The Gardeners Table

The Gardeners Table

The kitchen table was always the center for conversation growing up.  We shared meals together as a family and many days there were extras – hired help for the farmwork, neighbours, extended family, politicians, clergy and some times even a drunk needing a safe place to sober up and a drive home.

I grew up with the kitchen table hosting a place for community shared over food. Regardless of the time of day, there was at a minimum coffee, tea, and homemade cookies; there was always a meal for those who dropped in at dinner or suppertime.  

With the tradition of shared conversation enjoyed with food around a table, the Gardeners Table seems like the right name for what I want to write about in this blog. This will be a place where gardeners and cooks meet and share their experiences, advice, stories, tips and ideas.

For 38 years I operated a farm market and greenhouse business in Nova Scotia. During that time I answered hundreds of questions about gardening and food.

 In the spring there were lots of startup questions about seeding, planting and growing. When the gardens started to grow and the produce was abundant the questions about cooking with the harvest began. 

One day at the Market I answered the phone to this question…”I grew peas this year in my garden – I just picked them; what do I do next?”.

One should never make the assumption that people know what to do with the beautiful delicious harvest from their garden.

 Over the years I answered 100s of gardening questions, shared recipes and tips on preserving the harvest.

This seems like the logical next step – write down what I have been telling people for years and share stories about my gardening and cooking experiences (which should increase as I have more time to spend on my hobbies). Over the years customers taught me lots about gardening and cooking and I hope this blog will continue that tradition.

Now, why not join me at The Gardeners Table, as we dig in the ground, grow some great food and share the joy of cooking, gardening and conversation!