So Let Me Introduce Us and Our Dream

When I started Green-fingered Vegan it was no more than a day dream, a dream to live self-sufficiently in a low impact way.

Like most people I know I have been toying with the 'idea' that there is a better way for some time. Notice I used the word idea in inverted commas here, that's important because at this stage my dream was no more than a Pinterest board, a YouTube subscription, a conversation.

No action.

I guess somehow we were put off, because that way of life doesn't come ready made, like a microwave meal. Lazy and demanding I know, but sub-consciously I wonder just how many other people feel that way?

I teach small business owners over at My Indie Life Blog about how to plan and take action on their dream business, so that they can stop day dreaming and create their real life dream businesses.

I teach them that this takes time and hard work, but that it's ultimately worth it.

It feels about time I hold myself accountable to my personal dreams and so this blog is my open letter to the world that here I stand, attempting to take action on the dream.

Darrin, my partner comes into this too. Here we are in 1996 about 8 months after we met and started dating. Darrin wants the life I want, shares the dream. So really we'd be silly not to tag-team this thing, take it by the scruff of it's neck and push it forward.

We have no real gardening experience, but I'm a great advocate for learning on the job.

Our first gardening experience back in 2008 (ish)

This was our first garden. It couldn't have been more than 2 meters by 1.5 meters and it was nestled in between two slightly larger neighbouring back yards. Much to the amusement of my neighbours I grew 2 x 8 ft tall tomatoe plants, 3 x 9-10ft tall bean plants, 7 x brassicas, lettuce, baby carrots and companion flowers (the 4 foot tall marigolds were everyone's favourite). I swapped what we couldn't eat our way through for beetroots and potatoes, with Vic from next door. The rest I gave to family.

And yes I even managed to dry my washing from the pole in the middle!

So I think I proved that year that you don't need a lot of space to grow veg.

Unfortunately this was a one year project, after which time we rented elsewhere. In the new place I grew again, but in containers as the back yard was concrete and this was the end for me because I became ill and physically couldn't cope with gardening and treatments.

Then my day job really took off and so the dream became the dream again.

Do you get the sense that the dream was not a priority?! And there in lies the problem I think.

In 2014 Patch joined our family.

Patch has been the breath of fresh air we needed, pulling us out of the gloom of ill-health and failed fertility treatments and into a new dawn.

Rather than sitting still, these days we prefer to get out and enjoy the land around us. We love country walks and exploring the moors here in Devon.

Late last year, about November 2016 I decided to go vegan, Darrin following me in very late December. Due to my earlier treatments I had become allergic to dairy and eggs and with some health markers going off for a hereditary condition going vegan was my only option.

So far the benefits to my health both physically and mentally have been astonishing and so it makes more sense than ever to start growing my own veg again.

Here's where this project really starts.

Late July 2017

Budget: As little as possible

Time: 1 hour each day

Space: Containers and possibly a small greenhouse if I can fit one in.

Aim: To start growing the vegetables we eat a lot of, organically.

Experiment 1 - I am going to be trying to grow vegetables from kitchen scraps, so that is the seeds I dry from peppers, courgettes, tomatoes and squashes.

Experiment 2 - I am going to try re-growing garlic, spring onions, lettuce and ginger from kitchen waste.

Water Supply - I have two water butts collecting rain water.

Compost Supply - I will have to buy organic multi purpose and possibly loam and green manure plants.

Pots - I have containers and pots ready to go, but will need to invest (if I have room) in a mini greenhouse.

My aim is to update you when there is progress from garden to plate.

Sara x