There are a number of different reasons people choose to grow their own fruit and vegetables, including:

• The ability to eat organic fruit and vegetables without having to pay the higher prices for organic options as found in stores
• The challenge of nurturing fruit and vegetables, sometimes from seed to edible produce
• The belief that home-grown vegetables and fruit taste better thanks to the fact they can be consumed relatively quickly after picking
• The enjoyment of how fruit trees and bushes, or growing vegetables, look in the yard…
• … and many more besides.

If you, too, have thought you would enjoy growing fruits and vegetables for yourself, you’ll be pleased to know it’s relatively easy to get started. Below, we’ve collected together a few different ideas; if you give any of these a try, you’ll be enjoying homegrown, delicious fruit and vegetables before you know it!

Use hanging baskets for strawberries

There are several ways that strawberries can be grown, but arguably the most popular is to use hanging baskets. With this method, you benefit twice: you have a pretty, decorative element that can brighten up the overall space, and you’ll be able to enjoy the strawberries themselves. You can usually find hanging baskets pre-planted with strawberry plants in store, or you can start your own by planting a strawberry seedling directly into a hanging basket; the latter option is more time-consuming, but both should produce good results.

Create a vegetable patch

Vegetable patches are the simplest method of growing your own vegetables, and they’re thankfully simple to put together.

• Decide where your vegetable patch is going to be; sunny spots are usually the best choice in order to improve chances of good growth
• Mark out your patch in your chosen area; most people find a square patch is the easiest to work with, as this makes it easier to calculate the spacing for each plant
• Check the spacing instructions for the vegetables you are intending to grow. As a general rule, the larger the grown vegetable, the more space you need between plants; for example, cauliflowers require larger spacing than radishes.
• If you intend to grow more than one type of vegetable in your plot, use different types of gravel or coloured chippings to provide easy at-a-glance distinction of where each kind of vegetable is planted
• You can then either plant your seeds directly, or grow seedlings in eggshells, planting out onto your patch after four to six weeks of growth.

Grow fruit trees in pots

You don’t need a full forest of trees in order to grow fruit! Smaller versions of plum trees, apple trees, pear trees, and lemon trees are widely available, and all grow well in pots that are placed in a sunny spot on your patio. If you want to enjoy fresh, homegrown fruit sooner rather than later, it’s usually best to purchase a grown potted tree directly, though you can also grow from seed if you are happy to wait for the tree to mature and bear fruit.

In conclusion

If you decide to give any of the ideas above a try, you can look forward to a thriving garden space that is alive with promise and a delicious dining experience in future - enjoy!