With the sun beginning to shine and the days getting warmer, it’s time to start spending more time in our beautiful gardens. Turning your garden into your very own edible space has never been more popular, with more and more people turning to their trowels and growing their own fresh produce. There are so many huge benefits to growing your own fruit and vegetables, from saving loads of money, maintaining your health, saving the planet and even just giving yourself a valuable hobby. With so many different types of fruit and vegetables, all suitable for home growing, there’s really nothing stopping you! With any kind of project like this, it’s important to stick to a few guidelines, just to make sure you are getting the very best from growing your fruit and vegetables.
In the beginning stage of turning your garden into an edible one, there are a few things to consider to make sure it’s properly prepared and ready to grow your fruit and vegetables. Location is the one thing that will make or break your growing success. You need to choose the sunniest part of your garden, as this will encourage the plants to grow properly. You may also want to have a look at the soil in your chosen area, as almost any garden soil is suitable for growing fruit and vegetables, however if you find your soil to be full of stones, or quite shallow, then you may want to create a raised bed to grow your produce, this way they will grow to their full potential and there won’t be any stunted or interrupted stages through the growing process. Dependent on how much you intend to grow, make sure you have enough space to do so, as you don’t want your seeds planted too close together, otherwise they’ll cramp together and this could also affect the growth.
It doesn’t matter what size your garden is, you can always set up the perfect area to grow your own fruit and vegetables. There is such a wide range of fruit and vegetables that you can choose from that will all grow brilliantly if given the right amount of attention and care. The top fruits to grow in gardens tend to be strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and tomatoes. With these sweet treats growing in the comfort of your own garden, it’s so easy to stick to a healthier lifestyle and keep up with eating your 5 a day. The best part about home grown fruit and vegetales is that you really can’t create a taste so sweet and fresh, even when you buy the more expensive options in the supermarket. Having your own vegetables growing in the back garden is a great way of experimenting with new things, as you can trial new recipes or even add your home grown vegetables to a meal you may not have usually added that vegetable to. The best vegetables to grow in the garden, especially if you are a beginner when it comes to growing, are cucumbers, potatoes, carrots and cabbage. These simple yet very useful veggies are perfect for almost any meal and they’re also fun to grow. It’s such a rewarding feeling, popping into your garden and watching your fruit and vegetables grow over a certain period of time, and then being able to add it to your meal and enjoy the incredibly fresh taste.
One very important thing to consider when growing your own produce however, is maintenance. You need to ensure you have enough time to put into growing your fruit and vegetables, as they are very time consuming. Whilst they don’t take up large chunks of your time, they do require attention every so often, whether you’re giving them a quick water, trimming them to size or simply removing ones that may have withered or been nibbled by some cheeky insect that fancied a snack. Make sure you have the time, and they will grow to the best of their ability. Keeping on top of the tidiness of the plot is also really important for the growth of your plants. Trim any overgrown plants and remove any weeds as they may interrupt growth and cause problems. Another thing to consider is the grass, if you have any long grass surrounding your plants then it’s best to trim this down, as long grass is the perfect habitat for slugs, which you don’t want making their way onto your prized fruit and vegetables.
When it comes to the preparation and eating of your freshly grown fruit and vegetables, make sure you have your kitchen units filled to the brim with tasty condiments to go with your produce. This will be the perfect opportunity to incorporate healthy and fresh cooking into your kitchen, and it’s a great way to get the little ones involved too! Encouraging children to eat fruit or vegetables that they have helped to grow is such a great way to get them interested in fruit and vegetables, as well as stimulating their minds and giving them a little hobby too. Growing your own fresh fruit and vegetables is perfect for getting the whole family active and excited!
