Okay, I might have cheated a little, we bought the seed and had some help with the preparation of the ground, as well as the watering. But then again, I’ve never had green fingers and prefer learning first! But what is amazing is to see how a little seed is thrown in the ground, watered regularly and little green plants start to sprout. That is one thing, but seeing a baby marrow on a plant is crazy! I never knew, but it is actually a stem, with a little flower at the top! Our beetroot have popped up in a magical, purplely red root, with purple veins in their leaves. Really, there is something amazing about growing your own vegetable garden – especially when the produce finally pop up!

Now for the hard part – preserving these vegetables, as well as the fruit that have started hanging heavily from our fruit tree branches. I have quite a lot to learn, but feel quite nostalgic about finding out more about traditional ways of preserving fruit and vegetables. I almost feel like I am let in on a secret, kept for ages by generations who had no choice but to preserve their fresh produce as soon as possible, in order to prevent it from spoiling.

So this weekend, I will be attempting to preserve some beetroot, and then some pears and perhaps I will also cook a bit of peach jam. All I know, is that I better practice hard, because next year round, I need to be prepared for even bigger and better crops! And, as over-ambitious it might be for someone like me, who has a record of killing all kinds of plants, I am hoping to plant and water our delightful vegetable patch myself next year! So here’s to new experiences and growing green fingers in Sutherland!

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