Minnie ... I fear that I'd get sort of hungry during the four months of the year when there's snow on it.

ole joyful

My aunt grows all her own vegetables, including lots of onions and potaotes. She doesn't can anything but she has a big freezer. She has always tried to be self-sufficient, with varying results. Some of her failures were eggs from chickens, raising ducks, selling produce and raising a cow.

I have some radishes and lettuce, my potatoes are growing well, zucchini have flowered and are setting fruit (but boisterous canine dragging strings to guide rows when planting cut some of them off, the other day ... dratted canine).

Only a few tomatoes grew, and they are growing well, beans are flowering, only a few corn grew, no peas (drat - I like peas) ... but I did a second planting, so hopoe that a few of them come up.

Have a few cucumbers and a few turnips. Only a few broccoli (or cauliflower - not sure which).

Only a few beets came up ... beets are O.K., but not my favourite veg.

I have **lots** of lambs' quarters (and other weeds), if anyone would like some. The ones that have grown to 3' high aren't tasty ... but there are more growing all the time, so small, tender ones are available for greens, if anyone would like some. They wilt quickly, so we'd need to boil them up and you eat them here, I think.

My hands are tired from pulling the biggies.

My freezer is almost full. I still have some lambs' quarters that I froze last year, and some beans, and I think a few corn left.

I hope that you're all enjoying summer. Have a happy weekend.

ole joyful

Eating what you grow is very satisfying. I donÂt have a large garden but can get three crops a year. I plant in two layers the top is fruit trees and vine plants [passion fruit] and below vegetables. The sun is very hot here and you need the shade for a lot of vegetables. The freezer is full and I give a lot away. We do not have frost so the growing period is twelve months. ThatÂs one of the reasons I love living in the Dominican Republic

I picked a bunch of beans the other day, had a good feed, and gave some away.

Have picked several zucchini and have given some away.

A few cucumbers about ready to pick: I picked a couple (rather small) on Sunday.

Potatoes are growing well, first planting of corn coming out in tassel.

It's been very dry, so I threw some water around again, this morning. Landlord's sod a few rods from the garden is turning black ... he says that he thinks that it's lost.

Fresh vegetables taste better.

The A & P store here has a new slogan, "We're fresh obsessed".

Yeah ... and how many days ago was it that the eggs in their coller exited the hen? Or milk the cow? Or tomatoes the vine? The ones that come from California, picked green, arrive with little taste.

I bought some peaches from a distance away a couple of weeks ago.

Tried to ripen them on the window sill. No dice - they rotted, instead.

Ditto strawberries.

As for the A & P slogan ... I've told several folks that I figure that ... if I get "fresh" ...

... they may well get obsessed!

ole joyful

I found out that watermelons are growing on my fence and I have a whole crop of tomatoes there too. (DS planted them when he was here) now what do I do with them all!!

We raised all our food for 5 years until an accident shut us down. We're starting over again now. Besides vegies were raised our meat (goat, pig, chickens, rabbits), had milk, butter and cheese from dairy goats, made wine/mead/beer and processed all our own sausage and other processed meats. We grew and milled grain for bread and pastas and have a small roller mill for making oatmeal and other hot cereals. It was very satisfying. It's also a ton of work and limits travel and other activities. We do it because we really enjoy it but if those activities aren't up there on your favorite things to do list I'd just have a fun garden and buy the rest. Tom

Sounds like you're living the good life Tom. Look forward to more of your posts.

This past week I've been blessed with a senior client couple (90 & 93yrs) giving away some of their harvest. Living off their garden is fun! Had been buying at the farmers mkts & filling freezer w/whatever I could purchase. Oh, the fresh fruit & veggies are so good right now! Just have a 4x10' deck, but grow herbs I use. I especially enjoy the lemon basil! I tend to buy other food @WildOats(Whole Foods) when meat is on sale & freeze. I admire those of you that have gardens.
Sharlee

I read one of Ruth Stout's no-work gardening books. She certainly was able to live off the land. I use too much store-bought processed food.

Nah and besides I would have to fight the rabbits for food.

At one time (about 20 years ago) we had a dream of living off the land, all the while working full-time jobs. I quickly found if was cheaper and much easier to buy produce in bulk from farmers' markets when available and freeze it. We raised chickens, sheep, and cattle for years so had our own meat which was a real benefit. However, it's a lot of work and limits travel and having much of a life outside the farm. Living in a farming community we now buy whole freezer lambs and sides of beef from people we know. At least I can say I had the "farming experience"! Now that we are retired there is no way I would think of working that hard altho I still like to have a lot of good food in the freezer.