How to... grow your own with ease

Nothing seems simpler than the idea of plucking food fresh from the ground and popping it straight into the pot - full of flavour and bursting with vitamins. But it's the thought of all the hard work leading up to this point that puts many of us off. If you shop for bags of salads rather than packets of seeds and are short on time, space and gardening talent, then we've got the answers to all your excuses.

Too little space?

You don't need acres of fields to be able to grow your own. The trick in small spaces is to integrate a vegetable patch into your garden. Let nasturtiums scramble through the borders, and plant onion and garlic bulbs in flower beds - you can let the odd one bolt to create dramatic allium flower heads (elephant garlic looks spectacular). Plant up pots and tubs with fruit and vegetables instead of annuals - the coloured stalks of rainbow chard, delicate flowers of broad beans and striking stripes of ripening borlotti bean pods can look just as attractive. With regular feeding, strawberries and herbs grow well in planters, tomatoes and courgettes live happily in grow bags, while vertical spaces can accommodate runner beans and peas. And you'd be amazed at the number of potatoes you can get from one plant in a single barrel.

Too tiring?

People often associate growing vegetables with digging, digging and more digging. But with a bit of preparation to start with, you can leave your spade in the shed for a good deal of the time. Spend one weekend giving the soil a good going over, then, as long as it's in reasonable shape and you don't compact the soil by constantly trampling over it, you can just routinely add a mulch of well-rotted organic matter on top and let the worms do the hard work for you.

Not enough time?

Look at how much time you can spare and plan your crops accordingly. If you can nip into the garden for a few minutes every evening, you'll have plenty of choice, but if you're away a lot then fruit trees and bushes are a good option as they can survive periods without watering. Cut down on all weeding and watering time by mulching around plants. Site crops that need lots of watering (such as tomatoes, salad leaves and herbs) near the outside tap or water butt so you won't have so far to walk. And why not incorporate it into your relaxation time by holding the watering can in one hand and a glass of wine in the other?

Lacking green fingers?

If you're the sort of person that can't keep house plants alive let alone a vegetable patch, don't worry, you don't need to have the skills of Alan Titchmarsh. Provide them with decent soil, and plants such as garlic, onions, potatoes, leeks, courgettes, broad beans and chard (to name but a few) will pretty much look after themselves. As an added bonus, potatoes and squash will shade out the weeds, too. Opting for no-fuss varieties can also help - tumbling tomatoes, for example, don't need any of the hassle of pinching out side shoots. One trick is to look at the selection of seed packets designed for children - guaranteed to be easy to grow. And if you've never had any luck growing from seed, then buy your seedlings ready to plant in compostable pots.