SUMMER GARDENING

Vegetable gardening tips for budding green thumbs

Not so long ago it was common for people to grow their own vegetables but, over the generations, this skill seems to have dwindled. Now, according to Which Magazine, gardening is back, with a quarter of us now growing our own vegetables.

However, many families live in cities where back gardens are hard to come by or in flats with no private outdoor space. Luckily, no matter how small a space you have, you can join in the trend and grow your own food. Here’s how:

If you have no outside space at all

• Think about indoor vegetables – you can grow chilli, tomatoes and peppers in pots in your kitchen and mushrooms in a cupboard. Runner beans also make great houseplants.
• Herbs are easy to grow in a hanging basket or a box planter on a window sill. Make sure you look out the window before watering; no one wants an unexpected shower! Remember to secure hanging baskets tightly with cable ties.
• Apply for an allotment. The National Allotment Society or your local council will be able to advise you on how to apply. Be prepared for a waiting list. If the list is too long in your area, then look into community growing schemes that have space already set up.

If you have a shared backyard

• You can grow vegetables in pots of all shapes and sizes, or even in grow bags. Either make your own wooden containers or buy planters from your local DIY shop. If you’re limited for space, try vertical gardening.
• Gardening is a fun activity for all the family. Portable planters are great for teaching your kids about growing plants. Give your children a grow bag each and let them grow potatoes, carrots and onions – all of which they can then help you cook!
• Make sure the planters are designed for outdoors, as many indoor planters don’t have a drain hole in the bottom to allow water to drain away.
• Remember to position your planters in the best location, depending on how much sunlight the particular plants require to thrive. Look into installing self-watering planters if you are out at work all day. Most plants don’t cope well in the cold, so buy a thermometer and take them inside if it gets too cold.

If you have a private garden

If you’re lucky enough to have plenty of growing space in your own back garden, then the sky’s the limit.

• How about setting up your own small market garden and selling your produce to local shops, farmer’s markets or restaurants?
• If you have too much space, consider offering your garden as part of a garden share scheme and rent out some of your space to your neighbours. You may get some vegetables in return and make new friends too.
• Your home insurance should cover gardening equipment and even some plants and shrubs. Check this out for more info on Home Insurance

Even if you live in a city and have no back garden, you can still join in on the gardening trend. Whether you want to teach your children about gardening, grow herbs for salad, or to see yourself through winter with root vegetables for stew, the key is to make good use of whatever space you have.

This guest post was written on behalf of Money Matters, the Sainsbury's Bank blog. The views expressed in this guest post are of the author and not of Sainsbury's Bank. Though it may include tips and information on how to grow vegetables in a city it does not constitute advice and should not be used as a basis for any financial decisions. Sainsbury's Bank accepts no responsibility for the opinions and views of external contributors and the content of external websites included within this post. All information in this post was correct at date of publication.