Victory Gardens
I always enjoy hearing about Victory Gardens from times gone by. It’s fascinating to think that our government and the governments of Canada and Great Britain encouraged people to grow their own food to help with the war effort during WWI. During that time, nearly 20 million Americans planted Victory Gardens. These gardens produced 40 percent of all the vegetable produce consumed nationally. I wonder if the citizens of today would rise to that challenge should it be put forth?
I’ve always enjoyed eating healthfully and thus started growing some of my own food because it’s so much healthier than what you buy at the grocery store. I guess that means I have my very own Victory or Freedom garden (as they’re also called). Freedom from what? I suppose pesticides and homogenized produce. It’s nice to know that I don’t have to buy a no name tomato at the grocery store, I can have Amish Paste, Black Krim, Brandywine, or whatever heirloom I want to grow. It’s also liberating to take responsibility and to be a better participant in society and world, I grow some of my own food because it’s better for me and for the world I live in.
I recently joined the Freedom Gardens of the World. I love the idea, while I don’t grow all of my own food, and probably never will, I do try to grow some of my own and buy as local as possible.
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Here Come the Squash!
I noticed my squash plants are starting to show the signs of baby squash! How exciting.
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Today’s Harvest
This morning I harvested some lettuce, beet greens, and nasturtiums for a salad for lunch. I’ll probably make some lemon vinaigrette and top the salad with almonds and a few local strawberries.
I also harvested my first head of broccoli, it looked like it was going to start to flower so I decided it was time to harvest. I’m not sure what kind of broccoli it is, I bought a packet of seeds at the local hardware this spring for 5 cents and it didn’t give a name. I steamed the broccoli and topped it with a little olive oil, garlic salt and some freshly ground pepper.
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The Pumpkin Patch
This year I decided to try to grow some pumpkins. Hopefully they will be gracing my front porch this fall. I planted Ghost Rider Pumpkins. I don’t have a ton of room for the rambling pumpkin vines, so I decided to use the hillside by the garage, it used to be planted in honeysuckle. I’m hoping I will have a bounty of pumpkins!
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Little Lettuce Seedlings
The lettuce seeds that I started in Monday (June 16) were up by Thursday. They were down in the cool of the basement to help with germination. As soon as they sprouted, out to the garage they went under the growlights. I’m hoping they will be ready to plant in the garden in a week or two. This cool weather in Ohio is extending the life of the lettuce that’s still in the garden. I guess that means fewer days with store bought lettuce!
