Can I grow vegetables?

• It sounds like a lot of hard work and a lot of time 
• Maybe you only have a small garden...
• It probably costs as much to buy all the seeds and equipment as it does to go to the supermarket and buy vegetables...
• It all sounds very complicated - knowing when and where to plant what...

So, there are all sorts of excuses and reasons not to grow vegetables, the above are just some of them!  It's not really as hard as you might think, don't get me wrong, there is work involved and some hard work too but... the rewards when you are eating what you have grown more than make up for any of the hard work put in (that is if you don't enjoy it - personally I love getting out in the garden and getting my hands dirty).  

You really don't need a lot of space to grow a few vegetables - peas can be grown up a wall or fence and take up hardly any space, potatoes, beans and tomatoes can either take up a lot of space or if space is limited they can be grown in pots on a patio or balcony, it is well worth giving up a little space for these as they taste so much better fresh from the garden, not to mention the health benefits or getting all the vitamins and minerals that vegetables can provide if really fresh (and you don't get much fresher than straight from garden to kitchen!).

Packets of seeds cost less than a couple of pounds - do shop around for these as there are always offers on, plus there are many online seed providers.  One packet of seeds probably costs what one or two portions of that vegetable would cost in the supermarket - you get a lot of seeds in a packet and will soon see big savings on you food bill!  Also, after your first harvest you will find certain fruits and vegetables that you will be able to use seeds from - also see my article on how to get new strawberry plants from existing plants, without seeds!

Knowing what to plant and when can seem confusing at first - I am still learning, this was my first year properly growing vegetables.  I have learnt so much this year because of what went right and what went wrong.  You will find if you decide to start growing your own that you will be constantly learning new things - and no matter what you read you will find ways that suit you and your garden.