Website of the UK government

Why grow your own?

More people are getting interested in growing their own fruit and vegetables, for many different reasons:

• it could save you money on expensive items like salad leaves
• gardening is a cheap form of exercise and a great way to burn calories and get some fresh air
• it helps children understand where food comes from, and could encourage more interest in eating fresh fruit and vegetables
• growing your own can help you get your five-a-day portions of fruit and vegetables
• you'll become more aware of what's in season, so you may find it easier to choose seasonal food when you go shopping (seasonal food is likely to need less energy to produce)
• gardening can be a sociable activity which involves you in your local community
• it can help to reduce stress and can give you a sense of achievement

• Five-a-day website (NHS) Opens new window

Growing plants at home

You may only have a small balcony, or a space on the windowsill, but it needn't stop you taking your first steps at gardening. You can grow herbs indoors or salad leaves outside in a pot.

If you have a garden but no space for a dedicated food plot, you can try planting fruit or vegetables amongst your flowers.

You could ask a neighbour with a large garden if you could cultivate a patch of ground, and maybe offer some of your produce in return.

Growing on a larger scale

If you don't have a space at home, or want to grow a larger amount of crops, you can search for local community gardening schemes, think about renting an allotment or use the Landshare website.

Community garden schemes
Community garden schemes are available in many areas of the country. Groups of people have joined together to reclaim land to grow food and plants as a neighbourhood community project.

The projects provide a space for people to enjoy and learn about gardening, share tools, seeds and produce, and meet other people.

Look on the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens website for a list of community gardens and farms in the UK.

In London, the Capital Growth programme is making more food growing space available to the public through community and voluntary schemes. Visit the London Development Agency (LDA) website for more information.

• Read more about community gardening Opens new window

• Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens Opens new window

• LDA Capital Growth scheme Opens new window

Renting an allotment
Your local council will have details of the allotments near you with spaces. Allotments have become so popular that there is often a waiting list and it may be a few months before one becomes available.

Over the next three years, the National Trust is creating 1,000 allotment spaces on their land where people can grow their own crops. Visit the National Trust website for more details of this scheme.

• Guide to renting an allotment (home and community section)

• Find your local council

• National Trust allotments Opens new window

Landshare
If you can't find somewhere to grow produce, or you have spare land you wish to share, you can use the Landshare website. Landshare matches spare land with people who want to grow their own fruit and vegetables.

• Find or share a growing space on Landshare Opens new window

What to grow and when

There is plenty of advice available on growing your own fruit and vegetables from various sources:

• Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) - information on growing and using fresh produce
• BBC gardening - advice on what to grow, where and when
• Eat seasonably - simple instructions on how to grow ten easy fruit and vegetables

• RHS grow your own Opens new window

• BBC gardening grow your own Opens new window

• Eat seasonably Opens new window