IT IS set to be the Year of the Vegetable Garden.

In the face of growing pressures to save money and turn to greener living, the old-fashioned vegetable plot at the end of the garden is set to make a big comeback in 2009.

Making use of the back garden to grow your own food is a sure fire way to cut the weekly food shopping bill – and add some healthy extras to your dinner plate.

Garden planning advisors GrowVeg.com are convinced the humble vegetable plot is in line for a renaissance over the next 12 months.

Jeremy Dore, from GrowVeg. com, said: “With pressures on family finances and the need to find greener ways of sourcing food, 2009 is set to be the year of the vegetable garden.

“More and more people are including fruit and vegetables in their gardens as they experience the superior taste and health benefits of home grown food.”

As well as staples such as potatoes, runner beans, carrots, cabbages, peas and courgettes, Hampshire gardeners are now successfully cultivating more exotic fruit and vegetables, thanks to a warmer climate.

Tony Murrills, secretary of the Eastleigh and Bishopstoke Allotments Co-operative Association Ltd, explained the benefits of vegetable plots.

He said: “You get fresh and better tasting produce and know how it’s been grown. It’s cheaper than buying all your produce at the supermarket, and there’s a real sense of achievement in growing your own food.

“There’s something really therapeutic about working with the soil and plants, and the satisfaction of getting an end result.

“People are growing everything these days. With the warmer climate, people are successfully growing more tender and tropical things such as aubergines, peppers, chillies and cucumbers, which would have been associated with greenhouse cultivation in the past.”