Growing on a budget

It's well known that being outdoors can be beneficial to our mental health. Gardening, being outdoors and interacting with nature can also promote a healthy mind and body.

In addition to being a perfect place to relax and relieve stress, gardens can also be a great place to gain a real sense of accomplishment while boosting your self-esteem.

We want to make sure everyone receives their fair share of vitamin G, not only for nourishing their gardens, but for the health of their minds and bodies too. Our green-fingered team has shared some of their favourite budget-friendly gardening tips.

This may sound rather obvious, but growing your own is a cheap and easy way of growing a steady supply of plants to use in all sorts of delicious dishes. Vegetables such as kale, rhubarb, artichokes, watercress, broccoli and cauliflower are especially good, and while some are technically classed as annuals or biennials, they can potentially be treated as a perennial if they receive the right care and attention during the winter months. Just a handful of plants can produce an extensive yield!

Turn your old food containers into seed trays and pots to grow seedlings in. You can re-use everything from tins (with a hole drilled in the bottom), plastic fruit containers, egg boxes, noodle pots or yogurt containers, to name a few. The most valuable tip we learnt was to use a water bottle that has been cut in half to make a mini propagator.

Ask friends, family and neighbours if they would be up for a plant or seed swap. There are also plenty of websites, such as Freecycle or Preloved, where people are either selling cheaply, giving away or will happily trade with what you have. Be prepared to collect. You never know, you might find one of your ‘wish list plants’ for next to nothing!

The price per pound of certain fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, currants, blueberries etc, can quickly add up. Thankfully, plenty of nurseries and garden centres sell soft fruit bushes, canes and vines that will happily thrive in a British garden with the right care and attention. Growing your own fruit is not only a valuable investment, but also a great way to organically eat your way to your five a day!