Grow Your Own

Small scale

A window box or planter full of herbs is perfect for small gardens, patios and balconies. There is also a wide selection of dwarf vegetables such as peas, french beans, small carrots and spring onions which will grow well in a planter.

Small gardens can be quite productive, especially when using intercropping techniques and there are a number of patio fruit trees on the market if you fancy growing your own apples, plums or cherries.

Best use of available space.

Growing some vegetables may not be cost effective.

Carrots take a long time to grow to maturity and can be subject to pest issues and crops like cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower will need netting to protect from caterpillars and pigeons.

These items may be more expensive to grow over the long run than purchasing from the Grocer, so try to grow produce that you like and that may be at premium prices in the shops.

I am thinking of crops like beetroot, beans and of course, soft fruit such as raspberries. These crops also tend to be quite good at looking after themselves and not as subject to pest issues.

So only grow what you like and make the best of available space.

Variety

One of the reasons that I like to grow my own fruit and veg is the ability to obtain different varieties than those found in the shops. These may offer increased disease resistance in your area, be suited to the ground and conditions and have a better flavour than store bought produce.

Self Sufficiency

At least an acre of fertile land and quite extensive experience and a lot of time and effort is required for full self sufficiency and to be honest, some things just will not grow in certain areas and in particular soil types.

You will be at the mercy of climate which can ruin what seemed initially to be a good crop or enable you to produce a bumper crop….you never can tell.

Be self sufficient in just a few things and you can still save hundreds of pounds.

Achievement

There is nothing more fulfilling than eating a meal which you have grown or mostly grown yourself.

Young children love to grow quick maturing produce like peas and it gives them a direct link to their food source.