There is nothing more satisfying than stepping out into your garden and picking something fresh for lunch. Eating peas out the pod, picking strawberries and pulling up carrots are all great back to basics activities you can enjoy as a family.
It tastes so much better than the supermarket, is cheaper and is a brilliant way to involve your children in nature and food preparation.
I have been growing vegetables and the odd fruit for about 5 years now but without all that much thought or effort. Last year I bought some raised beds, planted an Apple tree for J’s 1st birthday and want to expand my vegetable patch.
So I was excited when MyGardenSchool asked if I wanted to take an online course in Edible Gardening Made Easy. The course ran over 4 weeks with videos, course notes, professional guidance and assignments. It covered setting up your garden, sowing and nuturing your crops, and growing fruit and vegetables through the seasons.
It has definitely given me some useful information and inspiration. It is great to take part online as it meant I could take it at own pace, get personalised feedback and also see other people’s comments and assignments.
Here are my three steps to creating an easy edible garden:
1. Keep it simple
There is no point trying to be overambitious or grow prize winning asparagus in your first year. What do you enjoy eating? What costs a lot at the supermarket? What doesn’t need too much time and attention to get right? Start off simply and once you start seeing results you can expand your horizons.
2. Cheat a little bit
I don’t have a greenhouse and don’t enjoy trying to start seedlings off on my windowsill so anything that can’t be planted directly in the ground – like tomatoes and cucumber – I buy as small plants from the garden centre. Think about starting a herb pot or buying some salad plants to ease you in gently.
3. Learn from your mistakes
Last year all my salad leaves got eaten, my broccoli didn’t grow and I managed one corn on the cob from 4 plants! But my carrots tasted great, my apples flourished and the peas were delicious raw or cooked. So this year I have focused on the things that worked and just added a few new additions – rasberries, cucumber and basil, so it is not too difficult to manage.
Great garden recipes
Eating your own food is such a great feeling so here are a few recipes that you could try out:
What are your top tips for growing an edible garden? What do you love making with your produce?
Disclosure: I was provided with a place on the MyGardenSchool course for the purpose of this post. The thoughts and words are my own.
Happy to be linking up with Honest Mum #tastytuesdays & #brilliantblogposts , Let’s Talk Mommy #sharewithme, Super Busy Mum #madmidweekbloghop, Modern Dad Pages #foodporthursdays, Coombe Mill #countrykids
The post 3 steps to an easy edible garden appeared first on Free From Farmhouse.