Why grow your own fruit and veg? It’s a question I’m sure none gardening people might ask. When you can pop to your local supermarket and buy what you want when you want.

I’ll tell you why. The taste.

It’s unparalleled to anything else you can buy. Carrots taste like carrots, fresh and slightly sweet. Cauliflower has a stronger flavour unlike the bland flavour you can buy. True peppery salad leaves have the punch they should and onions can make your neighbours cry. It’s no wonder that people don’t eat enough; it all has the tendency to taste of nothing.

Along with the basic knowledge that anything mass produced, or forcibly grown at all times of the year just does not have the time to develop the taste it should. Not to mention most produce is picked before its ripe how on earth can we expect it to taste good.

I chose to start growing my own bit of fruit and veg out of pure interest and the idea of achievement when I could pick my own. The first we grew was salad leaves and strawberries. I’m sure there were others but I remember these the most. The pleasure of doing a BBQ in the garden and picking fresh salad leaves for the burger was so intensely satisfying that I’ve been hooked ever since. The taste of strawberries, fresh and warm from the sunshine were a taste revelation to me. Since then the idea of eating strawberries out of season is something I just can’t do. I’ve always been hopelessly disappointed every time that I bought them. They are now strictly a summer treat.

I enjoy the knowledge that every time I eat something I’ve grown organically I know that I’m eating produce that contains a huge amount of nutrients compared to anything else I might buy. We believe that this is the key to good health, good food, grown well.Having been able to create a small kitchen garden I’ve been giddy like a school girl planning and preparing the soil in the raised beds. This year the range of veg we are planning to grow is extensive, I’m planning on new varieties of squash, pumpkins, my first sweet corn and cabbages by the dozen.

We have a simple layout. Four raised beds on a south facing hill in a quadrant and another behind them for the strawberries. I have canes creating a basic arbour down the middle of the four beds for climbing veg and this year I’ll also be using pots. I’ve dedicated a bed lower down the hill to herbs, where they can sun themselves all day.

We encourage everyone to try growing something themselves. Pick that one bit of fruit you love, or veg you use the most and have a go. I challenge you to take a taste test and prove me wrong.