We were into some deep conversations about gardening trends. We both agreed there is a big move towards growing your own food.

I have to be concerned over the way some new gardeners are going about this. One customer I told Stephen about came into the shop. I think he had been told to go out and acquire everything he needed to feed the family. We were just closing and there wasn't much time to talk, and he didn't have time for advice.

The man grabbed a propagator and some irrigation equipment and left hurriedly.
Stephen stroked his chin sagely, tutted and said: "New gardeners should not try to take on too much at once," he said. "They will only find it all too much and then give up".

I have to agree. If you are just starting out, exploring possibilities in starting a veggie patch, then it is very easy to get all fired up, buy lots of seeds, starting out with all good intentions, only to find that you don't have enough time to do all you hoped you could. It is easy for me to say. However, if you can, start slowly with a few easy to grow things.

Large seeds tend to be more successful than small ones. I generalise but I am thinking that seed potatoes, peas and beans will be easier to raise than vegetables such as parsnips which can be a bit finicky at times with their dislike for extremes of temperatures at germination time.

I remember trying unsuccessfully to grow brussel sprouts and would look wistfully at a field full of them the other side of a wire fence!
It is not easy to gain knowledge just from books. It is much better to be able to talk about the subject.

Here is a minefield because with gardening there is bound to be a multitude of opinions.
But a word or two with a gardening neighbour will provide handsome dividends. Be sure of one thing.

Every gardener will be ready and pleased to give discussion on how things should be done.
You could join a gardening club where there will be all sorts of gardeners of varying degrees of skill.

I know, as I have delivered talks to many in the area. Not one group could I label as stuffy or unapproachable. In fact the opposite would be true.

Find a group near you from local parish notice boards, library or the internet. Share your interest and I believe you will stop yourself from making lots of costly mistakes, both in time and money.

If you want to go one stage further, how about going to an evening class? The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) provides a syllabus delivered by local colleges which give an excellent foundation in gardening.
It gives practical advice as well as some science so you can understand what is going on inside the plant and you can then react with informed assurance to the plant's needs.

Many find the course enables them to use it as a springboard for a career in horticulture. Having taught the course myself a couple of times I have come across several people who have made the leap from one career to another by this route.

To new gardeners everywhere I would suggest 'steady as you go' to be a motto, while seeking advice from as many as possible and be vigilant with your plants.
Remember too, that good gardeners are the ones who attend to detail.