Thanks, again, Neil!
I like Suttons seeds, but they do not ship to the US, I believe.

It is freezing here and I mean very cold, so no going out in the garden at all. I did go to the allotment and got some leeks as I am making potato and leek soup to keep us warm! We had an eclipse of the moon last night and then the northern lights but it was too cold to stand outside for long and watch them although it is an amazing sight.

Neil.

Potato and leek soup sounds wonderful.

Stay warm, Neil!

Dear Debra, sometimes the simple recipes in life are the best! Lovely leeks from the allotment and some potatoes, some cream from the farm I help out on and some homemade bread who could ask for more on a cold day?
For it warms us up and tastes lovely, plus there is the added bonus that I have grown them so know there is no chemicals in them! My wife loves soup as most British people do in this weather and if you grow your own vegetables it is even better than buying store stuff!

Neil.
p.s. Brenda I am keeping warm, regards to you and Tony!

Temp in the 30s today. No snow as yet, but 4 1/2" of rain last week. It would have been a foot of snow.

Neil: what's the "allotment" the way you refer to it?

allotment is similar to our 'community gardens'.

Dear Jamie, many years ago the Government made by law all the councils to provide an area af land that people could grow their own food in. Each allotment you rent and mine is £1 a week has to be of enough size to feed a family of four and that is the law! Many are bigger than that for my sister in laws allotment is huge. For your £1 a week you get water, a secure place, advice from people, and the allotment holders are nice. All allotments have a president who is voted in and he keeps order as they are mostly organic and anyone caught spraying chemicals will lose their plot as it is called. My sister in laws place has a large hut where they meet once a month, have a drink and sometimes a guest speaker. The really big ones have really giant halls and people from the seed companies come round as well. Our one has only 40 plots on it so we meet in the pub once a month and we do not have guest speakers for they ask me! But it is worth it as to see the smile on someones face who started off as a beginner and can now grow quality vegetables pick a cauliflower he/she has grown, shows it to me and then rushes home to make cauliflower cheese! What could be better than that with your own totally organic produce?

Neil.

That is awesome, Neil! What a great way to grow and socialize!

I agree. What an interesting system. We do have public garden spots but they are in the inner city and used by some living there but generally other green space is used for park land only.

Several years ago a church down the road (where Inky & I walk) began a project to teach central city youth to learn to grow and use food. They dedicated a large plot with water and tools, starter kits and the like. They provided transportation and kids came twice a week. Once, mainly to garden and 'menu plan', a second time to use the produce and cook it in the church kitchen. It was a very nice project.

Inky and I got to know the woman who managed it as she worked the garden herself in between teir visits. The last couple of summers attendence has trickeled away and she has been doing so much of the work herself that last summer she told me was going to be the last season for vegetables. They have had helpful insect and bird attracting plants in the borders and now, she said, they will just devote the garden to continuing that.

I guess chips and canned meals have more appeal for some than gardening; old habits die hard.

Dear Jamie, if you have an allotment you are not allowed to sell anything but you can barter it with other allotment holders! As I grow a lot of cauliflowers and leeks i swap them for carrots or a string of onions, as long as no cash changes hands that is allowed. We all swap produce which is good for everyone in our society as they call it, for we even have a lady from Thailand who grows Thai vegetables and they are lovely.
My Savoy cabbage is superb this year and the Brussels sprouts are gorgeous due to the cold which always makes them better. I do look forward to our monthly meeting as we can all talk, have a drink and discuss matters.
Children go down there with their mothers/fathers to help out so it is a nice place and everyone knows each other. The local stable gives us manure free which is handy, although you have to go bag it and bring it back yourself.
Jamie what do you want some rubbish out of a store or something totally organic you have grown, for I know what I like, and my nieces do!

Neil.

Dear Neil: personally, as primarily a vegetarian, freshly grown produce is very important. I don't have sun space to grow much in the yard but I do put in several varieties of peppers, tommy-toes, basil. I have oregano, lavendar, and a couple of mints naturalized and grow greens in containers where I can move them different times of the day and keep them happy all summer. Otherwise, we have a wonderful market, with all kinds of farmers including several Asian so the variety is terrific (sometimes, due to language barriers, hard to understand what one is buying even).

Even in the winter, I have stock of locally grown squash and root vegetables that keep out on the cold porch pretty well and I do what I can to get fresh vegetables that have been imported from the south. Tonight I am having brussel sprouts that are off the stalk but still very tight and sweet. I still have cabbages in the fridge from fall, a few of the outer leaves did go in the compost when I made cabbage salad last week, but I cut back the stalks and the heads still took up some water so they should go for a little while yet. Right now, I have new asparagas (who knows where THAT came from), and fresh brocolli too.

My comment was targeted about those who DON'T. So many have been raised on frozen dinners and fast food that they really have no appreciation for vegetables and in fact, would rather eat that processed cwap!

Unfortunately the deer like veggies here. We no longer grow corn after the racoons harvested ours the night before we were going to pick it.

Oh, they like it here too. I have lots of grapes though and they like them better. They're not good eating grapes (for humans) but there is nothing sweeter than watching the deer relishing the grapes by the patio bridge in the fall. It is the bunnies that are the true culprits to most of the produce that would grow nearer the ground...OH! and Lilies! Bunnies love lilies, the more expensive the better! Grrrrrr

Dear Jamie, I know exactly what you mean! i was brought up growing things and eating proper food for my granddad had an a allotment which was superbly kept. My mother and sister in law have brought my nieces up in the same way which is a good thing. They do not eat ready meals or are allowed coca cola or anything like that, they eat what they grow it is as simple as that. If they wish for a burger they have been taught by me how to make them, for they have never been in a fast food restaurant.
I have helped them out on their allotment and they are very proud of it. The middle niece who is also called Sarah loves beetroot and would eat a plateful so I have shown her how to grow it and she is delighted with the results.
Although I hasten to add she has eaten it all now! I believe if you get children when they are young and give them all sorts of food from everywhere they will eat anything when they get older. It sure did work on me!
As for ready meals I cannot comment as i have never eaten one, nor ever wanted to.

Neil.

Yep...my dad, a fine cook of 'freshness', had everything to do with my orientation!

Regarding processed convenience foods ....... Ha! I posted this on the "belly laughs thread" the other day.....
http://cubits.org/MidAtlanticM...

Dear Jamie, it is amazing to see vegetables growing in peoples window boxes which they do now. The R.H.S. has been behind a scheme to encourage people to grow their own and it has worked very well! For they have tutorials and all sorts of things for people which is great, I love the feeling of our allotments for it is so friendly, and the ability to swap produce is great plus of course going in the pub for a social and horticultural chat!
Just love growing and cooking my own!

Neil.

Good reason for a stop at the pub ... "Horticultural chat" ....