Harvest time

Something I've probably not covered too well in my blog is my new found interest in gardening. I suppose it's an age thing, but now that I've hit the big 40 I'm getting all green fingered.
I've had a fair sized garden for the last 13 years or so, but whilst I've mown the lawns and kept the trees pruned back, I've been strictly hard landscaping, building walls, sheds, concreting paths etc, whilst 'er indoors does the pink and fluffy flowers and a few tomatoe plants.
This year however, I set aside the southern plot as an alllotment garden area, and expanded into the bank where I removed the troublesome trees a couple of years or so back.
In the greenhouse, a simple 8 x 4 affair I have grown tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, to a fair degree of success, and also started out the seedlings hat were later transplanted elsewhere on the plot. I've had a succesful crop of broad beans, runner beans and potatoes, plus onions and carrots, with leeks coming along nicely for the winter months. Radishes have been a mixed success, with some bolting straight to seed, whilst others gave fair sized results - not sure what I'm doing wrong there but it's beginners luck everywhere else. I have marrows the size of WW2 bombs, with Pumpkins also showing good early promise.
Frankly I am astounded I have done so well with almost everyting I planted, and a good number of things I didn't - a good half dozen self seeded tomato plants are growing outdoors and bearing more fruit and of a better size than the cossetted indoor plants. I also have a self seeded sunflower coming along rather well.
This has meant that I've had to do something with all natures bounty, and having never eaten or grown marrow before I was at a loss as to what to do with it. How does one cook it? As ever the interweb came up with the answer, and I now have some very tasty Marrow and Ginger Marmalade to spread on my toast in the morning (although it will mature over the next few months to taste even better later) and some tangy Marrow, apple, tomatoe and onion chutney which will go well on salads and spread on my burgers as a relish later in the year.
I must say the experience has left me thinking - I'm not quite ready to do the full "Good Life" thing quite yet, but home grown organic fruit and vegetables has to be the way forward. It is great to be able to nip outside and pull up a few carrots, fresh as and when you need them , instead of walking 1/2 a mile each way to the Coop for some very orange, but tasteless mass produced carrots from their shelves. Mine might not be so orange, but my god they don't half taste of carrot! Plus you get the greenery off the top, which can be eaten too, and makes a great garnish on top of soup instead of, or as well as parsley.
Yesterday I had the chance to visit a Victorian Kitchen Garden which provided much food for thought. The old timers knew a lot more about working the land than I could ever hope to learn, but I'll certainly try. Apart from the better quality food I'm growing I'm also saving money on buying vegetables, and on trips to the supermarket using fuel and being suckered into buying extra stuff I don't need. Okay I still have to go for essentials, but not so often, as the garden larder is fully stocked right now.
If you have a garden and a few hours a week to spare, it has to make sense. Dig for Victory!