Wednesday, June 30, 2010

First harvest.

I had my first harvest today from my down-stairs vegetable garden (called so because it is literally down stairs at ground level, three stores below my apartment).

I gave away my first picking to a dear lady who lives in the house that backs on to our apartment block. She is 94 years of age and lives by herself. Every time I am working in the veggie garden she pops her head out of her back door and has a chat. She is super sweet and seems to enjoy our conversations. I picked some parsley, lettuce and a bunch of lavender (from my balcony garden) and called in to her house to give her the goodies.

In total Endive, Rocket, Cos Lettuce and Parsley are all ready for the picking, and I have soooo much that I have put a sign up in our lobby inviting my other neighbours to 'help themselves'. I hope they do because there is just far too much for Jamie and I to get through on our own.

On a side note, there was a big filthy weed growing next to my brussel sprouts. I pulled it out but it stung me on my wrist - you should have seen it! It had all sorts of crazy cactus-like spikes sticking vertically up from the leaves. I now have sore lumps all over my left wrist. Does anyone know what this weed is? I threw it in the greenwaste bin before I thought to take a photo.

Sam xox

5 comments:

  1. Oh lavender would be great to grow on my balcony, thanks for the idea! And how neighbourly of you to give your produce away, that's great karma.

    Have a great day!
    Kim

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  2. I love sharing the harvest. Sounds like maybe you had a nettle in your garden. They leave stingers. Lane

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  3. oh no! Stinging nettle!!!!
    xoxo

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  4. That was so nice of you to give your neighbor your first fruits! She sounds like a wonderful woman! I hope your other neighbors take you up on your offer. I think gardening is such a therapeutic and forgiving hobby!

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  5. The first harvest is always the best, don't you think? And how generous for you to share it--you will be repaid for this kindness in more ways than you can know. As for the weed, it may be a thistle. Probably your Aussie friends can better identify it than us Americans--Australian plants are sometimes way more different than ours. At least it's gone, hopefully for good.

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