Back From a Brief Hiatus: Getting my Hands in the Dirt!
It has been a really long time since ten days passed without my creating a post here...
Reason? I have been taking a bit of a technology break and instead tending to our garden.
With all the uncertainty in the world, one of the things we vowed to do this year was to grow more of our own food. Of course, veggies don't just shoot out of the ground on their own volition, so there has been a lot of garden work this spring and summer... and that all takes time.
Small zucchinis are forming...
This year, we have more than doubled the space we are using to grow food, adding eight fairly large raised beds... and next year, we are hoping to double again.
Our efforts have been somewhat inspired by a campaign we keep hearing on nearby Canadian radio from Victoria, BC... where the slogan "Grow it! Don't mow it!" comes on pretty frequently. I believe it is actually a program by the Canadian Wildlife Federation... either way, we're on our own little campaign to get rid of most of our lawn and convert the space to food growing, instead.
In the longer term, our ambition is to grow enough food for our own needs, as well as to supply our middle son and our daughter and son-in-law who live in Seattle... if it becomes necessary.
Lots of fresh lettuce!
Of course, the food supply situation may not ever deteriorate that far, but since both Mrs. Denmarkguy and I really enjoy getting our hands in the dirt and growing things, there'll be nothing lost even if our fresh produce isn't "needed," it will still be wanted.
I grew up with garden fresh vegetables... I guess my parents were "urban homesteaders" long before that was even a thing. Whether for need or for fun, there are few things better tasting or healthier than home grown.
So this past week, we were sowing "round two" for a late summer/early fall harvest. Thankfully, we are finally having some warm and sunny weather around here... which also means that some of the seeds have started sprouting in what seems like record time.
The first radishes of the second season only took 3 days to sprout!
Our climate here is pretty mild, so growing season can actually extend to the end of October, many years. Hopefully, this will be one of those years!
In the meantime, I hope to return to a somewhat more active blogging schedule.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you are having a great week!
How about YOU? Are you growing any of your own food? Do you think Covid-19 is having any impact on food availability, where you are? Or is it not a concern? Comments, feedback and other interaction is invited and welcomed! Because — after all — SOCIAL content is about interacting, right? Leave a comment-- share your experiences-- be part of the conversation!
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Created at 20200729 23:46 PDT
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This makes me long for the farm so much, would not mind growing my own fresh veg. Started to plant some herbs and they have survived me so might move on to veg in containers. My kids always joke with me because I have the amazing ability to kill everything.
Well, you can grow remarkably many things quite well in containers. When I still lived in an apartment, I had all sorts of tomato plants, climbing beans and other bits out on my balcony.
Hi @denmarkguy, thank you for this post, actually like you we were thinking about planting some vegetables next year. This year we were too late , couple of months ago after chatting to one of my colleague who is a real hobby gardener, her lunches are all from her garden, fresh and with so much taste. Since then this year we started with some flowers and one tomato plant, but for autumn and next spring we have some plans. Of course in Scotland the weather is sometimes cold and rainy, but for potatoes that should be fine, that is my goal at least own potatoes :)
It was nice to see these fresh and full of juices plants that you have . Will see how it will look like later in autumn :)
The flavor of home grown is always the best; when we find in the shops, even when they mark it "grown locally" has usually been sitting there for a few days. Only a roadside farmstand compares.
Our climate here in the northwest corner of Washington state is not that dissimilar from Scotland, except perhaps for milder winters. We have to start quite a few things like tomatoes and onions indoors in the late winter. Things like potatoes, beans, cabbage and broccoli do quite well here.
Good luck with your gardening plans!