Lettuce Turnip The Beet: Time To Dig Into Veg Growing

Grow fresh, tasty produce with a rewarding twist.

There’s something incredibly satisfying about growing your own food, and April is the perfect time to dig in — quite literally. With longer daylight hours and the soil warming up, it’s an ideal month to create a raised bed or start a veg patch in your garden.

Raised beds offer a whole host of benefits, especially in UK gardens where soil quality and drainage can be a challenge. By building up, you gain more control over the growing conditions — perfect for nurturing everything from leafy greens to root veg. They also reduce strain on your back, help keep pests at bay, and can be tailored to fit any space, whether you’ve got a sprawling lawn or a small urban garden.

April is a prime planting month for a wide range of crops. Think beetroot, carrots, radishes, lettuce, spinach, onions, and even early potatoes. It’s also a great time to sow herbs like parsley and chives, or start strawberries and rhubarb for sweet summer treats. A raised bed provides the perfect blank canvas to lay out your growing plans and get ahead for a bountiful harvest later in the year.

Creating a veg patch is not just practical — it’s also incredibly rewarding. There’s a real joy in popping out to the garden and picking ingredients for your dinner. It’s a brilliant way to cut food waste, reduce plastic packaging, and teach children where food really comes from.

Plus, tending a veg patch is great for your mental well-being. It’s calming, purposeful, and gives you a genuine sense of achievement.

So grab a spade, soak up some spring sunshine, and get planting — your future self (and your dinner plate) will thank you!