Getting Going with Growing 3

Well we are another few weeks on from my last gardening blog post and we have actually eaten something from the garden so that deserves a mention among other things.

So here is our first scrumptious offering from our garden, a Great Lakes lettuce, which we have enjoyed for several meals so far. Crunchy leaves for fabulous salads and juicy sandwiches... all the tastier because it has come from our own garden!

One of the great things I am discovering about gardening is that it is an opportunity for ongoing learning through trial and error. I am loving the opportunity to be a bit of a scientist with the garden and trying some new things out.

• We have grown seeds in individual pods using empty toilet rolls. We have filled them with dirt (seed raising mix) and have placed one or two capsicum seeds in them. To be honest I was beginning to despair that nothing was going to happen but in the last day or so some shoots are coming up. We have planted both seeds from a packet and some I harvested from a capsicum we had eaten so it will be interesting to see what grows, 
• We are now using our 'ucky bucket' seaweed water to feed new and transplanted plants. We water this down so it looks
  
  like weak tea and use this when we are planting... at the moment most plants have responded. 
• We have had a go at planting onions from onions that have sprouted in the cupboard. I found this blog post and thought I would give it a go. So far they seem to be growing, well they haven't withered and died so that's a good start! (http://www.anktangle.com/2011/03/growing-sprouted-onions.html) 
• We have planted our second lot of pumpkin seedlings, this time in a new plot with some slightly different soil so here's hoping this time they don't die! 
• I am still to master the mixed plantings with flowering plants, I have had some success with nasturtiums but my marigolds are pathetic. We will work it out eventually. 

• We have also had a little go at a slightly different planting arrangement inspired by the 1 metre squared garden concept. It gives a little bit of a patchwork effect and so it looks good at the moment. I have sown carrot seeds on the side plots, brassicas in the corners and corn in the middle. We are trying the corn again, but this time in different soil and with a little more protection from the wind we hope. (http://www.tuigarden.co.nz/howtoguide/square-metre-gardening-guide) 
• I continue with the broken eggshell slug protection system and whilst I think that is working I have discovered an even more vicious enemy of our humble brassicas... read on... 

This week public enemy number one of the garden became... SHEEP! 

Oh they look very innocent back in their paddock now but the results of their ruminating in my garden was quite obvious. Clearly they don't love spinach but have a thing for cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower! 

One of the cabbages that were savaged but still in the ground. 

The spinach that lived to tell the tale

We have put in some measures to deter the sheep from doing any more damage with some additional fencing at the bottom of the garden and hope that proves as effective as the cat proof netting over the garden plots has. 

So for now I have forgiven the sheep, as long as they stay on their side of the fence!

It is getting exciting as some of the plants are beginning to fruit so I will leave you with some images of new fruit coming... the anticipation of a fruitful summer is a wonderful thing. Happy growing folks. 

Zucchinis....

Strawberries....

 

Little grapes!

Getting going with growing Part 2

Last time I wrote about our garden we had just started getting established.

A month later and the garden is growing in many ways, as are the gardeners! We have had our ups and downs of course but there is enough success to keep me going ;) I am learning to be more in tune with nature, more observant and responsive. I am learning through doing, trial and error, which is really quite motivating, although the thought of eating our own lettuce sandwiches real soon is quite motivating in itself of course!

I am also finding the time in the garden really quite rejuvenating. It is like a quiet break for my brain and even weeding is not a real chore. My little man was quite unwell for a week or two so time in the garden was limited and I did find that I actually missed it... we haven't had the garden for that long but it is already becoming a habit.


Here's the round up:

The highs:

• the lettuces are growing beautifully and hearting up, I am just about to put another lot of lettuce seedlings so we can keep it going
• the tomato plants are also doing really well, I have staked them up and they now have flowers on them too 
• the strawberry plants in the glasshouse are much bigger than those outside but both have flowers and are doing fine
• we have planted some pepper, cabbage, cauliflower and spinach plants, all of which are doing well 
• the garlic in the glasshouse is going well and the onions outside are now looking stable 
• the wire over the outside beds is working well at keeping the cat from sunbathing in the garden beds 
• we have collected enough eggshells to create the slug equivalent of barbed wire fencing to help protect our leafy greens 
• I have also shifted a little lemon tree and so far it looks as though it is thriving in it's new spot 
  
• the compost bin is working well and we have a great seaweed soup working away... hopefully we will have some lovely homemade fertilizer to use soon (I stir this regularly and have just added some more water to the mix too) 

The lessons: 

• the corn I planted has died (well it is yellowed and mostly lying flat)... combination of not planting as soon as I got it, stormy weather hitting after it was planted, our unscheduled week away in hospital where watering was sporadic... and I am wondering if the soil was unsuitable, perhaps needed more compost and less sheep poo? Will protect it better next time too 
• my bean seedlings wilted and died... I left them in the seedling tray too long and they dried out then I overwatered them... note to self, prepare the beds before you need them to reduce delays when plants are ready for planting 
• my pumpkin seedlings that I planted did not do well either, they were planted at the same time and in the same bed as the corn so I need to investigate that a little with the next lot 
• my marigolds that I am planting with the vegies don't seem to be thriving but the plants are so I will wear that 

So I still have to learn about nursing those small seedlings that I have grown from seeds, the striking of seeds has never been a problem and my father used to take the seedlings for the next step so now I have to find out how to do it right... we will get there, this is all part of the adventure of the beginner gardener. 

Food fighting

So when did food become so complicated?

Lately I have had a few interesting things coming up on my newsfeeds that have got me asking this question. As a former health educator I have an interest in food and it's contribution to our wellbeing. I am also interested in research around health and wellbeing.

Here's the thing though, there are proponents of particular diets (being more about food choices people make rather than options to lose weight) and ways of eating battling it out on social media using research and it almost seems like a battle of 'my research is bigger than your research'.

What concerns me is that some people are using research to share their opinions as absolutes. Research rarely offers that much certainty. When using research to support a position I think it is wise to consider some of the following: (I am sure there are other questions to consider as well but this is a starter)

• Who has sponsored or requested the research? 
• What questions were asked?
• What questions are not asked? 
• Is the sample size large enough to make generalisations? 
• What is the range for the sample?
• Is it a diverse population or a specific population? 
• How has the research been conducted? Are you comfortable that the process is fair? 
• What are the findings?
• Who stands to gain from the results of the research? 
• What questions do you have after reading the research? 
• If you are really committed you may want to explore the references to see how widely the researchers have explored the topic. 

Then you can state your position referencing the research in a manner that acknowledges the limitations i.e. some research states ... "there is evidence that for people in xxx situation this works".  I just don't think we can be so sure especially when we are talking about food. 

Our knowledge is changing all the time. It wasn't so long ago that eggs were the bad guys but now they are OK, then it was potatoes at some stage too if I recall correctly. See the image here, eating tapeworms (sanitised of course because that is healthier?!?) as a method to manage weight? Not sure how well researched that method was at the time, or is now, but let's say I am thinking with my limited biological knowledge that whilst losing weight is likely I would have a whole lot of questions about other potential side effects.

It seems to me that there's a huge amount of advice and research out there about food and diets, much of it conflicting. I am all for embracing new knowledge but I do wonder if we become too hung up on what we are eating, do we lose the satisfaction we can feel from enjoying our food? The other day I had some slices of fresh orange and the taste was amazing, sweet, juicy, cool, tasty... YUM! It was a moment of mindful eating and absolute delicious joy.

From my perspective if what you choose to eat helps your body work better and feel better then that's great but let's not assume that it is the answer for everyone's body. We live in different places with different climates and food sources, we have different levels and types of activity, we may react to different foods differently... our circumstances are kind of unique despite the similarities in our anatomy. When we run around labeling food as good or bad, then we risk judging ourselves as being good or bad depending on what, when, where and/or how much we eat, and that can lead to negative emotional responses including guilt... who needs more guilt!?

Perhaps what we need to do is get back to basics by learning to listen to our own bodies again rather than being told by the media, marketers and manufacturers what we should or shouldn't eat this week? We are born knowing what our bodies need and perhaps we have allowed ourselves to become ignorant and easily influenced. I know I am not an expert but would like to think that if we could find some way to reconnect with our own needs, and remove the guilt from food and eating, then perhaps we would all be happier and healthier. 

Getting going with growing!

It is spring time here and I have started vegetable gardening this season with the vision of slowly building up skill and hopefully crops over the coming months.

We are blessed with the space to create our garden but have decided to start small with raised plots so we can manage our plants better and experiment with mixed plantings and different soils. We have also refined our compost bin and have got seaweed breaking down for a homemade fertiliser (I am not sure what else my father did but I know he used seaweed and had the most amazing tasting tomatoes ever so we'll see if it was the seaweed in time)

We are growing some plant from seeds and have also purchased some seedlings. The seeds are doing really well at the moment (my father used to get me to strike seed for him as I was good at that bit but nuturing the seedlings as they harden off was where I used to struggle... I hope this time round I can manage to get our seeds past that delicate stage, if so we will have a bumper crop of pumpkins!)

As you can see I am getting quite inspired by this gardening thing. It seems to be the right time, place and space to get growing for a number of reasons:

1. Growing your own vegetables means you are better informed about what products have been used on and around them. This can impact on the flavour and potential health benefits. We are experimenting with using natural products and techniques (like spreading egg shell and wood ash around plants to ward off slugs) 
2. It gets me out of the house, away from the computer (unless I am looking up information about gardening!) and working with nature. It gives me a new place to let my mind wander or to practice mindfulness depending on what I am needing at the time. It improves health and wellbeing before we even get to eating!
3. Our little boy is building an understanding and appreciation of where food can come from. He is learning about nurturing the plants to help them grow. It is another way that he can contribute to our family and hopefully share with others too. 
4. It brings me closer to my dad. Dad was a great gardener and we always had a bounty of fresh vegetables from his garden which I never fully appreciated until recently. 
5. It brings our little family closer together. We are all involved in building up our garden and on good days we are all working together in and around the garden. I am looking forward to eating our food together too.    
6. It is cost effective, especially with the pumpkins I am growing as the seed came from a pumpkin we ate recently! As I learn to harvest seed from our plants this will be more so in coming years I hope. 
7. It is providing me with an opportunity to reuse/recycle/repurpose. We have used old trays to make square vegetable plots/beds. We have also used some trays and other wood off cuts to make a shelf/table for potting and seed raising. Plastic bags have been used to provide a warm cover for seed trays and also as a temporary fix for a couple of broken glass panes in the glasshouse. We have used my father's old drum for making our seaweed fertiliser in and are reusing one of his compost bins too. 
8. There are many small successes to celebrate on the way to getting something to eat out of the garden. Seeing a plot planted out, seeds coming up, plants growing, weeds abating a little... all the little things help to make you feel like you are achieving something and that is good for the soul. 

For all the reasons above and probably many more, I encourage any would be gardeners to give it a go. We are going with trial and error, using some companion planting and other methods to reduce pesticides (and for aesthetics too, putting marigolds in with the vegetable plots looks pretty). There is a wealth of information online and people in our communities with a wealth of knowledge too. 

If all you have is a small patch of ground that is OK, you might only have a window sill but wherever you are if you can and feel inspired to give it a go I say go for it... the outcomes of your efforts are healthy in a number of ways and potentially very delicious :)