Growing your own!

The desire to grow-your-own vegetables, salads and fruits is what first draws many into gardening.

To make the most of the growing season there is a lot that can be started in April, but keep a close eye on weather forecasts and always have horticultural fleece on hand in case plants need wrapping up warm at night.

Adding mulches and manures to beds now will increase the fertility of the soil, and potentially smother lurking weeds too.

If growing from seed, don’t make the beginners’ mistake of sowing the whole packet - you are not going to want 50 tomato plants all ripening at once, unless you are planning to go into pasta sauce production!

Buying vegetables and salads as starter plants can be a better option. Doing this gives you a head start on the season and also the opportunity to grow a wider variety as you can buy in small quantities, from single pots to trays of six.

Growing-your-own can be a highly satisfying experience but make sure you are growing crops you and the family are really going to want to eat.

If you are new to it, start off with the easy ones, such as lettuces and salad leaves, which will be ready for picking in a matter of weeks, giving near-instant gratification and less time for things to go wrong. Fruit bushes, strawberries and herbs are other easier options to start with.

· Save 20% on edibles during the Katie’s Garden Grow Your Own Weekend 11th-13th April