In this day and age – for some reason – we have all ended up with primly cut front lawns, cut and measured to perfection. But simply, that isn’t mother nature, she is supposed to be a big mess that wreaks havoc but provides delicacies at the same time.

A green square patch as your front or even back garden is boring anyway, why not spice it up a bit and save some money in the long run with a vegetable garden?

Creating a vegetable garden is a great way to eat fresh, stay healthy while also teaching yourself and your children where food actually comes from.

Below is a quick and easy guide on how to create one if you’re bored in this seemingly endless quarantine;

Find the right place for your garden

Some veggies thrive in dappled shade, but normally most vegetables need sun to grow. However, no crops will grow under a tree or in deep shade.

Be sure to choose an area that’s flat, has good levels of sunshine and is sheltered from wind when it starts to pick up. Preferably locate it near a tap to limit watering can trips.

Design your patch

Drawing and designing out a plan of your soon to be vegetable garden helps to iron out any problems early on. Plan beds in groups of four to make it easier to rotate your veg around the plot. This will prevent pests and diseases popping up from time to time.

Remove any weeds

Preparing the soil is paramount. Dig out perennial weeds like couch grass and bindweed before you start planting veggies. Wherever possible, leave the soil for 14 days after weeding, so that any annual seeds brought to the surface germinate.

Tackle it bit by bit

Start small – don’t dig up the entire garden, only to realise you’ve taken on too much. Dig up a small area instead and get that right. Cover any unused areas with membrane or thick cardboard to keep weeds under control.

Perfect the soil

Again, soil perfection is key to your garden. If your soil contains a lot of chalk or clay, it is easier to grow veg in raised beds. Fill the beds with a mixture of soil-based compost, council green waste and topsoil.

If growing in soil, it’s a good idea to do a pH test with a kit, to find out how acid or alkaline it is. Neutral soil is best, as most vegetable crops will grow well here.

Keep it easy with easy to grow crops

Some vegetables are easier to grow than others. If you’ve never grown your own vegetables before, or if you’re growing vegetables with children, it’s a good idea to grow easy-to-grow crops first. Courgettes, potatoes, beans, strawberries, radish and beetroot are some great veg crops for beginners.

Credit: William Wand – The Figure Head