An increasing number of people are interested in growing their own vegetables to save money, but are not sure where to start.

Head Gardener Tina Hammond, from Felbrigg Hall in Norfolk, has put together some clever tips to help you get the most out of your garden:

• Dwarf French beans are expensive to buy but really simple to grow yourself. They’re small, so are great for containers if you haven’t much space, and you can get a good couple of helpings for the average sized family from each plant.

• Courgettes almost grow themselves, and produce a prolific crop. Two plants are plenty to provide the whole family with enough for two meals a week for a couple of months, which will save lots of money.

• Pumpkins and squash can cost a fortune and they’re great grown in your own garden - they thrive in a wide range of soils and produce a lot of crop. Once picked, they last for ages - an autumn crop could last you the whole winter.

• ‘Cut and come again’ mixed salad leaves are fabulous value for money. Fresh leaves can be cut as and when required and they’re perfect for tubs, troughs or window boxes.

• Strawberries are the best soft fruit to grow at home. They don't need any pruning or staking, are great in small areas, look really pretty and, most importantly, taste much better when grown yourself.

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Top 10 unusual fruit and vegetable containers

Starting a vegetable garden doesn’t necessarily mean rushing out and buying new window boxes and expensive equipment. There are a surprising number of things that could be lying around the house which make perfect containers for growing vegetables:

• From colourful clogs to an old leather boot, punch holes in old shoe soles for funky, creative plant containers. Wellington boots are great for leeks!
• Fill toilet roll tubes with compost and seeds and you can start off many kinds of vegetables - including beans, carrots and parsnips - inside. Transplant them into soil after a few weeks without disturbing the roots, where the biodegradable cardboard will just rot away.
• Buckets are ideal for all kinds of root vegetables – they're just the right depth and ensure your lovely parsnips won’t take over the whole garden.
• Goldfish bowls and tanks look wonderful planted with herbs – think greenery in glass. They also make fantastic wormeries!
• Scour charity shops for earthenware pots - they come in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be very cheap.
• Old car tyres are great for growing potatoes - stack them up and paint in bright colours one Sunday afternoon!  
• Fill old shoeboxes with compost for growing lettuces - remember not to over water!
• Keep an eye out for unusual teapots. When you find one, take the top off, fill it with soil and plant mint - which you can boil for delicious tea later on.
• If your child grows out of their lunchbox, don’t just throw it away. Help them plant some herbs in it for an eccentric addition to the windowsill or garden.