Quote of the Day
“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” –Greek proverb
This is a shaded walkway at Longwood Gardens. Pierre du Pont purchased this property in 1906 specifically to save the trees. The du Pont family had a long tradition of gardening, and Pierre would turn out to be one of its greatest gardeners. Du Pont had a love of trees and collected many different species of trees and plants on his property. If you ever have a chance to visit Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania I would highly recommend it.
Do you appreciate those who came before us like P.S. du Pont and Thomas Jefferson that had the forethought to plant and save trees for us to enjoy?
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Gardening Quote: Thomas Jefferson
“Cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens. They are the most vigorous, the most independent, the most virtuous, and they are tied to their country and wedded to it’s liberty and interests by the most lasting bands.”
-Thomas Jefferson
Monticello Gardens and Pavilion by Mr T in DC
Anyone ever visited Monticello? It’s one of those places I would love to visit but haven’t had the chance.
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Quote of the Day: Jamie Oliver
I’m a big Jamie Oliver fan, always have been. I’ve watched most of his cooking shows and his documentary/show about trying to make British State School food healthier. He’s definitely doing his part to make local, sustaineable food popular. I’m currently reading his cookbook/gardening book Jamie at Home: Cook Your Way to the Good Life
“I spent my childhood growing up in a village in Essex and I moved back there three or four years ago with my wife and kids. Like most people these days, with a busy family life and a hectic working schedule, I began to struggle with finding a balance between the two. I seem to have evened things up a bit now, and it’s all thanks to my veg garden, believe it or not. I love spending the odd hour out there, as it really relaxes me. You might think I sound like a complete hippie now, but growing my own veg for these past few years has filled me with such pride, pleasure, and passion. Witnessing changes in the garden through the year, having successes and failures, realizing that certain types of fruit or veg can have certain personalities and you have to work with them in different ways, it’s all just fascinating to me!
The garden has also made me think about food in a different way: about how it grows and what it stands for. To me, growing food at home means eating outside in the garden in the summer at family get-togethers and occasions, or cozying up next to a fire tucking into an amazing comforting stew or soup made with stuff from the garden which you’ve had to go outside and pull up in the rain! It might seem odd, but during the last sixteen years of training and working as a chef, I never thought I would ever grow stuff properly.”
Jamie Oliver: Jamie at Home: Cook Your Way to the Good Life
I’ve really enjoyed reading this book. I like that each chapter has growing how-to’s followed by recipes for those vegetables. Pick it up at your local library and give it a read!
Anyone have any other cookbooks they love and want to recommend?
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Interesting Article – Will it Happen?
Nearly 40% of the fresh fruits and vegetables consumed stateside during 1943 were grown in school, home and community gardens. In addition to providing much-needed food, gardening helped Americans accept the nation’s plurality, providing a positive experience that transcended race, class and socioeconomic divisions. That bridged rural/urban differences. They provided a way for all Americans to provide a service to the nation.
Read the entire article Here.
Do you think we’ll find Victory Gardens making a comeback in the coming years?
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Eating Locally & Seasonally
Mr Chiots and really try to eat locally and seasonally. Which means, no raspberries in winter, no tomatoes in January, etc. We do this for health & environmental reasons. This summer I read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life 
Concentrating on local foods means thinking of fruit invariably as the product of an orchard, and a winter squash as the fruit of an early-winter farm. It’s a strategy that will keep grocery money in the neighborhood, where it gets recycled into your own school system and local businesses. The green spaces surrounding your town stay green, and farmers who live nearby get to grow more food next year, for you. But before any of that, it’s a win-win strategy for anyone with taste buds. It begins with rethinking a position that is only superficially about deprivation. Citizens of frosty worlds unite, and think about marching past the off-season fruits: you have nothing to lose but mealy, juiceless, rock-hard and refusing to ripen produce.
-Barbara Kingsolver (Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life
