Saturday, July 6, 2013

Vegetable Patch Balcony

There are some things to do with traditional Edwardian lifestyles that I'm drawn to. Playing the piano, dressing for dinner and a pottager garden. All genteel pursuits of course - I'm not drawn to being a chimney sweep or washing the sheets by hand. I don't do any of the above but would like to, hence the piano thing here.

You my remember that last year I cut off the sprouting eyes from a few older potatoes and planted them to see what would happen. It was a totally unsuitable pot for potatoes but the foliage that emerged was quite pleasant.

The potato plants last year
Last week I discovered I liked fresh mint with hot water (I'm intending to save a fortune on tea, coffee, and milk). I took a cutting (get me - I mean I picked a bit) of mint from the kindergarten  garden (why do I always think of Al Quaeda leader when I say that?) and put it in water to sprout roots.When I went to plant the mint in the same pot that had incubated my potato plants that have long gone to the great vegetable patch in the sky, I dug into the soil and found a tiny new potato! Excitedly I rummaged around a bit more and found these.



Thrilled was not the word. We had this for supper tonight (among other things). Sorry about the lack of focus. If you're wondering about the scale, this is a dish I have used to put salt on the table or for a few jelly beans at the end of a meal - basically two bites each. It was delicious though.

Potato salad from home grown new potatoes

Now I've my eyes set on a bigger planter for next year's crop. This was my simple Ikea hack which was going to store the leftover tiles from the renovations and be a dinky coffee table on the balcony. However, it's now screaming potatoes!



And I'm thinking of tomatoes too, if I can just find alternative storage areas for these files and clothes for DD to grow in to.



Did I mention that we live opposite DD's kindergarten? DD and I have offered to tend the garden (flowers, vegetables and herbs) over the summer break. It's not stealing to take cuttings from the tomatoes and herbs, right?

I used to say that there were three things I never understood: loving an animal, exercising for pleasure, and gardening. I'm down to two things I don't understand. I've got the gardening bug.

Here is the mint by the way. Only one sprig at the moment but I'm hoping for a mint takeover in that planter before the end of the summer.


17 comments:

  1. I am the worst gardener but i always want to give it ago. looks like you have had more success than me tho and no i don't think it would be stealing to tend to and sample the herbs from the school garden i hope they are pleased of your offer to help x

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    1. They are very happy and it's nothing for us to pop over the road and do a bit of watering. My 'success' was pure luck but it's given me the motivation to do it properly next time.

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  2. in our barren garden, in need of tlc, we have a greenhouse and 4 tomato plants that eilidh chose - there is something so simple and humbling as growing your own veggies... we are going to plant a fairy garden soon - just a little window box or something for each of the girls...

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    1. It is humbling and also thrilling when it's the first time. Lovely idea to plant something for each of the girls to tend themselves.

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  3. Good on you! There is nothing more amazing than growing your own food. I didn't start till my children were born - and so wanted them to appreciate how amazing the earth is and see how peas, tomatoes etc really grow. Have a wonderful summer x

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  4. Good on you! There is nothing more amazing than growing your own food. I didn't start till my children were born - and so wanted them to appreciate how amazing the earth is and see how peas, tomatoes etc really grow. Have a wonderful summer x

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    1. ooh peas - that's a good idea, we love peas. And you have a wonderful winter down under. ;)

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  5. Brilliant! I love how you've developed your gardening bug and cleverly utilised the space you have. No, it's not stealing...I did exactly the same thing last year in my boy's school and I mean to put a photo on my blog because I think it may have worked.
    Great post :)

    xx Jazzy

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    1. What I need to know is how do you know how many vegetables you have below the soil and when they are ready?

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  6. That's brilliant! It's such a nice feeling when you grow something successfully isn't it?

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    1. Absolutely, and especially as I didn't even know I was growing the potatoes.

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  7. Brilliant! Love that you found all those new potatoes... and why not help yourself to a few tomatoes here and there from the Kindergarten garden... you are going to be looking after it after all! ;o).

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    1. Also, they will only die if we don't harvest them. Maybe I should make tomato chutney for the teacher?

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  8. I'm with you with the exercising for pleaure!!!! (or more to the point, not exercising for pleasure!)

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    1. LOL - I often get together with a friend to not exercise - so much easier to not exercise with a friend I find.

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  9. It's always a good idea to offer to look after the school vegetable garden over the holidays, there are always things which need picking!

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    1. Yes I'm learning that. We have loads of mint and whenever we go over DD helps herself to little snack of cherry tomatoes.

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