Fruits of the Garden

I was thinking how much I spend on the garden each year and how much I get back. The answer was not a lot in terms of hard currency. Yes, I have covered my costs and more with the amount of courgettes and cucumbers  I’ve picked this year. They have done really well in spite of mildewy leaves and dying foliage. In fact they have to my amazement surmounted all my expectations. I think this might be because this year I planted them onto well fertilised ground and in each hole I put chicken manure pellets before planting the small cucumber or courgette plant. This gave them a good start. Secondly I think that they also did well because I grew them vertically tying them to canes so that the fruits fell down rather than lay on the ground. This worked quite well though I notice they are leaning a bit now.

The blueberries did fairly well and produced enough fruit for two very nice upside down cakes and one pie. This covered the cost of the bush I bought this year but I am still out of pocket on the two bushes I bought last year and the year before. I had no blueberries at all from them in those years. But I might end up in pocket over the years if they go on to become large fertile bushes.

The lettuces(these are the last and still taste good in spite of bolting) did well and owe me nothing, as did the herbs. I think I covered my costs there. Well I broke even at any rate. The beetroots were worth growing too.

The tomatoes have been a dead loss and I am out of pocket.

And the hanging baskets and tubs have been less than wonderful. Some of the flowers did well and bloomed for some considerable time while others bloomed and faded in a day! Or what seemed like a day. Here today, gone tomorrow.

So overall I feel I haven’t done too badly. And also one has to add in on the credit side of the balance sheet the total amount of fun that one gets from actually being in the garden. Planting, weeding, planning and all that goes on from day to day. There is total frustration as well but that is small compared to the delights of wandering round one’s plot and seeing what has grown or ventured forth over night. And there is nothing, quite nothing like picking one’s own food!