With warmer weather, we start thinking about green and growing things. After all of these long dreary months of winter it will certainly be nice to start serving up some meals that include fresh, local produce. Still, shopping at the produce market can prove to be a bit costly. So, why not try your hand at growing your own vegetables this year? It is not all that hard to do. Plus your favorite salads, soups, stews and other dishes will taste even better when your own, homegrown veggies are starring in their ingredient list.

You don’t need much to get started growing your own vegetable garden. First, it doesn’t necessarily require a lot of space to grow vegetables. You can make do with just a small area of sunny soil, or if you don’t have that, a few pots of soil on the deck. You will need to purchase potting soil for the container gardening option, or a few bags of topsoil and compost for a garden sown in the ground. Then, all you will need are some vegetable seeds, a bit of fertilizer, some sunshine, rain or watering, and a bit of time to watch your garden grow.

Want to see your veggies spring up fast? Plant radishes and turnips, and other root crops first. These will spring up quickly. Some other types of veggies, like squash, corn and beans, take more time and more space. Tomatoes, though technically not vegetables, are a must for any vegetable garden. They do well if started in smaller “seedling” pots until they are about six inches high and then transplant to the ground or a bigger container. Some garden centers carry vegetable seedlings in flats to save you the trouble of sowing your own seed, too.

Gardening can be relaxing for you, fun for the kids and an activity that can engage the whole family. Best of all, you’ll be able to share the fruits of your labors over a delicious dinner made with the vegetables you grew yourself!