Gardening Love

I never ever, really, never ever thought I would love gardening. Don't know why, I loved helping nan and granddad in the garden. I have the best memories of my granddad in the garden and greenhouse. My mum, though not a vegetable gardener, envisages and plans great gardens in whatever space she has. So maybe it was meant to be. As a (seems to be) life long renter a garden has never really been near the top of the list of things we 'need'. So a little strip of dirt in New Zealand seemed a good place to start. Now we have a huge garden and I'm officially addicted. I come to life when someone asks me about the garden, and while I really don't have a clue what I'm doing, I love it none the less, and seem to have produced vegetables along the way. I'm slowly altering and adding to our section (sure the landlord won't really mind) and getting such pleasure, pain anguish and joy, it's marvellous.

Adam is rather excited by the brussel sprouts which seem determined (though very out of season here) to be ready for Christmas.

 I loved the broad beans, which as we're now well  into summer are all gone. Salad leaves doing just fine, along with the radish. I was impressed with last years celery but this year it was no good. A heap of tomatoes but nothing red yet.

Mind you I'm growing a Russian Green Variety and it seems to be taking over and to be honest, doesn't look quite right to me. The other tomatoes seem to be coming along OK so far.

I have a few (well lots) things to master, I've got better at thinning out seedlings, but still plant things too close together, and I really have to remember to plant and sow on a regular basis. Carrots, I've run out of carrots, and blimey do things take a long time to grow. The carrots have been my fail safe crop, plus I love them. So that's what I'm sticking with. Just need to remember to sow those seeds every couple of weeks.

Now I have two vegetable patches I also should work more on the whole crop rotation thingy and be a bit more planned and organised.

I'm still in the 'oh let's throw it in here and see what happens' kind of place. My planning is not helped by mine and Adam's sharp differences in vegetable love. I am clearly a root vegetable kind of gal. Carrots, parsnips (did great last winter), beetroot (ooh growing so well and so so tasty roasted or raw), celeriac (trying for the first time, in already for autumn/winter next year) and squash (failed last year trying to decide whether to give them another go). Whereas Adam is a greens man - oh and cauliflower, so it's spinach, poke choi (blimey that grows well here), broccoli (thank you Jamie for a great broccoli and pasta dish) and of course those brussels sprouts. So I really do have a bit of all sorts and not yet able to sustain us all year round. But I have added potatoes in this year, how the hell do you tell when they are ready?

The joy of the herbs all jumping back to life is great and I need to try some seed saving and make some herb butters to freeze for over the winter. Oh yes, that's the other thing I'm no good at, storing this stuff.

Well it's enough to keep me out of trouble (and the gym), I love getting my hands dirty and watching the seeds come up. I'm distraught when things go wrong, but I keep trying and I'm learning more and more. And the veggies at Christmas dinner this year will be from the garden.