Article submitted by Philippa, free seeds on their way.

I may not be your typical student, but perhaps this article will help others realise how it really is possible to grow your own food - even as a student!

I have garden envy of my parents, who get to harvest a huge range of food.  One of the downsides of being a student is the fact that prime harvesting season is when we're away from our University town!  So I came up with a plan, a way to practice my gardening skills before I can find myself a proper garden, in a house I won't move out of every year.

My most important lesson is: Choose the right plants to grow. Due to not being around all summer, you have to be sensible about what plants you can grow.  Most seed packets will tell you when to sow and when to harvest.  With these months in mind you can work out if it's worth you growing.

Your best option is to find plants you can grow in doors.  There are lots of companies out there that now sell "Grow your own mushrooms" kits.  I just harvested my first crop of pearl oyster mushrooms.  It was satisfying to grow an edible type of fungus in my student bathroom!

Herbs are also a great plant, they can be sewn any time of year if you're keeping them indoors.  Keep on the kitchen windowsill and you can use them as a great gauge for when the washing up has got too bad. (When you can't see the basil, you need to do some washing up).  You can then also use your fresh herbs in cooking, adding a sprig of parsley to beans on toast is always sure to impress.

Lettuce leaves are also a great plant to grow, and saves you having to buy boring iceberg every time.  You can buy some slightly more exotic lettuce leaves that can spice up the most boring of sandwiches.

Invest in some pots - you can grow a lot in pots.  They can be fairly cheap, and if you buy growing kits that come with seeds in already you can always re-use the pots the year after.  Pots are great if your landlord won't let you dig up their garden and only have a small space to grow in.

So, if you fancy being slightly different from your traditional student, try a bit of gardening.