The vegetables that Rod planted last year were ready for harvesting when he was in hospital. He was too ill to eat any of them.
This year he’s in the garden most days, gaining in strength and putting on weight as he digs the earth and plants his seedlings. His peas are coming along nicely. I have to admit they rarely reach the saucepan. We eat them as we pick them but last year, after Rod’s stem cell transplant, raw vegetables were a definite ‘no-no’.
His broad beans are already flowering and there’s nothing creamier than young home-grown beans, but last year he couldn’t face them.
And the potatoes have settled in now that we’ve had a bit of rain. Last year they tasted amazing but everything to do with potatoes made Rod sick.
I must admit my preferred form of gardening is to wander round smelling the flowers. I couldn’t resist sharing with you a red rose that I photographed a few minutes ago. When I was a kid I had my own patch of garden. Dad planted a red rose bush in it for me. Red roses always remind me of Dad.
Rod’s biggest harvesting regret last year were his strawberries. It was a bumper crop but soft fruit was definitely not allowed with his lowered resistance and I hate strawberries so they were left for the birds. This year I reckon he’ll have the bowl and cream all ready and waiting. Roll on harvest time.
May you have a fabulous time this year, eating all your home grown produce!
ReplyDeleteHere's praying you have a bumper crop this year that Rod will be able to happily tend and harvest and also enjoy eating in good health.
ReplyDeleteAnd may the renewal of nature in spring be the start of a year of only good news and good health for you both and all the family.
Love
Ann
To a great harvest!
ReplyDelete(and what a beautiful red rose - my favourite!)
Love the spring and all the new plants in the ground. I got some lovely flowers for Mother's Day that I put out yesterday.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jane.
ReplyDeleteHi Ann and thanks for your kind words. A bumper crop in life as well as veg would be good.
Hi, K.C. and thanks for the award. I'll give it a mention in my next blog post.
ReplyDeleteHi, L.G. spring is great, isn't it. Hope you had a good Mother's Day. Ours in the UK was a few months ago.
lookn good hard work pays off
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm so glad your husband is feeling well enough to work in his garden and enjoy the fruits of his labor. He'll really enjoy those strawberries this year after having to go without last year!
ReplyDeleteAmy
I'd love to grow my own vegetables if I had my own garden! One day...
ReplyDeleteDuncan In Kuantan
I'm so glad he's feeling better. I dream of a vegetable garden, but I'm afraid it will never happen. If you believe having a purple thumb is a myth, talk to the thousands of plants I've murdered over the years.
ReplyDeleteHi N4M, it certainly does :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks Amy, he's looking forward to tasting them.
Hi Duncan, it depends how much time you could devote to it too. It takes up sooooo much of Rod's time!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ciara, I've never heard of a purple thumb but I'm guessing it's the opposite of green fingers. Not sure I believe in it though. It's all about watering things regularly and knowing when to pinch out apparently (I know, I know, it sounds painful!)
Hi Ros .. oh great gardening advice too - I always need to be reminded of that! I haven't got a garden now - one I hope to have again .. I might gravitate north to Leicester and be nearby for any overflow.
ReplyDeleteRod - sounds an amazing gardener and I love the photos of how everything is doing .. and I do hope this year he can enjoy the fruits of his labour .. mind you the birds will wonder what has hit them if there are no strawberries for them to indulge themselves in this year!!
Cheers look after yourselves and thanks for coming by; enjoy the good weather we're having .. not enough rain I suspect, but hope it comes along .. food shortages are not something we all need right now - Hilary
Loved to hear the tales of the garden, I like strawberries, preferably eating them when warmed by the morning sun none of this supermarket picked green and still mostly unripe by the time the consumer eats them.. but my true love is fresh green peas, dad grew them for me and always gave me a pod to 'test the quality' although he did make me freeze some for later ron lol xx this year I am trying potatoes in a bag, and some runner beans.. mmm mmm xx
ReplyDeleteI've just heard it's supposed to be a bumper crop for strawberries this year! Bring on the cream!
ReplyDeleteIt must have been maddening to have planted all those goodies and not be able to enjoy them. This year will be all the better for it I hope.
ReplyDeleteI'm early waiting for the strawberry harvest. I want to eat them with cream, in crepes, straight up, make jam... I like strawberries. ;)
I'm glad to know that your husband is up to eating the "fruits of his labor" this year. Are you going to post recipes of what you do with his crops? ^_^
ReplyDeleteHi Hilary, if you gravitate North do let me know and you can pop in for a cuppa.
ReplyDeleteHi Sage, I can't understand why supermarkets sell rock hard fruit and it never ripens properly (I can feel another blog post coming on)Good luck with your potatoes and runner beans.
Hi Talli, bumper crop eh! I shall put in my cream order now.
ReplyDeleteHi Holly, I like the sound of those crepes. I think that'll be on the menu this summer (only mine can be filled with apple and pear.)
Thanks Misha, I'm afraid there's rarely anything more exciting than crumble. I'm a plain and simple cook, I'm afraid.
Wiping a tear away at the memory of your last year, I hope this year your garden provides a bumper crop. And that you eat far too much...laugh! Hugs Ros x
ReplyDeleteI am so glad Rod will be able to enjoy the fruits of his veggie garden this year. Ohh I love strawberries! Especially Irish ones! Fresh Irish strawberries mushed with homemade vanilla ice cream...mouth watering now.
ReplyDeleteWhat a perfect rose!
Thanks Pauline, this year we will truly try to eat too much!
ReplyDeleteHi Ann, I don't even like strawberries and that's making my mouth water!
Thanks for your comment about the rose. A friend asked this morning where I'd got the photo of the red rose from. I would like to assure everyone, it was taken in our garden just minutes before I posted this blog. All the climbing roses are early this year.
I do hope you both enjoy all the "fruits" of your labor this year :) I just stopped by to share an award with you, much deserved (of course), be sure to snatch it up and YAY!!!
ReplyDeleteI loved looking at the pictures of Rod's well hoed garden with the luscious greenery. Not a weed in sight. How impressive. It shows that he's out there working at it every day and think of all that vitamin D he's getting just by being outdoors.
ReplyDeleteManzanita@Wannabuyaduck
Oh I am so jealous. We have not been able to plant yet due to the rain and cold weather. Owell at least we have plenty of water when we can plant.
ReplyDeleteSame here- the weather has been too inconsistent to plant anything (except for broccoli we got in...) How long do you think it will be before your garden is in full bloom since you've already got everything in the ground?
ReplyDeleteHi C.T.L. I suspect Wiltshire weather is pretty much the same as it is in Leicester. We're putting our bedding plants out this weekend. The broad beans already have flowers on them and, as you can see from the photo, our climbing roses are in full beautiful flower right now. Oh yes, and we grew broccoli one year but it was FULL of caterpillars!!
ReplyDelete