In today’s economy more and more of us are finding it extremely difficult to cope.  Going to the supermarket is an absolute nightmare. Everything has escalated by over a hundred percent. A bar of soap for instance, that used to be $30.00 dollars on average is now $85.00 dollars, and I’m talking about the local brands. So the bottom line is that we must cut back on what we buy.  Some things are a must, like cleaning agents, some are not, like vegetables.  However most of us like to have our vegetables along with the meats and starches.  After all we need to balance our food groups. Not to mention the ‘health conscious’ amount us.

One way to cut back at the supermarket and still have your vegetables is to grow them yourself.  You don’t need a whole heap a land either. Plants can be grown in pots, old tires, in small patches and even on fences depending on the type of plant it is. Luckily for me my husband loves the land. My neighbours’ wife is also a lover of the soil and it’s amazing the produce they produce. In fact on our street there has been a little ‘undeclared’ competition going on over the years of whose produce comes out the best. The good thing is that we all share seedlings, information and end products.  So it’s all in good taste.

Today I thought I would share with you some of the garden possibilities that have worked for us. Two of the easiest growers are callaloo and pak choy.  Within three to four weeks of planting they are ready. I don’t need to tell you the numerous ways you can enjoy these vegetables, the possibilities are endless. What about the drought you ask? Well one Jamaican saying is ‘if you want good yu nose haffi run’. So you could collect the water from the washing to throw on your plants. In fact the soap in that water is also good for keeping off bugs and other insects and would save you having to buy insecticides.

Escallion, time and pepper are seasonings that most Jamaicans love to cook with.  My escallion and time has been continuous since last year’s planting. We have also had Sweet pepper, parsley, rosemary and celery which are also nice to add flavor to your cooking. Lettuce grows without much fuss and adds that finishing touch to any plate. Tomatoes like to be propped up and don’t like too much direct sun light so be careful where you plant them. Cabbage is another plant that don’t like direct sunlight. It’s one of those vegetables that can be cooked in so many different ways and can really help to stretch a meal. Broccoli and cauliflower add class to your table and are very expensive in the shops.  They take a little longer but it’s really worth the wait.

Other plants that we have had much success with are red peas; however we only did a small patch so we didn’t reap much. Gungo peas are also pretty easy however you have to know when to plant it. Unfortunately we do not have the space for trees however some of our friends have the small banana trees and have been very successful.  The thing is for you to plant the things you like, utilizing the space you have. Read up on the plants you intend to plant, what’s the best time to plant, where to plant it, how often to water and basic information like that before you get started.

Yes times are hard and promise to get harder. We are a nation of survivors and every little helps.  So you won’t have your vegetables and seasonings all the time but when you do it’s the best tasting ones you will ever have.  Somehow the ones you produce always taste better.  If nothing else I hope I have inspired you to try your hand. It’s spring time now so you’re not too late to get started for this year. As further encouragement I took some pictures of some of my garden to show you.

Nuff Love