I would like to introduce you to my pumpkins.
Since watching The River Cottage Treatment earlier this year, I realized that I wanted to feed my family better food, and I wanted to have less of an impact on the environment. So this year we called our local Council and got an allotment. Not many people in Britain have backyards big enough to hold a vegetable patch (imagine the whole population of the U.S. living in Texas. It's crowded!) So, local councils set aside an area of land which they rent to people (for a nominal fee - mine costs about $50/year) for growing veggies. We've been working since March, and I'm pleased to say that the only thing we've planted so far that hasn't sprouted or grown in any way, shape or form, is cabbage. That's okay. No one in the house but me likes cabbage anyway.
Having an allotment is like being part of a whole other community. We've gotten to know other allotment holders who share plants, tips, seeds and information. We've started buying our eggs from a lady who keeps chickens on her patch. Someone else had a greenhouse they wanted to get rid of, and they just gave it to us. It's fun. We're all gardening nerds together.
John has turned into a vegetable maniac. He's joined an allotment forum, he reads all kinds of books and articles on the subject, and he's already planning next year's vegetable layout. "We did alright this year. Not bad for allotment virgins," he says to me. "But next year..." And he's not watching Judge Judy or Divorce Court so much anymore!
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
How Does Your Garden Grow?
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13 comments:
my garden growith well, so far I picked about 30 quarts of strawberries. Nothing sweeter than home grown. I baked a pie today and can't wait to dig in. We also are growing, cucumbers, lettuce, spinach, onions, peas, greenbeans, red peppers, cucumbers, and finally 3 varieties of tomatoes. I love fresh produce but dread the cleaning and freezing part. But it saves alot and is better for us all. Happy gardening!!
We also have a peach, cherry and pear tree. I remember many summer days as a kid sitting in the Lechleitner's cherry tree's eating till I was stuffed. Randy, Andrea and Kristen were probobly there too.
MJ, post some pictures of your veggies! I'd love any tips you have too. It's strawberry season here and we're going picking this weekend if it stops raining. We don't have a patch ourselves, but there is a farm near the school where I teach that has tons of them. You're growing the same things I am, but we've also got pumpkins, squash, beets and carrots. Next year we're going to put in some raspberry and blueberry bushes, and maybe the year after that a fruit tree. The guy who has the patch down from ours has plums, pears and apples, so we might be able to get some freebies from him until we plant our own. I never, ever thought I'd enjoy growing stuff so much, but it's really satisfying to plant a seed and watch it grow.
No wonder we all stayed so thin. Eating all those fruits high in fiber kept us lean and mean. Along with running through the neighborhood or riding our bikes everywhere. (Almost like kids today?)Growing up (still to be determined) with Tastykakes in the house everyday it's a miracle that my brothers and I are not like 300 pound Sumo wrestlers.
Tastykake pies had fruit in them too ya know!
MJ - I'm glad you remembered how to spell their last name.
MJ - forget the pictures of the veggies, post the pics of the pie instead.
yummy, strawberry pie! bring some to the lower mac game next week!..we dont have much room, so we only grow green peppers, banana peppers, jalepenos, and tomatoes...(occassionally lettuce)i LOVE home grown tomatoes on bread with mayo & salt and pepper...we have slicing tomatoes and grape tomatoes, the kids just pick the grapes and pop them in their mouths, its a wonder i ever have any for my salad...oh yum, the cherry trees, how could any of us forget that?!..
we dont do any canning, but if tim c. would ever check in he'd tell you how last year he & the kids must've picked over 100 tomatoes a day and made sauce...he had ALOT of plants
Our strawberries are looking good this year, but our raspberries didn't make it. Last year I planted tomatoes because I crave tomato sandwiches every summer. But I forgot about them this year. Is it too late to plant them? When my Dad was a mailman he got so many tomatoes from the people on his route I used to swear that's all we ate all summer.
We really don't plant much. Tomatoes,green peppers,and gotta have fresh garlic to make fresh salsa. If Sands checks in how bout a picture of this years Garden and canning?
Yea! We all grow stuff!!
I need to learn how to can!
jamie how can you forget tomatoes? thats a summer staple! i say plant them now!
I've been making sweet pickles, salsa and tomato sauce. Zuchinis and eggplant are great fresh on the grill.
Cucs,peppers, tomatoes and string beans are my favorite. I'm doing more every year, but it is time consuming pickling and canning.
kristen-Does your brother Mike still can and pressure cook? His canned string beans were awesome at hunting camp, same as fresh picked.
I'm assuming he still butcher's his deer himself.
yes, mike, he still does all of that
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