With spring looming, the little ones and I have recently been getting our green fingers ready for growing our own fruit and vegetables throughout the year.

This year will be our first growing season with a garden. It still needs a lot of work to get it how we want it, but I am now coming to terms with the fact this might take a good year or so.

Our garden is really long, so we are planning to get chickens once we get the very bottom of the garden secured and the shed that’s already down there will be converted into a hen house. We are huge egg lovers here, and I just know that Eva and Jack will love going down to collect the fresh eggs each day. Then in front of that will be our hopefully rather spectacular vegetable patch.

So far we’ve planted some onion sets and there’s already a good few rhubarb plants, from days long gone when the previous owners had what looks like an impressive vegetable patch.

We are also lucky enough to have been left a greenhouse (which needs cleaning up and moving, and one pane of glass is missing) so we have got coriander seeds just planted in a mini propagator in there. That’s where lots of seeds that we will be starting off over the next few weeks, including strawberries, tomatoes (cherry and normal sized), seed potatoes, to name just a few, are currently living.

Gardening, especially growing our own fruit and veg is something I am so excited to do, and something that is fun for all the family. Eva and Jack just loved getting their wellies and waterproof suits on, and even if they aren’t actually doing much helping, they just love being involved in the planting and seeing the seeds grow.

Last year we did tomatoes, potatoes and strawberries on our balcony at our flat, along with some basil and chives on the kitchen windowsill. So even if you don’t have much space there is always something you can grow. Someone recently gave me a fab tip, which is save fruit punnets (the clear ones with lids you get strawberries in from the supermarkets), fill with compost or soil, plant your seeds, water and pop the lid on and keep on a sunny windowsill. Bob’s you’re uncle – you have a homemade propagator to get your seeds started in.

We will keep you updated with what we grow and how we get on, but for now we would love to know, are you planning on growing your own this year?