A visual FEAST

Growing your own crops is dependent on the space available, as we describe four distinct styles, each one as attractive as it is productive

- NICOLA STOCKEN

Nothing beats the crunch of a freshly-dug carrot or the sweetness of a strawberry plucked straight from the plant and, now that healthy eating is firmly back on the menu, growing your own is very much flavour of the month. It’s a revolution that’s being championed by the likes of Bob Flowerdew and James Wong, and sends out a clear message that with a little know-how, anyone can grow their own produce, and have a lot of fun in the process.

With so much available information and mouth-watering crops to choose from, it’s difficult to know where to start. But the first step is simple – assess how much ground is available, and choose crops to suit the space, soil and situation. Wherever space is at a premium, it makes sense to focus on crops that are expensive to buy, scarce heritage varieties, or ones where freshness is key to flavour – culinary herbs, cherry tomatoes, salad leaves or finger carrots, for example.

In tiny plots, ‘mini’ vegetable varieties thrive in containers on patios or balconies and, being mostly sown in spring and summer, are harvested earlier than their full-sized equivalents.

In gardens where space is no object, the only constraints on creating a kitchen garden are imagination and any limitations of the site. The ideal situation is open, sunny and not overshadowed by trees, on free-draining, well-dug soil, rich in compost.