All home grown veg

[BarleySugar]

Son No2's best friend turned up unexpectedly for dinner, so he had to take 'pot luck', venison (courtesy of my brother when he was sorting out his freezer) stew with home grown purple potatoes, cabbage, baked chillied squash and carrots. Even the onion, garlic and herbs were home grown. The only store bought ingredients were stock cubes and the stuff for the dumplings. He said it was 'cool' to have all home grown veg

[VirginVegGrower]

I was just looking back over photos taken this growing season, trugs and trugs of tomatoes - now passata in freezer, a few in the bowl and lots consumed. I looked at what will be my last three cucumbers on my one remaining plant today. All potatoes up and in storage. Onions too. Celeriac bigger this year than ever. In fact everything except my sweetcorn has been good. We haven't shop bought anything veg or salad wise all Summer long. The potatoes should see us through pretty much. Onions for a while. Beans, peas, tomato sauce too...I'm almost sad! The chaos is slowing down a little.

[BarleySugar]

OH has been really surprised at how well I've done this year, considering the lottie wasn't available until May some stuff was quite late going in. I've 2 chest freezers in the garage, full of fruit for pies and jam, and a variety of veg, besides the main crop potatoes, garlic, dried chilli, beans and winter squash. Last year I said I wanted to be able to grow enough to make a difference to what we bought, this year, I think I have, and next should be even better

[susieq100]

Yes, same with us. We won't need to buy onions for weeks, garlic for ever, we are just finishing off the potatoes (I don't grow main crop as there is not enough room just put in a row of Pink Fir Apple because they are so yummy), haven't bought tomatoes or cucumber since June and most weeks over the summer we have not shop-bought any veg at all. I have a store cupboard full of jam, pickles and preserves. It's great! I will be able to start harvesting leeks too. Last year, I left them too late to plant and they were quite weedy, but lasted a long time. This year, I put them in much earlier and they are ready NOW .... one or two have tried to bolt. There has to be a happy medium.

[Florence Fennel]

Congratulations to you and well done. I'm disappointed that things haven't been so good for me this year, but I'm hopeful of the overwintering stuff, so looking forward to a spring harvest.