There will be no let-up in the grow-your-own campaign in the new year as gardeners continue to strive towards harvesting their own fruit and vegetables, according to a recent survey.

Following the current trend towards The Good Life, top items that people want for their gardens in 2011 include a vegetable plot, according to research commissioned by Hangar Seven, an agency specialising in garden centre marketing.

So, if you’ve never had a vegetable patch, now’s the time to start planning ahead. Whichever plot you choose, it will need to have some sunshine to enable you to grow a wide variety of veg.

Also, take note of the micro-climate of your garden. Is it in a frost pocket, exposed to prevailing winds, or sheltered by neighbouring hedges, walls or fences? Are you in a cold part of the country or further south? All these considerations will make a difference to what you can grow and your harvesting times.

Small gardens which are enclosed by walls can be a couple of degrees warmer at night, but remember that each wall has dry stone along its base which will require extra watering.

Sun-lovers include tomatoes, peppers and beans, which need temperatures of 5C (41F) to grow and are best sown indoors and planted out when all danger of frost has passed, which could be late May or early June.

Hardy plants which will survive frost down to -10C (14F) include fruit bushes, strawberries, kale, Brussels sprouts and chives.

Those which will survive occasional light frost include sprouting broccoli, chard and artichokes.

Digging over the ground and removing all weeds is the first step towards a fruitful vegetable garden, but soil improvement is also of major importance.

Check the pH level of your soil by buying a tester kit at your garden centre, to show you the level of acidity or alkalinity, which will give you some idea of what crops you can grow. Veg and herbs tend to thrive in neutral soil.

Whatever your soil type, improve it by adding plenty of organic matter, such as well-rotted manure or compost to increase nutrients and improve texture, aeration of the soil and drainage.

If you are a beginner, think about how much time and effort you’re prepared to spend on your chosen crop. Some plants, such as beans, courgettes and radishes will provide a bumper crop with little effort.

Others are much more time-consuming. Tomatoes, for example, need plenty of regular watering and feeding, staking, pinching out and protecting from adverse weather.