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I am AMAZED............. how long has this been going on?

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When we first started gardening, the Good Life was on the telly, anybody out there remember Tom and Barbara ? well we fancied ourselves as The Midlands answer to Tom and his Good wife, we had a very small garden, which we divided up into veggie plots and grew all sorts of fruit and vegetables amongst the flowers, self sufficiency was our middle name John Seymour was the man,. this went on for a few years, until it became unfashionable to grow vegetables any more.
Next came Ground Force with dear old Alan T and we all started painting our fences blue, and putting in decking, grasses,and all sorts of weird and wonderful designs inspired by Diarmuid Gavin, bless him.
Most of the young people we knew were not at all interested in growing vegetables or fruit in their gardens………but now, when did it all start? most of the young people on this site are growing to eat, and I for one wish you all the luck in the world, there is nothing like harvesting your first potato, eating a pea from its pod, spinach cooked fresh from the ground, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, rhubarb…..the list is endless, not only that you are keeping chickens as well, so children will know that eggs come from hens and not Supermarkets.
So long may it continue, one of the finest hobbies you could have and the healthiest.

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Comments

 

Hear hear!! DD.....I wholeheartedly agree!!

14 Apr, 2009

 

On another day I will agree wholeheartedly, but we planted 400 onions yesterday!! Back aches, feet ache, knees ache, fingers ache ...........

14 Apr, 2009

 

Let's hear it for Barbara & Tom, not forgetting Gerry and good old Margo! Many of us were 'Good Lifers' in those days.
Our early gardening focused on food production and then drifted away to ornamentals as we became more interested in alpines and it was easier to buy local organic veg. For us, the pendulum is now starting to swing back a little and the veggies are rgaining importance in our gardening life.

14 Apr, 2009

 

I remember the Good Life to :) But mostly i remember My Uncle Haveing Pigs On some Old Allotments that dont exsist any more :/ & My Dear Nan Keeping a Goat ,Some Geese & Chickens in her Large Back Council House Garden she had :) Thats still standing but ud never be aloud 2 keep those animals now for ur Eggs & Milk :/ How times change !

14 Apr, 2009

 

thank you dottydaisy2. Since doing my garden ive felt so proud of myself and each day myself and my daughter go and check all the seedlings and water the plants and shes learning all new words that she probably would never of heard of until shes my age.
I thank my lucky stars that I moved to where I am,its fabulous even after the heartache of my hubby being made redundant and us losing our own house. We now have a housing association proprty and are starting again.
and thanks to all you guys on here I have a 24 hour emergency helpline for the gardening world
x x x

14 Apr, 2009

 

Good Blog dottydaisy, yes its odd isn't it the way things come round again, probably due to the credit crunch too, my asda bill seems to have nearly doubled!! I have got my grandaughter (she's only 4) planting sunflower seeds and her mum is trying tomatoes this year on her patio, its great if you catch them early!! Mind you i did with my daughter but now she's 15 she's not interested, am hoping i sowed a tiny seed though and it'll come back when she's older!!
My friends father kept a sow in pig, then sold the piglets on, my friend used to be given the runt of the litter to look after and raise, i was always round there!!!

14 Apr, 2009

 

Think it sad,as Jacque says that tenants not allowed to use their gardens to provide a living....could be the answer in these hard times ! Great blog,bringing back lots of memories...........

14 Apr, 2009

 

I certainly remember "The Good Life". How we used to laugh at the things they got up to. :D

I have grown tomatoes, potatoes, strawberries & several kinds of herbs on my balcony over the last few years. I still have a strawberry plant, which is flowering at the moment & some mint. I sowed some tomato seeds to put in my hanging baskets this year. I find them very slow growing though. I've sown some traditional tomatoes as well, though rather late in the year! I'd be quite happy if two or three plants grow as they need a lot of space. We also tried to grow some sweet peppers last year but as we had quite a cold summer they never did set fruit. :(

14 Apr, 2009

 

we have got our 16yr old into the Good Life. We have several on DVD and she howls with laughter. especially at the 'Douglas bean' episode. she was also 'shocked' at the sexual conotations. and they think they know it all haha.

14 Apr, 2009

 

I loved the 'Good Life' series and used to live in Surbiton - but in a flat! One of my 3 daughters is interested in gardening and we share an 'allotment' in a friends large garden but the other two have no interest at all!

14 Apr, 2009

 

The Good Life was an all time classic....when they showed it over here they changed the name.....called it "Good Neighbours". I could never figure out why.

15 Apr, 2009

 

Funny you should be talking about the good life, it was my husbands 50th last saturday, and my sons decided, that we should have a chicken coup, they would like us to get a pig,
too, but the cheeky things wants us the keep them at our house,lol xx

15 Apr, 2009

 

The Good Life came back on Sky as well and I often watched it again (stiil made me laugh) pleased to say 2 of my kids are really into gardening and both grow veg as well as flowers also both into wildlife as well,however so far only one grandchid is interested at moment but we live in hope...lol....

15 Apr, 2009

 

Thanks all for your comments.....glad most of you had seen The Good Life, even if it was the second time around,Pepperpot I think I would draw the line at looking after the Pig!!
Sewingkilla those were the days.....Nariz never planted onions but pulled a few hundred in my youth.

15 Apr, 2009

 

I remember, and love, that series. I couldn't imagine not growing edibles at home, and my son and daughter, now aged 8 and 6yrs, have helped enthusiastically for the past 4 years. :-)

16 Apr, 2009

 

good blog!
I also think veg looks really great in a garden. I think a mix of edible/non-edibles is best.
Thank heavens though that Barbara Goode's dungarees and Margo McSnob's paisley kaftans have not come back into fashion. You wouldn't catch me in either.

16 Apr, 2009

 

Yes, it's wonderful, DottyD. Our local allotments have always beren less than one thiord full but now , this year there are many new plotholders digging themselves in. Great to se. Nice blog. I remember all the programmes you mentiuon but have to say, I managed not to sucumb to the blue fences! I did enjoy watching Charlie though!!!!

16 Apr, 2009

 

That shade of blue was nice until it was everywhere, like most other things! I can def live without Monsieur Titchmarsh tho. We can't take him seriously - at least not since he owned up to scrubbing his birches' bark with a broom.

I mean, really!

With apologies to any other bark-buffers out there. You never know, do you?

16 Apr, 2009

 

Oh yes, Paul! I could watch Charlie on GF for hours (for the hair - honest!ly) :-).

Have been lucky enough to chat with her 3 times at events, and she is lovely. I really wish that she finds good fortune, soon.

As for the blue, it seemed lovely for the trend for "Mediterranean" themed gardens, but, that colour does simply not work well in the northern hemisphere. Well, we all know that the blue tint changes the farther south we travel, eh? Could I imagine Edinburgh painted all blue and white? They may be the colours of our national flag, but they would look "guy dreich in an eastarly haar!". I haven't noticed Cuprinol Garden Shades in a blue shade called "Barleywood" for ages, Thank Goodness!

PS. How did you ever manage to have empty alottments, when there is such demand?

16 Apr, 2009

 

Paul.....I wonder why you liked watching Charlie now......I expect it was for the same reason my husband was glued to the screen!!!!!
Weeding it takes all sorts........

16 Apr, 2009

 

We were all very interested in her gardening tecqniques Dotty D. Honest!!

Blue fences in Britain David, they don't look quite so good when the algae starts growing on them in our damp winters, do they? Yes, empty allotments always used to amaze me but all of a sudden, this year, they've really filled up. I suspect there might be a few uncared for plots by the end of the summer.

17 Apr, 2009

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