Looking at my garden today you wouldn't know it but I've never really been someone that grows too much of my own food. Working 6 or 7 days a week on other peoples gardens it was just too much effort to come home and do some more on my own garden at night. I would basically design my own garden with shrubs that required little maintenance but the bare minimum of weeding, and trimming and leave it to do its thing.
Then I got a wife. Who hadn't really had a garden. Who didn't really get to see too much of what I did for a living. And who loved food and is great in the kitchen. Thats when I decided I needed to introduce her to a new experience and so what if I was tired at night after working under the hot Utah sun during the day.
We love our food shows on TV and The F Word made me realise that a lot of us have become disconnected from where our food comes from, certainly our kids have. By growing what little we can of our own food we can choose our food for flavour and not just by looks. Supermarket tomatoes just aren't the same. Our kids can become connected with where our food originates and maybe have more interest in eating some veggies, and less ketchup.
I've also found that by growing our own food my wife gets excited by the "cute" and I get excited about gardening again though her excitement. Its no longer just how I earn my living and an aching back. I am rediscovering my enjoyment and passion through her discoveries. It seems that good gardeners make a good complementary team with good chefs.
