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Gardening For Dummy Try Planting A Vegetable Garden
If I can grow fresh fruit and vegetables any body can!! When we bought our second block of land we had no spare cash and a big mortgage so I decided to try my hand at growing fresh fruit and vegetables to lessen our grocery bill. The first year Max and I just dug up three yards that the children used to put their ponies/horses in and were no longer used. I figured that the ground did not need any fertiliser seeing the animals had used the area and they had manured it. How right I was. Max and I almost pleaded with our visitors to take with them vine ripened tomatoes, corn on the cob and cabbages. I am not a great believer in sprays (plus we did not have the money to buy them) so every day when my cabbages were growing I used to get rid of the white butterfly caterpillar with my fingers and thumbs. I still use this method to this very day. I check the cabbages, broccoli and brussel sprouts daily and go through the same ritual each day whilst they are growing. However upon saying that I usely try and grow my broccoli when the white butterfly is no longer around as they can be grown all year round here in Taranaki, New Zealand. Through trial and error I have found out what freezes ok and what does not. Cabbages only last about a week and then they go tough, broccoli tastes horrible and brussel sprouts are okay but are better fresh, peas are very good as too pumpkin and corn on the cob. I do not blanch them, just stick them in the freezer raw. I usually take the outer leaves off the corn on the cob before freezing them but they can be left on. Oh I must tell you how much of a gardening dummy I am. When I first planted potatoes I never rowed them up and was disappointed at many of them going green. Someone kindly told me what to do and we have lovely potatoes now. Something that I am very proud of is my kumeras. For those that do not know what a kumera is, it is a tuber and I think it is often referred to as a sweet potato. Last year I grew the biggest that I and numerous others have ever seen. I have got a photo of it for proof. Now do not ask for my secret as I do not know. My gardening is all trial and error. I am a gardening dummy.To be honest I do not like gardening a great deal but I do love reaping the produce. There is nothing like home grown fresh fruit and vegetables. I just love having a roast meal with the potatoes, kumeras, yams, carrots, pumkin, onions, corn on the cob, peas etc. knowing that the whole lot was home grown. If you have never tried growing your own fresh fruit and vegetables I suggest you try say, potatoes (but do row them up) and I defy you to say they are not as good as bought ones.
The above is the kumera (sweet potato) that I mentioned. It is Maxs' hand holding it.
In the summer we love to have bar-b-ques and the satisfaction I get from getting the cheese grater out and not only grating cheese but raw carrots to go with raw peas, vine ripened tomatoes and lettuce plus what meat that has been cooked is just fantastic. I grow a few purple potatoes (maori potato) to which I add some to a potato salad to add some colour. To finish it off we have lovely fresh strawberries (home grown) with cream and/or icecream. It is amazing how much money you can save by growing your own fresh fruit and vegetables. We now have numerous fruit trees which the family gave as christmas and birthday presents so I seldom buy fruit these days. Another way of saving money. At present we have pear, apple, lemon, plum, tangelo, mandarin, grape fruit, peach, fejoa and guava trees. Plus passion fruit and kiwi fruit vines. If you want to know just the basics of growing fresh fruit and vegetables you can email me at : support@kiwigoldmine.com (Do not forget I am a gardening dummy but I will do my best to help you). |
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