Establishing a vegetable garden

With vegetable gardening becoming "all the rage", according to Tim Lamprey of the Newbury Port Daily News, the gardener has given his fellow horticulturalists some tips.

Those looking into growing their own food can reclaim some of their lawn to make room for the crops, he wrote.

Mr Lamprey explained kitchen gardens do well in the sunniest part of the yard and growers should aim to locate their produce in a spot that has sunlight for a minimum of five hours – ideally during the middle of the day.

"Too much shade makes it difficult to grow vegetables and will make the plants more susceptible to fungus diseases," he said.

Beginners should turn the soil over to a depth of around six inches and remove clumps of grass, the article suggested.

Improving the soil with compost or peat moss and fertiliser can help give the vegetables a head start.

Regular fertiliser application is a good idea, according to Mr Lamprey, who added growing vegetables can be hard work, but well worth it.

Those looking to grow pepper or tomato plants from seed may find they are more successful with the use of a greenhouse.