Here's how to create flowerbeds and garden borders to be proud of...

Gardening 101

If you have the room, there are many good reasons to grow a garden in the backyard. The first and most obvious one is that you will save money on fresh fruit and vegetables. Not to mention the fact that fresh produce from a home garden tastes a heck of a lot better than anything you will find at the market.

So, why doesn't everyone have a garden? Well, more often than not, homeowners simply assume that growing a garden will be more trouble than it's worth. But the truth is that there are many vegetables that can be planted and harvested with very little work.

Where to start? You must find an area of the yard that receives at least 6 hours of sunshine per day, in the summertime. This ground will need to be loosened up before you can plant anything. But don't worry, this is the hard part. With a single afternoon you might have otherwise spent repairing secondhand cars, you can plant your own garden.

Since plants often get quite large, you must provide them with enough room to grow or they will not produce fruit. A good rule of thumb is to give each plant at least 18 inches on each side. If you have trouble measuring by sight, put down some tape or string to outline each plot.

What should you plant? As you might expect, it depends on the season. Tomatoes, aubergines, peppers, cucumbers and runner beans are the most popular summer vegetables for beginners, while lettuce, peas, broccoli and spinach can be planted in the spring and autumn.