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It’s been a traumatic week. We're down to the last of the home-grown potatoes, (King Edwards, and very nice they are too), and we've also just lifted the last few parsnips from the plot. It's always a sad time, as it's so long until we'll be able to

I've just thrown a 'plant party', as part of 'Grow Your Own' Week. This involved my friends coming to my flat and learning how to sow tomatoes and chillies. We also discussed pricking out, transplanting, feeding and watering. It reminded me of my

nutritious for both other plants and humans.Follow our tips on putting nettles to good use - but be sure to wear gloves at all times when handling them.For a basic soup you'll need about 200g of fresh nettle tips. Add 450g of potatoes, peeled and cubed, a

flower will need more attention though. Hans suggests daily watering and regular feeding, and swears by growing the plants in a cocktail of home-made compost and chopped raw potatoes, plus wood chips and bark. (For more of his tips, download the growing

draw up a crop rotation plan. I actually drew a rough outline of where I was going to grow this year's crops in the autumn, before putting in the onions and garlic. Typically, I never got around to finishing it off.My crop rotation plan comprises a

and parsnips shot into glorious growth, triumphant at having survived the frosts and the cold. I left them to it, I was busy sowing seeds, getting the potatoes chitted and planted, and preparing the beds. Before I knew it, the leeks and a solitary parsnip were

. As in potatoes, not Cabaret (“What use is chitting alone in your room? Come hear the music play....). Leave them on a windowsill and let them sprout.7. Tulip saxatalis: The earliest tulip. Very different to the rather gorgeous spring numbers I was talking about a

Growing vegetables from seed can make a limited budget go a long way. Some crops, such as maincrop potatoes and onions are fairly cheap to buy in shops, so growing your own might not save you a lot of money. But runner bean, cherry tomato

and used shop-bought ones to fill in any gaps. I also used garden centre manure rather than collect it myself from the stables and planted more potatoes than usual, since they're relatively trouble-free.I'm so glad that I did. A long term commitment

. It is time to bounce into 2010 with a light step and the feeling that valleys can be crossed in a single bound.Many people will have decided that the time has come to start growing their own vegetables. All those excellent Gardeners World projects and blogs