A small vegetable garden is a great way to get in touch with the food that you're eating. Food straight from a garden tastes great, and you can enjoy the knowledge that you've put the effort into creating such great produce. A small vegetable garden is all you need to grow food - you certainly don't need a big one. A small one is actually better in some situations, and they're great if you've only got a small amount of space.

What Vegetables do you Want? There are a lot of vegetables that you can choose from. You may already have a few ideas about what you want to plant. If you want more inspiration, head down to your local garden centre and see what's on offer.

Plan your Garden. A little planning goes a long way and is really helpful with gardens. Use some graph paper to lay your garden out. If you want to know how big each plant is going to get, I suggest that you do a Google Image search and see how big each of them tend to get. Line your garden out in rows, reasonably spaced apart. Place the larger plants in the middle of the garden with the smaller ones lining the edges.

Dig! If you already have a garden in place, chances are that you'll need to turn the soil. It's physical work, so do it on a cloudy day, or wear a hat!

Do a Soil Test. These kits are available in garden centres and will help you to determine the pH of your garden. This will help you to determine just what you might need to add to the soil.

Add Organic Matter. This is where the compost comes in. If you already have compost, spread it over the garden evenly. Continue to turn it. If you don't have any compost handy then I suggest that you go and buy some - it's not expensive and makes a difference to your garden. Make sure that you level it when you're finished! Makes it look a bit nicer, and helps with water absorption.

At this stage you can add irrigation if you are going to be using it. Small gardens can probably be watered by hand, but you might want it. Your choice.

Get Set! Plant! Now you can dig your holes and plant your plants. Follow the directions on the seed packet, or ask the garden centre if you purchase ready made plants. Poke the seeds into the holes with your thumbs and sprinkle a little water over the top.

Growing a garden is great. They do require work, but you can have a lot of fun with one. Ready, steady, garden!