For the first 40 or so years of my life, I was never very interested in gardening.
I appreciated the results of other people’s green thumbs, but had no desire to follow in their footsteps – until comparatively recently.
In the past couple of years I have discovered a passion for vegetable gardening. Who would have thought such deep and meaningful conversations could be had with other gardening types about the best mulch to use?
Then there was the embarrassing time when I discovered earthworms in my compost heap and announced proudly to my husband, so the whole neighbourhood could hear – “I’ve got worms!” ๐ .
No day is complete without a meander around the vege patch to water and check on the latest progress of my ‘babies’.
Although definitely still a novice, Iโve had some wins: notably with tomatoes, passionfruit, lettuce, shallots, sweet potato, and various herbs – mainly due to our sub-tropical climate I think, more than my gardening abilities! (I was surprised to learn that in the UK for example, you really need to grow tomatoes indoors if you want to be successful!)
Iโve had some failures too. My zucchini keep succumbing to powdery mildew. My radishes refused to โbulbโ up. Green grubs feasted on my broccoli; and something keeps eating my strawberries just as they turn fully red and ripe – but I still haven’t worked out what – or how to stop it!
If a plant doesnโt thrive, I pull it out in disgust and throw it in the compost heap. I guess you could say Iโm a bit of an impatient gardener!
So when my potato plant started to die it was the last straw.
I was so annoyed, I reefed it out โ and was amazed to discover the perfect little spuds that had been hiding beneath the soil!
Thatโll show you much how much of a novice I am. I thought the potato plants had to at least have flowers on them before being ready to harvest. Apparently not. Who knew?!
lizzy allan - muddle-headed mamma says
What a wonderful feeling it must have been to bake potatoes that you had grown yourself! You’re definitely experimenting with a wide variety of plants – I’d love to grow passion fruit. I’m very slowly starting to get into gardening myself, it’s my other half who’s got the green thumb at our place. I’m a bit impatient too. I love your violas – such a pretty flower!
Janet says
I have lots of lovely dark purple ones too ๐
Lisa aka Lybliss says
I am SO impressed ! Seriously impressed. I can’t grow anything and my project of parsley for this spring – all eaten by snails within 24 hours on ground time ๐
Janet says
Luckily we don’t seem to have any problems with snails ๐
Aroha @ Colours of Sunset says
nope, I have a brown thumb too. i don’t even have a yard, just 2 balconies. way too hard to grow anything on there. that’s my excuse, anyway! i thought you were going to say you thought potatoes grew above ground – was going to say “at least I know they’re under ground!” LOL! x Aroha
Janet says
That’s alright – I must confess I thought rockmelons grew on trees (like coconuts) until I saw them on the vine in my S-I-L’s garden! Whoops!
Emily says
hahaha I am also a very hit and miss gardener – good tip about the potatoes by the way lol! I have been out protecting my nearly ripe strawberries from snails and still the little buggers got a prime specimen! I hear that birds tend to go crazy for them too.
Janet says
I think mine are being eaten by ants but not sure. It’s always on the underside of the fruit, and always at night that they get eaten.
JodiGibson (@JFGibsonWriter) says
I’m not a gardener but do appreciate those who do! Even so we are starting our little veggie patch this weekend and as my thumb is so far from green I don’t know, I’m a tad nervous!
Janet says
Jodi, experience is by far the best teacher – a bit of trial and error, believe me!
LittleWhiteDove says
Hooray for surprise spuds!
Serenely says
LOL… well I for one consider myself a non-gardener although a part of me feels I should be, because I love cooking and enjoy having fresh herbs and vegies easily available. And gardening does require A LOT of patience… I prefer the instant gratification I get from whipping up a dish or meal which I can enjoy immediately after! But perhaps the gratification that comes from gardening must be so much more?
Grace says
Oh, I wish I had a green thumb! I can’t even look after herbs in pot plants sitting on my kitchen window sill. There is something totally awesome about eating what you’ve actually grown in your garden!
Rita says
Don’t give up Janet! Gardening requires a lot of patience according to my father in law who has a huge garden from fruit trees to veggies and even bees!
Julie says
Fellow brown thumb here, though it is amazing what God/ nature can actually do when you just leave things be. Congratulations on your spuds!
Elise (@mummyhearts) says
Ooooh, I can’t tell you how often I have thought about trying. I suppose its spring so now is the time, we have some lovely bit pots filled with soil out the front of our home so I am going to stop think and get going this weekend I think. I bet I am a bigger brown thumb than you though!
Lara @ This Charming Mum says
Good on you Janet. I have some great herbs growing at the moment, but I’ve never had much luck with veggies. Maybe I need more patience!
Jo at poppiesforme says
Growing your own potatoes… That’s impressive. I am not a green thumb, at all. So I appreciate this garden achievement more than you can imagine. I bet they tasted delish. xxxx
Emily @ Have A Laugh On Me says
I’m shocking at growing anything apart from children!!! And I actually knew if the tops of spuds were looking bad there is nothing to worry about it – something I picked up off a friend! ๐
Desire Empire says
Despite being a gardening newbie you sound like an old hand. Congrats on your successes. I find tomatoes easy to grow and so much nicer than store bought varieties.
Carolyn
EssentiallyJess says
Ha ha! That sounds like something I would do!
Miss Ava really wants to learn to grow strawberries but I’m not sure it’s the right weather at the moment for them. I have no idea about weather and gardening tbh ๐
Janet says
Yeah dunno how you’d go in Darwin. To be honest my strawberries don’t taste half as good as the one my friend in Christchurch grows. Mind you, to her they are a Christmas fruit whereas we get them at the end of Winter and into Spring!
Lisa@RandomActsOfZen says
Well done with your spuds Janet! You have about a million times more patience than me ๐
Bronnie says
Well done. We finally have a garden where we can grow veggies and herbs in an actual garden! Here is hoping we have some success!
Janet says
Bronnie it’s just a matter of trial and error – I’ve had plenty of duds, but it’s fun when something really does grow!
Tanya floodproofmum says
Love this post. Sounds just like me. I have never grown potatoes and would never have known when to harvest them either. Now I do. Perhaps we can learn together about this gardening thingy.
Google is a great thing. hey? ๐
Cassandra says
Yes! I’ve always waited until my potato plants died before I dug them up, but they always flowered first. Such a mystery why they’re no longer flowering for me, too, but I guess if there’s potatoes it doesn’t matter!