PeterGreenMan wrote:

I would like to get my front garden contributing towards the food bill.
I,m at a loss as to what to grow. Not only must the garden be
aesthetically pleasing (whingeing neighbours) but the house faces north
and the garden spends a lot of time in the shade. Any suggestions or
advice would be appreciated. Vegetables


I vegetable garden to grow varieties that are not readily available at
typical greengrocers, to have absolutely fresh picked, and for fun. Even
with staggering my plantings where possible most of each crop ripens pretty
much all at once so I can't possibly consume it all before it rots... there
is only so much lettuce, tomatos, and cukes one can consume each day. And
even if so inclined salad veggies do not lend themselves to
canning/preserving, and if one chooses to can then that cost needs to be
accounted for; time, labor, energy, and materials... I freeze where I can
but maintaining an extra freezer costs too... I find it far more
advantageous to use my crops in recipes (stews, soups, sauces) and then
freeze that rather than the individual veggies. When I figure in all my
costs and what I give away rather than it rot not only don't I save money,
it costs me money to garden.... so long as you keep in mind it's a hobby
you'll be fine. It's not possible to grow veggies in the home garden at a
profit unless you sell your excess, and even then you're not likely to
recoup *all* your expenses. Were I to do an accounting of all my veggie
gardening supplies it would be enough to keep me in store bought veggies for
the next 20 years.