Gardening Optimism

Sometimes, well really a lot of the time, I garden more with hope than with science. I have a vision that I can keep us supplied pretty much with all the fruit and vegetables that we need. I think i probably can, the problem is I don't really want to be limited by what will grow well here. So i keep trying things, putting them in different places, creating little micro climates and so on.
I've had some successes, cant believe how well the asparagus and raspberries have done.
And lots of failures.
Last year I tried in vain to grow ginger and turmeric, the ginger grew but produced nothing! However I thought I would give the turmeric another shot as I really want to have this fresh. The ones I planted before I bought from an Asian green grocers so this time I ordered some from Greenharvest. I have also been trying to grow sweet potatoes with a similar result so also ordered a purple sweet potato. I figure if I get these things going I will have them for ever.
Well i planted them months ago, before I went away. there has been no sign of them and then, miraculously, the day before yesterday, here they are.



Looking nice and healthy. My optimism remains intact, for the present.
   

Comments

Linda Woodrow said…
I'm in northern NSW, and both grow well here, except that the wallabies love sweet potato vine. Turmeric is so useful. I use it a lot in cooking, but it also makes a great tea - just a couple of slices with boiling water poured over them. Sounds wierd but it tastes really good, and I think my body must recognise it as healthy because sometimes if I'm feeling a bit hay-feverish I get a craving for it! Ginger also grows fine here, but I did have to try a few cultivars to find one that bore well. The first couple just sat there for years, dying back each winter and resprouting each spring, but never growing enough to harvest.
January 12, 2012 at 4:27 PM
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