If Neil Gaiman can have his bee updates, then I can have my vegetable updates. On a serious note, I genuinely think that working in the garden this year has saved me from going mad behind a computer screen. I’d recommend to any new writers out there who find themselves with a full-time job as well, to do something – anything – that isn’t related to the literature industry. You need an excuse not to check what’s going on online, or to wind yourself up over what someone said in some blog post.
So anyway, the garden has been my escape from the digital world. The last few months have been spent, with a little help, turning what was a bit of a mess into a decent kitchen garden, with several herbs, rhubarb, courgettes, tomatoes, peppers, onions, aubergines, strawberries, blackcurrants, beans, raspberries, and a crab apple tree.
You eating what you’ve grown yet?
Ah, bliss! Looks good. I just learnt that the word ‘Paradise’ comes from the old Iranian/Persian word for ‘walled garden’. Makes sense to me!
Daniel – nibbling would be more accurate. I had some strawberries yesterday. Apart from the herbs, which I’ve been using in cooking etc for a while now.
Rachel – what a wonderful origin. I can understand that!
My great shame is that I let my garden get so out of hand that a few years on, there’s not a thing I can do to save it short of mass murder and repopulation. Currently killing every blade of grass alongside all the weeds with thick black plastic. One day I hope to see greenery again. Not this year, though, or likely next.
I deserve it, of course.
Less tangentially, as to regular updates on the vegetable patch: yes please. Eat that raspberry, man!
I tore my garden out and let the lawn take it over. Never had much of a green thumb.
Niall… what on earth have you done to your garden?!
Daniel – it doesn’t take much, to be honest. Just a few weekends of work, and you’re good to go.
Your garden is glorious! I’m SO envious. :3