You must have to devote quite a bit of time to looking after your crops?
Well, it depends. I treat it both as hobby and exercise. Since we bought that farm, I have practically given jogging, going to the gym and swimming. It is enough that I look after
the house and the field, especially 100 square metres of veg patches, which have to be dug through, sowed and then cleaned off weeds. I mostly find time but I admit, when I am busy with school work, I am not able to do certain things, e.g, cover the fragile plants before winter or weed the ground between veg.
My father had a couple of allotments ( działki ) when I was a kid, so we always had fresh fruit and veg
So was the case with me, we had a small allotment in the city when I was about 10, but later the area was taken by the authorities and a housing estate was built there. I hated that plot because I had to carry water from a distant pipe but I remember my juvenile fascination when I saw first ready to eat radishes. What? That stuff really grows in the ground? :)
That child`s fascination returned to me a few years ago and I suppose it will also return to you. :)
I am sure you probably also pickle and make preserves.
Actually, no, I don`t deal with such stuff, my wife does. I do much dirtier and harder things there, e.g., cleaning the well. :)
many people stick to potatoes, carrots, than experiment with herbs and melons ;) are those sunflowers I can see in one of your pics?
Yes, they are sunflowers but I stopped growing them this year because the soil in the area isn`t good for them, they were tall and heavy but seeds were small; I have to learn by neighbours` example - nobody in the vicinity grows sunflowers. :):)
As for experiments, II constantly need strong incentives to dissipate boredom of daily routine which is even able to lead me to depressive moods. :)