Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi All,

I'm new to this forum thingy but having read how much advice is out there it seemed like fun, everyone has to start somewhere. My mother used to grow all her own fruit and veggs, made soup, wine, everything fresh and tasty, we never had to buy anything along that line but it was always in season, not imported from afar, perhaps growing up during the war and not having much money started her love of gardening, but I can still taste the home made broth with the leeks, celery, potatoes, parsley etc, goosberry full, newly boiled beetroot and freshly picked strawberries like it was yesterday, I'm so glad GYO has come back "en vogue". I started trying this myself a few years ago, but unfortunately I now don't have Mum's knowledge to rely upon and have made many silly mistakes, but when you can go to the greenhouse and pick your own sungold toms - what a joy! It's a pity I didn't get "the bug" when I was younger and watched how the jam, wine, broth, preserves were made. I know it's not rocket science but everyone has there own little variations. There's nothing nicer than sitting in the garden (big or small or indeed a balcony) listening to the birds and survying your home grown produce, tending it with care, then picking your organic "stuff" and enjoying knowing you did it! I am also learning about compost, great stuff - am thinking about getting a wormery also, boy I really love all this, pity it took so long to realise what is important in life.

Good luck to you all. Janet (and my faithful companion Ally the German Shepherd - my tomato taster!)

Hi Janet your right there is nothing nicer! have fun on here and enjoy your summer!

Thanks Jilly,

New friends are good, lets share knowledge and get growing!

Oh, I had a childhood like that too! My folks were hippys and were self sufficient, what we didn't grow/rear/milk ourselves we just bartered skills or herbs or veggies or eggs or whatever for. I still remember going up to the local butchers as a girl and delivering a big bag of herbs in exchange for our sausages for dinner and some bones for the dog!

Hubby's not so keen on the idea of rearing livestock ourselves, but we've moved to the country for a change of lifestyle, and although this year's crops will be small as we've only just started, I hope that next year we'll do a lot better and hopefully we'll be able to cancel our organic box delivery!

Hmmmm... your mention of wishing you had your Mum's preserve recipes etc has reminded me, I need to call my cousin for my aunt's tomato sauce recipe, a bottle of Aunty Edna's tomato sauce was THE Christmas gift everyone in our family always looked forward to

Ness