During the growing season, we often find a bag of home produce hanging over our fence. In fact, hooks are nailed to fences to make easy hanging places. Usually we know which neighbour the bag is from. The fence it is hanging over gives the clue. Maybe a note is included. We like to return the favour by leaving our excess eggs for neighbours, on the same hooks, and later in the season, the excess of kitchen garden and orchard.
It is early in the UK growing season. These above are our salad seedlings. Small, but promising. They smell so perfect, but they have several weeks to go, before they grace our plates. My cucumber and tomato plants have the first two leaves. The greenhouse is waiting.
So here we are, just dreaming of garden produce. Waiting for the day when we can take the big gathering basket out and gather more than brussel sprouts and chives. When we can share more than eggs with neighbours and friends.
Then yesterday, the children ran in the house so excited. They had found a big, green lettuce hanging on our fence. This lettuce smells so fresh. It tastes so good to us, especially after months of shop bought “fresh” salad. They took it in turns to bury their heads in the lettuce to breathe it in. We had part of the lettuce for supper and the children left none.
(Note to self: thank neighbour and extract method for growing lettuces so big, so early in the year.)
That lettuce looks fantastic, so big and a beautiful green colour. What a lovely neighbourhood system you have going with giving your excess produce away.
Anne xx
We are lucky with our neighbours. A community without living in each other’s pockets. The cottages used to belong to the local country estate, so most still have enough land for a good sized veg patch and a few fruit trees.
Can I come live near you!!?
That would be so much fun! 🙂