The benefits of growing your own fruit and veg…

In the current climate of lockdown we are moving into the slow lane and finding it offers time to focus, observe and maybe start hobbies that we perhaps didn’t have time for until now. One of those is definitely gardening and growing your own food.

I had previously grown salad veg in my garden and have fruit trees. I always enjoyed being able to eat something freshly picked, there’s nothing quite like the homegrown taste.

And yet gardening even on a basic scale is on the big list of “things I’ve had to give up” due to chronic illness. We have fruit trees and they’re easy to maintain, also I have daffodils that a friend planted for me a few years ago. All very low-fi. I’m in process of changing my garden to try and make it easier to maintain and also to put my own stamp on it. On bad days it really warms my heart to look out at it. But I thought that’s as far as it would go. I wanted to make my garden wildlife friendly, I’m not interested in manicured lawns and flowerbeds and anyway I couldn’t maintain it. I’m not exactly Percy Thrower. I used some old decking that was rotting to make a bug hotel with a special bee annex. It was only when it was moved to a new spot did I see the variety of critters making themselves at home/eating each other in it. The circle of life, eh?

Slowly a transformation has been taking place. I realised that having things growing in pots was the way to go. Also an old Belfast sink is now a wildlife pond, awaiting its first visitors. Dead flies are amassing and whatever gets in first will have a quare feast.

A recent post in a local Facebook group piqued my interest in a new grow your own initiative. I applied to be a recipient and a bag of goodies was delivered to me, all FOC. We were given a bag of peat free compost, pots and seeds and an information was sent by email. I did have some initial reservations due to disability but Nigel, one of the organisers, put my mind at rest and assured me that if I needed help I would get it. So having identified that my role would be one of telling the teenagers what to do, we set about planting our seeds. It’s early days yet and of course the sunflowers are the first to show.

I am surprised at the impact this is having on me. Yes, I know all the theory about green therapy and how being outdoors in nature is good for us. But this, this is something quite different. I spend a lot of time indoors, lockdown isn’t that big a change for me. In the past I found if was able to get out then any worries seemed to diminish and I would find the right perspective. I could almost see any stresses shrink in size. Gardening does the same thing. This is new to me. I can’t partake in any exertion but I can potter, dead head, observe the fruit starting to show promise as the blossoms fall. The garden calls me outside; at the start I had no confidence to do anything and I haven’t managed to kill anything, although it’s early days. My sister-in-law Caroline has rather optimistically given me some seedlings to care for.

There’s now also a give and take stall in Castlewellan, thanks to Mal McCann for the photos. I hear there are a few of these around in other towns. Of course there was a dissenting voice about possibly harming business for the local garden centres but I hear they are coming on board by donating some pots to a new stall in Newcastle.

But don’t just take my word for how good this project has been for the participants so far. Following Nigel’s suggestion I put a call out on the group page for feedback and photos and here they are. We are growing our own together.

Grainne and Andy

We are growing veg for the first time because 10 weeks ago it was obvious that there might be few available workers to harvest crops. We’re using salvaged fish boxes found on beaches and have filled them with a combination of bought and home-made compost. The spuds are from old sprouting ones in our kitchen. We didn’t do anything except put them in the compost and water them daily, often with leftover washing up water. We’ve been saving it because these long dry weeks mean empty reservoirs later and once you start to notice waste you tend to think more about squandering clean, treated water.

Christine, Dylan and Zara

I’ve always dreamed of living the ‘good life’ and had hoped to get growing during our time in lockdown – I’d even bought packets of seeds but had no real idea where to start or motivation to just go and do. The lockdown kit and learning challenge gave me the incentive to actually get started on my growing journey. I was also able to embed it with the kids to include in their home learning plans and to build their life skills and hopefully pride as we all impatiently await the sight and the tastes of the fruits of our labour. Not only did the kit give us the ways and means but it also gave us access to a supportive network of growers – both amateur and fledging as well as experienced and expert in our local community.

Brenda’s strawberries coming on well.

Helen

Getting some raspberry and Brussels sprouts seedlings ready to drop down. I loved it as each year when I thin out my plants I would usually just throw these in the compost, but it was great to know they’d be going to new homes. Also gave me a great motivation to clear out my shed to drop over pots and other bits and bobs I’d accumulated but don’t use.

Jill

Doesn’t look like much but very small, north facing garden, poor soil, south side no garden and battered by high winds and full sun, add in a puppy and cats this called for innovative thinking. Decided to make an ‘area’ using trellis, Tesco crates, and an old table and bench. Puppy can’t dig anything up and it also gives a bit of shelter to seedlings. Also collected old basins for planters. Rosemary and lavender in garden beds and managed to sneak in some potatoes which puppy hasn’t found, yet. Toms in front porch with herbs in pots.

Donna

I am a complete novice at growing veg, my husband passed away in Nov i was still going through the grieving process when lockdown came about my daughter picked up a few plants at the stall for me and it all started from there, it has helped me so much in just getting me outside in the fresh air. I am smitten now, watching youtube on different methods of planting etc.

Lucy kindly getting seeds ready to leave at the stall for others to use.

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