Tuesday 11 December 2012

Growing your own

zucchini, courgette, flower, garden
A Zucchini Flower


Growing a vegetable garden is so rewarding!

Plant a tiny seed and watch it burst valiantly through the soil. Follow the tiny plant's struggle against the odds as it is preyed upon by its natural enemies like slugs, snails and insect pests

See it grow, mature and flower, then produce fruit - vegetables so tasty they are without comparison to the produce available from your local supermarket.

tomatos, tomatoes, rouge de marmande
Young Rouge de Marmande Tomatoes


Perhaps you are lucky enough to have inherited a fruit tree from your predecessors too.

Summer brings a rich harvest of fruit and vegetables that are a sensual joy to taste.

The whole experience is delightful and gives me a lot of pleasure. But the pleasure is not limited to me - neighbours, family and friends will come to your door seeking the rich spoils from your soil toil.


home garden, roma tomato, adelaide
Nearly Ripe Roma Tomato


In my neighbourhood it's a two way thing. A neighbour from Lebanon grows copious quantities of figs, olives, broad beans, loquats and tomatoes which they hang in bags on my fence.

I reward them with cucumbers, Rouge de Marmande or Black Russian tomatoes, lettuce, capsicums, zucchinis (by the tonne), apricots, peaches, and astringent persimmons.

My neighbour across the road returns some of my zucchinis cooked in a delicious cheesy crumbed casserole, while another down the road sends me a jar of Cointreau marmalade made from my oranges.

heirloom tomatoes, bruschetta, tasty, adelaide
Broad Ripple Yellow Currant Tomato

I find the hours spent preparing, planting and maintaining the garden to be rewarding, stimulating my thoughts in the absence of conversation and music. Watching the plants grow and thrive brings new interest as the harvest is keenly anticipated.

Then in early Summer my rewards increase ten-fold with the arrival of tasty temptations. Picking fresh basil and tomato to pile on a crisp new roll, puts a pleasant complexion on any morning.

You should try it.

fruit tree, adelaide
Home Grown Orange

2 comments:

  1. Great post. I want to grow a garden some day but don't have the space yet.

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  2. Thanks Jasmine
    Look out for the Stephanie Alexander edible garden at Tasting Australia - coming soon!

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