Free Food

[VicUser]

I was just wondering with the current economic conditions who is planting a garden this year? If you are what are you planting and how many will it feed and for how long? If you are not, why not? I would really like to hear from both sides on this one.

My family always had a garden when I was growing up and my Mom and Grandmas would can and/or freeze veggies. These would last us almost a year and cut the cost down considerably.

We are planning to have a flowerbed type garden this year, growing tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans and we may grow a little sweet corn behind the garage. I think we can grow enough to last the two of us for about 6 months in a very little space.

[troubleinohio]

jacqui- you probably will have tomatoes popping up in your flower bed this year, lol.  Ive had more tomatoes come back every year from old rotten ones that fell off the vines. Even after being tilled under deep, they find their way up and grow "volunteer"  plants LOL

[Jacqui805]

I tried some potted gardens last summer and they worked great!  I had no idea they would yield so much!  I had two large pots filled with tomatoes, oregano, and basil.  I used the tomatoes and herbs almost every night, and still wound up tossing a ton of tomatoes....I used to can, but I haven't done it in years...I will probably try it again this summer since I have all of my supplies still.  The herbs should grow back all on their own this year, but I'm not sure about the tomatoes.  Any tomatoes I DID have to toss, I threw into the flower bed for fertilization too.  I am not sure what else in the way of edibles that I'd plant since no one here likes a whole lot of veggies....but I love to plant and look forward to it again this spring and summer.

I have canned pears, peaches, and apples in the past, as well as three kinds of jams, tomato sauce, taco sauce, and salsa.

[troubleinohio]

I've been eating garden veggies since i  was a kid. My parents always grew one every year, and then i grew one with my husband every year, and I will continue to now as well now that Im back with family. I grow everything but corn- i gave up on it- too hard to grow here, even though Ohio is known for delicious sweet corn- the soil in this particular area must not be right. Or Im doing something wrong, lol. But Ive tried for many years and the few years that i did manage to get some stalks actually growing of it, the crows ate it, LOL.    But anyhow I plant tomatoes, squash of every breed, cukes, potatoes, onions, chives, carrots, beets, spinach, gourmet lettuces, green and wax beans, broccoil, cauliflower, SNAP PEAS (they cost like 5 bucks a poound in the store- so that is a huge savings!!), and Im sure im forgetting a bunch of things. THeres not many veggies I dont plant. I will be starting some seeds in peat pots here real soon to get a jumpstart on them.

[cathy5841]

me and my grandson (he's 21/2) are gonna grow tomatoes and cucumbers and peanuts...i wanna show him how things grow....hope it bears some veggies for us..lol

[NautyOne]

Uh, when my husband was still living here, he had a garden....a secret garden I didn't know about, and I ain't talking veggies.....was not happy so I got out the round up.

Love my own fresh green beans, and and white potatoes .......snap peas, and carrots...and of course nothing better than your own fresh grown white corn......even tried grapes, but that didn't work out to well being so close to the beach.  Nothing like your own fresh veggies.......

Mary:  Now if you could just get yourself a cheesecake tree.......:-))

[flmagi]

Like Mary said, I've done the garden thing, only to spend a fortune on pesticides, plant food etc etc, so that the bugs, birds, rabbits and raccoons could have a feast.  I do love to grow things and do pretty good with flowers but I don't know how anyone can grow vegetables in Florida. It makes me think of all the pesticides that growers must use here in Florida...yuck.
So, no I won't be trying it again......very frustrating.

[allaboutmary]

Magi used to always plant gardens with veggies and stuff. It always wound up costing a fortune to get the soil right and try and keep the pests off it. When my x used to plant his garden some critter would always get to it before he did. I guess Florida isn't a great place for gardens ......all we have is sand. lol
I guess if I could grow ice cream and pie I would dig in the dirt for a while. lol