A Philosophical Approach To Gardening - Why We Do It?

[zebedee]

Don Vincenzo. I use my allotment as a relief from the stress and strains of a) my job (working with disaffected teenagers) and b) daily life. To me there is nothing nicer than the mindless task of pulling weeds, or strolling up and down with a watering can. Though our site is near a main road, thick bushes mask a lot of the noise, so I can listen to birdies sing or just plain enjoy the peace and tranquility of it all. The other side of the coin is that my wife is a marvelous cook and produces the most wonderful meals from produce that is less than 10 minutes out of the ground. Ah, growing your own! Wonderful. Sigh!!!

[mad_djg]

Firstly I should admit to having “lurked” for a while, but this thread got me thinking…

I got my lottie back in September and have gradually been clearing it of the brambles and am now making progress in the digging.

Now I know I don’t eat enough fruit & veg and I drink too much and I don’t exercise enough, but these were not reasons for wanting to grow my own.

Also I have for years moaned about the lack of quality with supermarket veg ( I grew up on a market garden and I know the only way to eat carrot is straight from the ground….) Even so I was quite content to carry on in the same way.

So what changed - back in April 2006 our first child – a daughter, Madeleine was born (with No2 due in May). Even before she was born we had decided she would only have “home cooked” meals (actually there was no discussion – the wife basically stated it as a fact). We wanted to make sure that she was not brought up on processed food, we wanted to make sure we had proper dinners, around a table and not in the front of the TV.

So gradually from this came the realisation that I wanted to “go back to my roots” and start growing veg. Luckily enough at the local site the waiting list was only for the well tended plots – no one wanted the overgrown ones so I literally walked in and signed up straight away.

Strangely this still doesn’t get to the heart of why I’ve taken this up. The seeds I’m planting may not mature for 20, 25 years or more. Based upon my experiences I almost expect our kids to go through the junk food / TV dinners phase. But by growing things at home, getting them involved (and yes that DOES mean eating carrots straight from the ground washed with nothing more than spit!) means that one day they will remember! That one day, when they are adults my children will want to eat nothing other than the freshest fruit and veg – and if they have the means to grow it so much the better.

So – hopefully by ensuring that my children have this experience they will want to ensure that their children also have the same.

Cheers

Derek

[Mrs Dobby]

Hi Derek and a warm welcome to the vine!

Many thanks for sharing your reasoning, it makes perfect sense to me, my daughter (who doesnt live with us) is a junk food addict, and we are slowly showing her how much better fresh fruit and veg is, she's 13 yrs old and is coming to realise how much tastier fresh fruit and veg and home prepared food is, so good luck wiht teaching it to your children!

Sounds like you've been having fun on your new plot, hows about some piccies to show us your progress, and congrats on taking the plunge!

[Hans Mum]

Hi Derek & welcome.....i too started my now 13yo on good home prepared food none of that tinned stuff....for years she thought parsnips were 'special chips' cause they were the same shape!!! and now its 1 of her favourite veg. She has gone through the junk food phase - didnt help when MacD's opened on the route to school!!! but now she appreciates what goes into her body and is really enthusiastic about our lottie and the produce we hopefully will get this year (we've only had it since Sept) and parsnips are top of her list along with lots of fruit and toms (she eats those till they come out of her ears) so good luck with your little one you are sowing the seeds nice and early so to speak

[nick the grief]

Hi Derek,

Welcome to the Vine. It good to see your an ex-Lurker thats taken the plunge, so I guess we can't put you off

[JennieAtkinson]

Welcome Derek - and lurketh no longer!

[Lesley Jay]

Derek welcome to this madhouse, otherwise known as the Grapevine!!

[kirsty b]

Years ago, iI never used to eat any veg at all, just meat and potatoes.
When my dad remarried, my stepmothers dad came to live with us and turned over half of our massive garden into veg plots (the garden was 100ft x 100ft).
I was persuaded to try new things as they were grown and also enjoyed helping (hindering?) grandad in the garden, I now eat most veg. I even had sprouts this xmas sfter not touching them for years.

Getting back into growing my own came last summer whem me and himself decided to grow some toms in containers in the back garden, this was followed by me digging up a large portion of the front garden and putting potatoes, green sprouting broccoli, carrots and herbs out there. I do have some flowers too though.

I garden now, not only for the veg, but pottering in my littl patch out front has made me some friends, as people used to stop and chat while I was out there and still do. My daughter helps me out there and she loves sowing seeds and watching what comes up, little bugger spent most of the summer nicking the carrots and eating them straight out of the ground (she wiped them on her trousers first) and she also likes to help dig up spuds. Cress seeds for her to grow are a regular part of our shopping list.

Its nice out in the fresh air and as my lottie is fenced in the dog comes with me, although shes pretty useless, spends most of the time there sitting on a bench we found so that her paws don't get cold and sharing my sarnies.

In answer to the original question? I garden because I've come to love doing it.

[budmap]

i grew up with my grandad growing al his own veg and always fancied having a try and for my fortieth my oh had got me an allotment and i couldnt wait to get started so with the help of my four year old we planted loads of veg and built him his own little garden with his own veg in it we had a great time now our sunday routine is to go the lottie and get veg for the roast so for me the reason to garden is about more than the end product its about quality time with family and people who have become friends through the lottie

[bramble]

I don't think any one thing can beat the thrill of watching the seed you have lovingly sown grow into the food you will eventually bring home to your family. Aside from the freshness, the savings financially, its just such a satisfying feeling. I could'nt imagine not doing it even if it were only on a small scale.

[lyndap]

Same for me Bramble.

[dexterdoglancashire]

Why do I do it? Because, getting down to the nitty gritty so to speak.....Growing my own veg is better than.... well, if I was to put it on the web it would be deleted! All I can say is, its better than a lot of other things in this world!!! Dexterdog Oops! I'm being rude. Sorry!