Gifts and Gardening




THINGS I have been given in the last fortnight: a home-made Victoria sponge, rump steak, two plates of fish pie, four venison burgers, a selection of sea-caught fish, a delicious home-made catalan-style sauce and all the vegetables in the picture.

I am very grateful for all this, even though there is a risk that when I die they will have to winch me out of my bedroom window by crane while being filmed by the BBC.

The donors were various family members and my next door neighbour, not, as you might think, because I am a hopeless cook and they fear my better half will develop rickets and scurvy under my culinary inadequacies, but because they are generous people - okay, and also because they think there is a slight risk of some kind of vitamin deficiency.

It's the time of year, too, where my gardening siblings take pity on (or rather, mock) my lack of greenfingers and pull the occasional radish to show me what bounties Mother Nature will bestow if you only accord her a little respect.

I have managed to give them a slight shock, though. My brother gave me a cherry tomato plant already growing vigorously in its tub AND I HAVE KEPT IT ALIVE. It even has some small green tomatoes on it, ready to ripen in the sun if only I can keep up the vigilant slug assassination and regular watering. I have also managed to grow some lettuces and beetroot - yes, all on my own.

Oh how my sisters laughed at the garden centre when I bought the seeds. They were both round my house yesterday, staring in disbelief at the sturdy little leaves while I smiled smugly. I just hope pride doesn't come before a fall.

[Apologies to some of my regular readers who might be getting a slight feeling of déjà vu with some of my posts. I have started going through this website and deleting some hideously out of date posts and updating others.]

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16 comments:

  1. Ah, your mother is the proud matriarch who wants to care for her brood, grown-up though they may be. We call it "the spirit of the she-elephant" where I come from.

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  2. wow. what generous siblings!

    i have a cherry tomato plant, too. no tomatoes yet, just the little yellow blossoms. it's been a slow, cool summer.

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  3. I'm rubbish with plants. But far better with sponge cakes.

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  4. Those were all very nice gifts to be given, how kind your family are.

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  5. That first paragraph made me think you'd been at the Ambridge Swap Shop.

    Does anyone else think there should be a law against beige cardis?
    My own Ma is rather attached to hers but the colour does nothing for her complexion.

    Good luck with the salad crops.

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  6. " a risk that when I die they will have to winch me out of my bedroom window by crane while being filmed by Westcountry Television" - sounds just like the 400lb mother in 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape' 8-)

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  7. Mrs Grape was the image in my head too! But on lettuce and spring onions? I think not. LOL!

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  8. Food presents are the best! And welcome back.

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  9. I do miss my mother - and that lovely generosity. Lucky you. Any plans for adopting fellow bloggers?

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  10. We've just had the first crop of tomatoes from the plant my mum gave us - they were delicious! (And my mum's miffed as her plant hasn't done a thing yet!)

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  12. I see you're in for a thin time of it.
    I'm full of admiration for someone who can actually read the Sunday papers on a Sunday. Where am I going wrong?

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  13. I went out on loads of singles evenings and all I pulled was radishes. Now I know it's something to be proud of. I will wave mine aloft with the best of them.

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