My housemate is trying her hand at growing mushrooms from scratch. She had some success last year using a growing kit that she bought online, and now she wants to level up her DIY game. I’m not 100 percent clear on what’s involved – something to do with injecting spores into a log, if I understand correctly.
As for me, I’m happy to sit back and watch her experiment while keeping one eye firmly on my potato plants, which I’m getting started on now. I wasn’t able to harvest them last year on account of my overseas trip, so I’m really looking forward to it this time around. I’m also working on growing garlic plants. In my opinion, there aren’t many dishes that can’t be improved with the addition of freshly grated garlic, so it was kind of a no-brainer when I was choosing a new edible to try my hand at.
Meanwhile, the lavender bush that was sown by a former housemate has been going gangbusters for years now. As a result, I’ve become adept at finding novel uses for lavender. The particular variety we’ve got here is good for culinary use, so I’ve been able to perfect my lavender-infused honey, plus a lavender-based herbal tea blend.
What else is going on in the garden? We recently acquired a rosemary plant from the guy next door – must plant that out of the pot this weekend. That’ll go perfectly with my potatoes! I’ve had half a mind to give pumpkins a spin for ages now, and a perfect spot for them has opened up in the raised beds since we rotated them. Maybe that’s a job for this weekend, too.
There’s a lot to stay on top of when your backyard is overflowing with edible plants, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s not like we depend on our harvest for all our food, or even the bulk of it; for me, it’s more about the great relaxation that comes from watching something grow and change over time.