Why do you grow your own?

[Small pumpkin]

I grow my own for a few reasons. First and foremost I enjoy it. Like being outside, watching things grow, being on my own, the wildlife. Also grow my own because the choice & quality on the island is pitiful and not cheap. Also trying to build up a small business with very little business sense, but I'm having lots of fun anyway.

[noviceveggrower]

Hi NVG

I am intrigued by the speech therapy as my son had to go through the same when he was 5, he was late to start speaking and he would replace b with f and also say things back to front, the garden back for example. We were told he may struggle with schooling. He left secondary school with 11 gse at A* and went on to get a first at uni and speaks 6 languages.

They think Will is about 18 months behind with his speech. He doesn't finish his words off properly and sometimes he has trouble getting his words out and stutters a bit.
School have been great. He has one to one with a teaching assistant who specialises in giving extra support to children who need it.
He isn't stupid and is very clever in his own way. He is a great gardener who is very patient when planting seeds and potting things on. He is also great at digging holes but usually in the wrong place down the allotment or at home in the raised beds.

[Guest]

I know my space sounds bad but it is where I can sit down or do some digging and just relax.
n.

I know what you mean. Of a weekend I can sort my girls out and leave them with my hubby if only for a little and when I am in the garden I just completely shut off. He knows where I am if he needs me, but it just allows me the space to breathe and be me.
With everything you have going on there is no reason for you to apologise or feel guilty about having your space

[Greenleaves]

Snap thats what they said about our son, I can still remember the woman we saw. What was ironic wasthat she never made eye contact once in all the sessions

[noviceveggrower]

Snap thats what they said about our son, I can still remember the woman we saw. What was ironic wasthat she never made eye contact once in all the sessions

Same as us and as they talk they are actually looking at their paperwork. Thought it was best when we went for a meeting and they kept asking odd questions but never said why. When we left OH mentioned the questions and I had to tell him they were prodding about to see if Will was autistic.
Also don't ask your child a question as it puts to much pressure on them. Conversation was like this
"How are you meant to find out what they want or what's wrong?.
Well you ask them a question.
You said not to.
I know"
Oh take you speech back to a basic level. Wills face was a picture when we did that and he just laughed at us as if were on stuff.

[sparrow100]

I live in a flat with no garden and put my name down for a plot on a whim 8+ years ago. Got my half plot in March 2011. Turns out I feel the most at peace when I am there and I am actually quite good at it. Which was something of a pleasant surprise. As is the variety and quantity of veg we are now eating at home.

[BertieFox]

Like others, I grow partly for health reasons as I believe rightly or wrongly that the totally fresh pesticide free produce is doing me good. And of course all the hard work in the fresh air actually IS doing me good.

Secondly, I really do know that the flavour is far better than what you buy in the shops or even the markets. I would like to believe that's because it's organic, but it is more likely that it's because it only takes a few minutes from garden to plate.

Thirdly, vegetable gardening has a fascination because every year is different, and no matter how often you do the same things, you get different results. To see something change from a microscopic seed to a huge edible plant is still miraculous to me, even after all these years.

[Noosner]

My Dad took on an allotment when he was 87 (he's 91 now). I worked out I'd be doing most of the work! I thought we were both mad at the time, but I love the lottie now. I suffer from chronic anxiety, and have to make sure to exercise regularly, meditate and do relaxing things, otherwise things build up.

Lottie is number one on the relaxing things list. Sometimes it's as if my thoughts actually stop when I'm down there. Of course, when something has gone really wrong, it doesn't work, but that's the exception rather than the rule.

That's one of the reasons I do it. I love getting produce, but it isn't the main thing for me (just as well!) I just love the actual plants and seeing them grow.

[Knight of Albion]

There's something about being outside and interacting with nature that connects with the soul.

You can find peace in the garden..

[Jay-ell]

They think Will is about 18 months behind with his speech. He doesn't finish his words off properly and sometimes he has trouble getting his words out and stutters a bit.
School have been great. He has one to one with a teaching assistant who specialises in giving extra support to children who need it.
He isn't stupid and is very clever in his own way. He is a great gardener who is very patient when planting seeds and potting things on. He is also great at digging holes but usually in the wrong place down the allotment or at home in the raised beds.

I was like that when I was a kid. I went to speach therapy for years. If I ever meet a ragged rascal, he's at risk of being rendered recumbent by the rugged rock he repeatedly ran round. Nower days, I stammer if I'm really stressed but ok with low stress things like job interviews, pitches to funders or presentations to rooms full of strangers.

I grow my own because I have a plan that one year I am going to do Christmas lunch with blue potatoes, purple carrots and red sprouts. Bit miffed that parsnips only come in white

I enjoy that the allotment is my space as well as growing things I don't usually see in the shops. It's not really an economics thing as I've probably spent a lot more this year than it would take to buy the veg.

[Bigmallly]

Bit miffed that parsnips only come in white

Put a drop of food colouring in them.

[Jay-ell]

Put a drop of food colouring in them.

Hmm day glow Halloween green parsnips - I like it.

Of swap them for something that looks like them - Hamburg parsley, sweet cicely or salsify? THEN dye them day glow Halloween green

[Scarlet]

I grow my own because I prefer a stroll around my garden than a trip to Sainsways!
It doesn't always work that way obviously but
I love the whole seed to plate journey.
I will never tire of getting my seed box out, choosing varieties and eventually sowing the seeds! Then I just can't wait for the tip of green to show when it germinates. I spend far too long going back to my pots to check!

I always feel proud as punch when I come in with an arm full of veg or fruit from the garden. I can get lost for hours pottering around, it really makes me smile, there's nothing more peaceful than a day spent outside potting on and planting up and making a space outside that is mine.

I love to cook so all the preserving and storing food when it's time to harvest is an added bonus. I just love it!

[tom_birmingham]

I grow because my grandad did, my dad does and I feel like I am following some sort of path through the family. I also enjoy it, more than I ever thought I would - I love learning and this year I have educated myself through books and the internet on growing, I like looking at herb pots, cooking my vegetables and then most recently blogging about them.

I am 29 years of age, a semi-retired raver, DJ, and record collector - I have an obsessional mind and I do think that obsession goes in to a hands on approach to doing things, that is why I love cooking too and making sourdough bread. I love personal research and then doing the things I have studied, that is how I learn and that is also how I love to live my life.

Seeing those courgettes come up this year, watching the beans blossom and the herbs sprucing up my love of food made me feel like the real deal at times. Miracles have happened in my garden this year, or at least it feels that way.

[Knight of Albion]

Fruit and veg that you've grown yourself tastes better! Plus - if you're organic - you know it hasn't been sprayed with dodgy chemicals (that will probably be banned in ten years time for being found to be carcinogenic ...) and you can safely eat the skins - where most of the goodness is.