A new (growing) year's resolution

Or - The Challenge!

The whole thing has just gone horribly out of control and, worst of all, it's looking feasible. It's a larger garden, but it's significantly better planned than before and keeping all the brassica under nets should in theory mean a massive reduction in pest-control time and a much greater amount eaten by me rather than the local wildlife.

This brings us to the current situation. Whilst there is great satisfaction in the work itself, the main payoff was being able to sit down to a roast dinner and say that everything not meat on that plate came from the sweat off my brow (not literally). Don't think I haven't had to talk myself out of keeping chickens to complete the plate either!

Not having to buy a vegetable for the second half of last year was phenomenally satisfying and, as I watched this monstrous time-sink take shape, I decided to see how far I could stretch it. By my calculations, with prudent planting, veg choice, storage and freezing, I could possible go the whole year without buying a single vegetable. "Could possibly" has since turned into "will" as I love a challenge and frankly, I'm a little bit drunk with power. I've put things in the ground and they've made food. On a semi-regular basis. That's one step away from omnipotence as far as the 2012 me of "Probably a nettle" is concerned.

So, the challenge is that from May 2014 to April 2015, we will buy no fresh vegetables at all, apart from the following exceptions: onions, garlic, bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumber and lettuce*. I will aim to have emptied out my freezer and cupboards of any non-excluded tinned or frozen veg before May, so I can have a go at complete self-sufficiency**  *** ****.

This blog is going to be one part journal and one part collating all the knowledge that I've picked up already and the new informations that my mistakes will inevitably lead to blunder into. If anyone does start reading this and have any requests, I have actually learned a lot already and am happy to share. Or you can just come to mock my pain, either way.

Wish me luck. I'll need it.

PJW

* I will actually be attempting to grow all of these. However, I've failed in varying degrees at all of them last year and the first four are such staples of my cooking that I couldn't bear trying to survive it I fail again. If my cabbages don't come through, I'll live. If I don't have any onions or tomatoes, I'll starve.
** Apart from my need for copious amounts of animal flesh
*** And my unhealthy addiction to Diet Coke
****  And the unholy amounts that I will need to spend on compost and other assorted dirts. I've been running a compost heap since last year, but it's a thimbleful in the ocean of dirt needed to keep up with my expanding garden.