with growing vegetables, get them started early, and when the prices are high in the stores you are enjoying your own home grown at a fraction of the stores prices. You will undoubtedly save money.

(But you can sow later if you want to, just read the instructions on the seed packets. Vegetable seedlings you buy from garden centers, nurseries or gardening stores can be planted as late as may, some even later. Just follow the planting times and instructions on the labels. Potatoes are usually planted in April through to June).

Don’t go mad with the seeds though, it's so easy to choose nearly all the seeds in the catalogue. They are all so tempting.

And don’t forget, one packet of lettuce seed will go a long, long way and this is the same for most seeds.

So choose wisely so as not to waste too many seeds.

Some seeds will need to be started indoors, in pots or seed trays (flats), such as

• Runner bean sow indoors in March

• Broad bean sow indoors in February

• Onion sow indoors in February

• Lettuce sow indoors in February

Most will germinate fairly quickly, just grow them on until all risk of frosts has gone, harden them off and then plant them out in your veg plot.

Sow these outdoors

• Beetroot sow outdoors in March thro July - sow in succession

• Lettuce sow outdoors in March thro July - sow in succession

• Carrot sow outdoors in March thro August - sow in succession

• Parsnip sow outdoors in March thro May

• Radish sow March thro August - sow in succession

• Potato Early plant outdoor April or May, Main Crop May to June

You can sow these seeds about two weeks earlier by first covering the raised bed with polythene.

Use plastic water pipe as support hoops about every 60cm (2ft) to 90cm (3ft) the length of your seed bed with the ends pushed firmly into the ground.

Or if you have made your raised bed with timber sides fix the pipe to this with wood screws.

Pull the polythene sheet fairly tightly over these hoops. Weight down the ends and sides and you have a really effective mini polytunnel.

Cover the raised beds at the end of December, beginning of January. A couple of weeks before you sow the seeds. This will warm the ground up a few degrees, ideal for starting those seeds off early.

Remove the polythene cover as necessary, sow the seeds, water in and replace the polythene.

Just watch those veg germinate and grow away.

When constructing your raised beds bear in mind the width if you intend to cover them. You only want them to be wide enough to take the plastic water pipe hoop supports.

If you haven't got any space in your garden you can grow some vegetables in pots and tubs.

Try carrots in deep pots, potatoes in potato barrels, broad beans in tubs, courgettes, aubergines and peppers in pots or better still in grow bags, beetroot, shallots, Chinese leaves and French beans in pots.

Once you harvest your first vegetables you will wonder why you have not been growing your own vegetables forever.

It really is worthwhile and you definitely get huge rewards for your efforts. The more effort you put in the greater the rewards you get out.

Go on, give it a try!

Seed packets and plant labels usually give good growing details but if you want any more information on how to grow vegetables or how to propagate and grow any of your favourite gardening plants please feel free to contact us.