I know I'm really lucky because we have a huge garden in the country. We moved out here to offer our children a different lifetyle and creating a veggie patch was one of our main priorities. Our first attempt last year produced an abundance of strawberries, squash, radishes, tomatoes (dead easy to grow), cabbages and gooseberries. There's nothing nicer than eating your own homegrown fruit, veg and herbs. It really isn't as difficult as we thought, so no matter how large or small your gardening space, have a go, experiment and enjoy!

Oh how lucky you are! I often wonder about slugs and things. What do you do about them, or maybe there isn't any in the south of France?

I've often wondered that myself. (About pests that is). What does one do to keep cats, mice and squirrels out?

Every year I say I will have an edible garden and have yet to do it. Maybe this year, maybe not

We put ashes around the veggie plot to deter ants, our biggest "predator" believe it or not. Seemed to work. Slugs didn't seem to be too much of a problem last year, my main concern was the rabbit that suddenly appeared in the garden in the Summer...

And Di, don't you have heaps of land?

Kickcan and Conkers - A rabbit. How cute! We have many raccoons (and mice I think). Yikes! (oh and slugs).

my grandparents had the most amazing veggie + fruit gardens in their yard, and i've always wanted to do the same. lack of space has always been my problem, but i have done tomatoes and strawberries in pots before. my 'pest' is my 2-yr-old, who just loves to dig in the dirt and disturb any plantings :)
for slugs, my nana put empty grapefruit halves upside down around the borders of the garden. in the morning, they'd always have several slugs trapped underneath! works well + natural, too!

great post as i'm going to try to plant some things this week for the first time ever. i've heard you can use a water based solution (that you make) with chili powder and garlic to keep pests at bay without harming your plants or using pesticides.

thanks again!

oh thanks lesley - that's a great tip - especially around here with the enormous ones roaming around.

i did find a link to a little info on controlling pests:

http://www.sunset.com/garden/garden-basics/caring-for-vegetables-00400000012282/page2.html

We started a garden last spring, but my boyfriend has been expanding it this year. We've been learning a lot along the way. I actually posted just the other day about some natural pest control methods we've picked up:
http://www.missmalaprop.com/2010/04/natural-methods-of-garden-pest-control/

Me too! But all I have is a little balcony. I started basil and other herbs inside and they're doing well, but I also want to do tomatoes and lettuce!

I did a community garden last year with some friends and it was so wonderful. There is just nothing like being able to go to your own backyard or patio and pick dinner though, and this year I get to have my own garden. here is what I've done so far http://bobbilewin.blogspot.com/2010/03/and-im-plugged-back-in.html

Hi Bobbi - thanks for linking to that - fun to see!

You read my mind! I have been obsessed (to say the least) with planning an edible garden, and I am very grateful for these resources!

Lots of inspiration here. Thanks so much.

I'm so happy to see people leaning towards growing their own food! Last year we planted our first urban garden, you can see it here if you wish:

http://lindsaybrackeen.blogspot.com/2010/02/how-does-your-garden-grow.html

Coleman's Four Season Harvest was my go to book for planting dates, organic growing tips, etc. I highly recommend the book! It's so informative. :)

i would lOVE to have a huge garden someday with everything i need to eat.. so great! i have a little garden growing on my balcony that is all of 3 feet wide.. lol.. but we shall see i have berries and herbs and flowers.. :)

come by my little blog for a sweet giveaway...
www.olivejuicephotoblog.com

All this response to your post is wonderful Jan - so many people interested in "growing their own".

Thanks Lindsay, I'll take a look for that book.

Deborah - yeah, I know - would be fun to do a garden tour.

that's so good you're doing that! i wish i had the time and energy to go out and do the same. Maybe in the future when I have my own house :)

We have a large garden every year with heirloom tomatoes, a variety of peppers, corn, peas, lettuces, herbs, etc. We have raised beds in the yard but we also love our Earth Boxes which can be used in the smallest of yards (or decks) and produce amazing results. They are perfect for the beginning gardener too.

i am really enjoying your tumblr garden posts. my blog is mostly about my balcony garden this summer, so i would love for you to come and take a look. and thanks so much for the inspiration!

I think edible gardens are fantastic. We started off growing cherry tomatoes with our kids in hanging baskets. Then we built them their own vegetable patch and the vegetables you get from there taste 10 times as good to them as anything you can buy.

Short on space? I just found these online, cheap too!

You can grow herbs, flowers, strawberries etc. I bought 10, can't wait to try them. (love love your blog BTW)