October 2001 Table of Contents

At last that sun that pins you to the ground every time you have the good intentions to do something in the garden has cooled off. Just in time, as this is when you must start your vegetable garden or be forever behind. Ah well, this is The Bahamas, and late is not a capital offence.

It may sound like stating the obvious but you should only grow what you and your family will eat. The obverse and qualifying condition is that you should not grow what is readily available on the island at a reasonable price.

Although we are very well served on Abaco by our local supermarkets and food stores, there are limits as to what is available. Look for lettuce and you will find mountains of iceberg and a few romaine but little else. The very best lettuce in the world is loose leaf, which is virtually unmarketable. It has to be hand picked and has a brief shelf life. You must grow your own to get the best. Simpson's Black-Seeded is the standard but there are dozens of wonderful loose leaf lettuces of all colours and flavours to choose from. Here in The Bahamas we eat a lot of salad. Grow your own. It's not a matter of saving money, it's a matter of having the best.

Tomatoes are pretty well always available, but what do you get: corky centres and no flavour. If you grow your own you may have similar results. Take my advice and grow heirloom tomatoes such as Brandywine (seeds available at Pinewoods Nursery) and Rutgers (ditto). Absolutely delicious. Nothing like store bought. Or grow Italian paste tomatoes. Any variety will do very well as they are all productive and tasty.

Wonderful sweet peppers are readily available to us on Abaco - but look at the price. Sometimes over $2 for a red, yellow or orange. Sweet peppers are so easy to grow here. I like to add a side dressing of superphosphate when flowers appear to increase the yield. What kind of pepper do you want: one that has been picked, processed and handled, shipped and displayed - or one you pick and eat just so?

Eggplants must be small to medium to be at their best. Farmers grow monsters but the seeds crack your teeth. An eggplant that nestles gently in the palm of your hand is perfect for your pan. Try and buy fresh garden peas on Abaco. Never been here, probably never will. You gotta grow your own. A strange accident of nomenclature makes gardeners wary about snow peas when, in fact, they do better in our winter climate than any other type of cultivated pea.

What not to sow? Well, onions for starters. We always have a good supply of yellow onions in the stores and it would be a shame to take up garden room growing them. Green onions, shallots, chives and small white onions are a very different case and are very well worth while growing in the smallest of gardens. Chives can last for years in a modest container. Buy some shallots from the food store and allow them to spring. Plant them and you will be rewarded at least fourfold in the first season. After that you can start your own shallot farm.

Garlic is hardly a tropical product but is well worth sowing when you find your store-bought package producing green shoots. You will not get giant cloves in a head but you will have intensely-flavoured bulbs that reward your industry.

It's time to start sowing. If you are a Treasure Cay millionaire, treat yourself to the best (because you deserve it) by planting your own and getting the best that is available - fresh and succulent. Most of Treasure Cay's soil is sandy - perfect for growing anything so long as you apply a good fertilizer and do some watering. Got a brown thumb? Check out Pine Woods Nursery and get starters to put you ahead of the season.

Don't forget herbs, a magical sprinkling of which will transform a family meal into haute cuisine. Parsley. sage, rosemary and thyme - Pine Woods has them all - and many more.

October 2001 Table of Contents