Following on from yesterday’s post about all the potential crops, I just wanted to say that, even at this time of the year, we are still harvesting from the garden. Throughout the winter we have picked (and continue to pick) kale, mizuna, parsley and blood-veined sorrel and now we are about to have our first purple sprouting broccoli of the season:
In addition, because of all the preserving, we are still eating last year’s crops: bottled apples, bottled passata, frozen raspberries and red currants, apple juice and frozen chillies. We are also getting loads of eggs from the hens. Plus we are undertaking a different sort of cultivation by making yoghurt and cheese.
We are a very long way from self-sufficiency, but I am very proud of what we do manage to produce in our small garden. Even if you don’t have much space, you will be amazed what you can achieve if you have a go.
The Snail of Happiness 
Tanglewood Knots
/ March 14, 2017Bravo! That is amazing. It must feel so wonderful to say “hmmm what shall we have for dinner, let me take a walk to the outdoor pantry and see what’s good!” 😀
LikeLike
The Snail of Happiness
/ March 14, 2017I do like garden dinners… it would mostly be green leaf omelettes at the moment, if we had to rely on the garden, but soon there will be much more diversity. Freshly picked food is the best.
LikeLiked by 1 person
katechiconi
/ March 14, 2017One day, we’ll retire back down to a temperate, sub-tropical climate with 4 seasons, and I will grow vegies again… I do miss fresh winter vegies.
LikeLike
The Snail of Happiness
/ March 14, 2017… but mangoes…!
LikeLike
katechiconi
/ March 14, 2017Yes, there is that, and custard apples and lychees… But conversely, fresh peas, peaches, apples, leeks, etc. At least further south I can grow more…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice piece of work
/ March 14, 2017You are so right about even being able to make use of a very small space. This is how a lot of community gardens get started – someone might only have a wooden box, but it’s enough to get going with some tomatoes. The “harvest” can be so pleasing, it makes it all worthwhile.
LikeLike
The Snail of Happiness
/ March 14, 2017Last year we grew our best salad leaves in an old fish box – one that had been tossed off a trawler and washed up on a local beach. We drilled holes in the bottom and it made a prefect container… I expect it will last for many, many years.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Laurie Graves
/ March 14, 2017You should be very proud! How much land do have for gardening? And you’re right. With careful planning, even small places can produce food.
LikeLike
The Snail of Happiness
/ March 14, 2017We only have about 25 square metres for growing veg, although we do also have a patio on which we put pots and a 3x3m fruit cage, plus space for the hens. When we first moved in there was just lawn and patio – now there’s no lawn, but there are four raised beds, the limery where much of the patio was and we try to optimise the space we have.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Laurie Graves
/ March 14, 2017Wonderful!
LikeLike
The Snail of Happiness
/ March 14, 2017actually my sums were a bit off… it’s about 16 square metres of raised beds for growing veg!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Murtagh's Meadow
/ March 14, 2017Lovely crops. Does your mizuna grow outside without cover? I’ve grown in polytunnel last winter. This year I grew some in modules which I recently planted out in greenhouse and it’s doing well.
LikeLike
The Snail of Happiness
/ March 14, 2017Yes, in fact it seems to be better outdoors – I’ve had aphid problems when its grown under cover.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Murtagh's Meadow
/ March 14, 2017Must give it a try this winter. When did you sow?
LikeLike
The Snail of Happiness
/ March 14, 2017Late August or September, I think… although some may have been self-seeded from earlier sowings. Big bonus is that the slugs seem to ignore it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Murtagh's Meadow
/ March 14, 2017That is certainly a big bonus! Thank you for the advice.
LikeLike
katythenightowl
/ March 14, 2017There really is nothing nicer than to be able to contribute to the household, by providing it from your own garden – or the sweat of your brow! 🙂
It’s lovely to see so many things being harvested from your garden 🙂
LikeLike
The Snail of Happiness
/ March 14, 2017The kale seems to be flourishing after a slow patch for the last couple of months… and I always love the start of the broccoli season.
LikeLiked by 1 person
katythenightowl
/ March 14, 2017I don’t blame you 🙂
LikeLike
The Other Jan from Brighton
/ March 14, 2017Don’t forget the newly-emerging ground elder, a truly (!) perennial crop! I’ve also had sea beet for about 18 months now, from just one sowing.. together they make a tasty tart.
LikeLike
The Snail of Happiness
/ March 15, 2017Well, hello there! I used to live in a house with ever-lasting ground elder… everywhere. I’ve never tried sea beet.
LikeLike
Born To Organize
/ March 15, 2017It’s wonderful what you accomplish. I’m always inspired. Making your own cheese. Be still my heart. And I’ve never seen purple broccoli. Does it have the same flavor as green or is it different?
LikeLike
The Snail of Happiness
/ March 15, 2017Purple sprouting broccoli has a flavour much superior to the green version in my opinion – it is one of my favourite vegetables.
LikeLike
Born To Organize
/ March 15, 2017Wow! Who knew. I’ll have to see if I can find seeds to grow next winter. Do you also grow it there as a winter crop?
LikeLike
Elaine Brett
/ March 15, 2017Really enjoy reading your posts and i will look to plant mizuna and ps broccoli this winter…I have kale, spinach and rocket that survived winter…but my potager is new plenty of room for development….
LikeLike
The Snail of Happiness
/ March 15, 2017Mizuna is quite peppery later in the season (i.e. now) and adds quite a bite to cheese or egg sandwiches.
LikeLike
painterwrite
/ March 21, 2017I’m quite jealous! My garden is in almost full shade in the winter, so any attempts to extend the season usually just end up with sad, lanky things whose only hope is to feed the compost bin.
LikeLike