How to Grow Your Own Garlic from a Clove
The sun shines on the righteous but today was an exception - it shone on me as well.
The day most particularly pleasant and I intend to end it by writing it up and having another satisfactory binge.
How to Grow Your Own Garlic and Other Matters of Great Import and Excitement !
A delightful spent primarily walking and working in the kitchen garden reminded me just how delightful the simple things in life can be.
There seems to be something highly restorative about the kitchen garden. I find it takes me away from things, gone are the general rigours of modern life and all that is left is little old me, my own little bit of land and my own little world.
I wonder just how much others could gain from growing and tending their own vegetables, given I’m pretty fortunate in not exactly having the most stressful life - the release offered to those embroiled in the daily grind of life in the real world could be staggering !
Today I tried planting my own garlic. I am somewhat late in the calendar for this but I never really paid too much attention to the rule book when it comes to these things, witness the wisteria which is once again in full bloom.
I let a single clove sit on the window sill untiil it began to sprout a shoot then planted it in a decent sized tub contained fine soil and placed it in a sheltered but sunny spot - time will tell if it works.
I’ve been out walking 4 times today and each time I come back I check the progress of the KG extension to the front garden. I wondered why I was doing this on the third time that day - what on earth did I think would have happened since the last time I looked ?
well, something had happened - my beetroot is now coming through 
I’ve done nothing clever but it feels so satisfying, a joyful thing in an increasingly joyless world.
Perhaps all the turmoil currently surrounding us may give some pause for thought . . .
Possibly, just possibly, there is more to life than is supposed in our modern material world - there is so much out there to be enjoyed that doesn’t require a great deal, if any, expenditure.
We’re all a product of nature, something which has changed little in principal for 1000s of years, given that fact is it any surprise just how much can be gained by communing with nature and basic natural things.
I remain, sproutingly yours
Rod
Femme Fatale said,
May 8, 2009 @ 10:54 am
Rod,
What a fabulous piccy of your srouting Garlic, very impressive,
but sorry to say, we now know why you are a singleton if this is often on the Goldeneye menu
FF
xx
Rod said,
May 8, 2009 @ 12:07 pm
FF,
thanks for that, I’m pretty pleased with this photography lark !
In re the garlic - that’s a good point but have you considered the possibility that I use it in the Vampiric sense - to ward off predatory females
Rgds
Rod
WoE said,
May 8, 2009 @ 9:55 pm
Rod,
We vaguely remember sticking something onionish into the ground in March but we can’t remember where or what, so we’re going to need photographs of your garlic foliage for comparison. Think garlic is harvested in July normally or is that just in sunnier climes?
Will you be smoking your own?
WoE
Rod said,
May 9, 2009 @ 8:18 am
WoE
It was shallots, red onions, golden gourmet onions, spring onions and leeks.
As Femme Fatale said, we now know why you are a singleton
July would be about right had I planted it much earlier, we’ll just see how it goes.
I tried to smoke a garlic last year but it kept going out
Best
Rod
juli said,
May 10, 2009 @ 7:42 pm
Will need updates as to whether this grow your own garlic thing works - might get added into my garden next year if it does. This year’s my first year really growing anything apart from strawberries - I have potatoes, onions and hopefully spring onions if I can get the damn things transplanted into the garden without them dying on me like they did on the first attempt!
Having spent all afternoon trying to cover the two raised beds in the garden with net, as one has the strawberries in it and the other has the onions in, I’m seriously wondering if garlic would b a good idea - might it be the only thing I could plant that the birds wouldn’t take a fancy to and try to pull up or eat?! Seriously, my strawberries now have a lovely wigwam thing made of cane and net over them, this gardening thing is way too much hassle!
Rod said,
May 11, 2009 @ 8:09 am
Hi Juli,
I’ll keep you updated fo course, as mentioned it is, according to the gardening books, too late in the year but I feel confident !
Great to hear you’re having a go at growing veg as well Juli. I grew spring onions hte year before last, they were smallish but fabulous in terms of flavour. Got a couple of rows just coming through now.
Strangely, I’ve never had any trouble with birds, my biggest problems have been the white butterflies and subsequent caterpillars
Let us know you you get on Juli
All the best
Rod