My philosophy was that recognising the daily highlights would assist with a positive mindset...and invaluable in the midst of a pandemic.

My suggestion was something to be kept between the individual and their diary.

However, I am pretty excited to share one of my highlights with anyone who is interested. It is the joy of growing a veggie garden. This is a highlight that just keeps on giving day after day.

No doubt some readers will have a long and happy experience with veggie gardening, but some may be inspired by my excitement to also try their hand at this rewarding past time.

It is not that I haven't grown a few edible foods in my garden over the years - Parsley self seeds and runs rampant in my backyard and my rhubard plant grows like a weed even though it has been greatly neglected over the years.

However, I haven't always been successful with other produce. But that has started to change. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I am dedicating more time to my garden. I have a long way to go to perfect my skills - not everything has flourished. But I am starting to reap the rewards of a more focused effort.

The highlight came on the day I decided to prepare a meal using only produce from my veggie patch - except for the fish which was the result of a recent successful fishing trip.

There was mashed potato enhanced with herbs from the garden, spinach, zucchini, grilled tomato, and of course dessert was a rhubarb crumble.

The food was fresh and delicious, but the greatest joy of that meal was that it was all home-grown and freshly picked that morning.

My husband has now been tasked with the chore of building more raised garden beds. Meanwhile, I am busy trawling books and online sites to find out what else is likely to grow well and when is the best time to plant them.

I'm also seeking gardening tips. One suggestion been given to grow perfect tomatoes is to bury a fish head in the area of the plants. The mind boggles, but I may try that next season.

However, I believe frost-tolerant produce will be my next challenge.

I would love to hear from readers about their gardening tips.

Stay well,

Jackie Meyers

Editor