Today, I have picked the first food from my garden – bar the beautiful but decidedly tasteless chillies at the beginning of the month. The broccoli, when I last looked, consisted of a few meagre florets. However, over the past month the plants have burst into action. They are all a little lopsided after being battered by the wind but the frost and snow do not seem to have bothered them 
After looking at other blogs, where prices of the dish are given, I decided to do a little research into how much money I had saved by growing my own, so here goes: I bought the packet of broccoli seeds 18 months ago for approximately £2 and have so far had two seasons worth of vegetables from them. In the first year, incidentally, only three plants survived, although we were still eating florets at least twice a week from about February to April. With the new plants, I did actually get a small crop before Christmas and all nine plants seem to be doing well.
Anyway, the bowl of broccoli I have picked today weighs in at just over 100g. Had I bought the broccoli at either Tesco or Sainsbury, for example, I would have had to get upwards of 200g (pre-packed). Sainsbury claims that their 325g pack is just over 80p, as compared to £1 for 125g less at Tesco. Thus, it is clear that I will save a few pounds sterling by having cultivated my own broccoli. Moreover, this is only one vegetable I am growing.
Aside from the financial reward, here are a few more benefits: I can pick just as much as I want totally fresh, I get an immense amount of pleasure from being outside in the garden and from creating something. There is also the anticipation of waiting to see the fruits of my labour.
It goes without saying that being able to blog about this is an additional bonus for me personally and I hope others will be encouraged in their endeavours.
Bon appétit!
Awesome! Do they need to lose weight?
Not sure who ‘they’ refers to Marcella?
Thanks for your comment, anyway
It looks lovely – and doesn’t it taste nicer knowing that it’s been grown by you? I had some French beans last night from the freezer and they tasted so… green!
You know, when I first started eating my own, I was surprised that the food actually tasted ‘proper’… somehow I had expected the vegetables to be somehow inferior to shop-bought (in the same way that I can’t quite get Beijing hot and sour soup to taste the way it’s made in a restaurant). But yes, it is fab that I can have something so fresh and delicious from my own efforts and just outside my back door
Glad you enjoyed your beans, PJ!
Look at your beautiful broccoli, I love its pretty color.
thank you Karen. the broccoli does turn green when cooked but it is lovely to see some colour in the garden!