It all started with an after-lunch conversation a few weeks ago. Having munched our way through a delicious salad, with new potatoes and spoonfuls of gorgeous roasted courgettes, my host mentioned that nearly everything had been grown in their vegetable patch.

"Oooh how did you manage to get an allotment" I asked, knowing two things. That their tiny back garden was entirely decked over, and that the waiting lists for allotments around here stretched to lifetimes.

"We didn't", my host replied. Her husband and a friend had joined with others through a scheme that matched you up with people who had land. They'd joined about 18 months ago, and this was their first really successful harvest.

I've written a bit on PlayPennies about growing your own food. You can read more about this in Save money with your garden for example. It is a great way to cut back on the food bills, especially if you are worried about what goes into your food. Growing your own organic vegetables, fruits and herbs is far cheaper than buying them, although it takes a lot more time!