There was a time in Britain when the majority of families would have relied on their own land to provide them with all of their food.

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Some families had livestock and others grew vegetables or fruits and both could be traded. In modern day society this practice is virtually impossible as most people lead busy working lives and very few have space for chickens or bountiful crops.

However, there is still joy to be harvested from the achievement of growing your own produce and the triumphant feeling of eating something that you have grown yourself is a very unique experience.

Even if you have the smallest garden, or just a window sill that gets some sun you could nurture a little plant this Spring that may end up  providing you with something for your dinner table this year.

Ethno botany expert and Head Gardener at Holker Hall, Glynn Sherratt, 41, has just won the prestigious BBC Countryfile magazine award for the best garden in Britain. At Holker Hall, Mr Sherratt and his team tend a vast kitchen garden, so he always has expert tips for any green-fingered beginners. He said:

"The main thing to bare in mind when starting a kitchen garden is that you can always grow something no matter how small the space is. 

"You can buy something called a growbag and they are a great place to start. With them you can grow small salad crops such as tomatoes for later in the summer. Also, if you don’t fancy growing from seeds, lots of companies sell plug plants that can give you a head start or replace a failed crop."

There really is no comparison between shop bought tomatoes and home grown tomatoes and for people who are conscious not buying genetically modified foods then growing your own could even work out cheaper than the supermarket's offering of organic produce. Mr Sherratt said:

"Growing food is something that people have been doing for thousands, maybe millions of years and it is only in the last 100 years or so that we stopped growing our own produce. It's natural, in our DNA to be self-sufficient."

With the Easter holidays starting this weekend and Spring finally dawning on the Soth Lakes, this  could be the perfect weekend to teach children about gardening. Mr Sherratt said:

"It's great to get kids involved in growing from an early age as it is then something that you take with you throughout your life. For something that isn't too delicate and that most children enjoy eating, potatoes are very simple. They are great givers, you can get loads from them every year. Potatoes also grow really well in bags on a patio, this saves lots of digging and makes them much easier to harvest."

So, starting with potatoes and tomatoes in a bag sounds fairly simple, they are two very basic foods and can usually be added to any meal, a potato growing bag can be bought for less than £10. What plants come next in the quest for the simple and nutritious kitchen garden? Mr Sherratt said:

"Climbing beans, runner beans and french beans would be the next vegetable to move on to after potatoes and as for fruits, go with strawberry plants. They are probably the most rewarding."

If you can picture yourself enjoying strawberries with cream this summer and feeling very smug because you know that you cultivated the fruit yourself then the Spring is the time to get started. April is the best month to plant vegetable seeds because it usually means the last of the late frosts are over. Gardening is also one of the most relaxing hobbies there is, and not just for people who are retired. Spending time with nature, whether it is all day or just for a couple of minutes each morning can be extremely calming. Mr Sherratt said:

"The greatest thing about gardening is that the earth is always changing and nature is so remarkable. Each season brings something new and you can plan ahead for that but you will always get surprises too."

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