Home-Grown Harvest

I learnt gardening seventy-five years ago from my grandfather, who grew the finest vegetables in Hampshire. From him I picked up all the tips that he probably inherited from his grandfather - like planting carrots next to onions so that they could frighten off each others' pests; and never throwing anything away until you had considered carefully what else it could be used for. Even in our first house - which had very restricted growing space - I scandalised the neighbours by planting cauli_owers in the tiny front garden, and building a 'roof' garden on top of the air raid shelter which filled the back space. Of our progressively larger gardens, I recall with affection the raspberry plantation in Twickenham and the rhubarb so vigorous that it beat its way through paths. I also learnt that you can have far too much of a good thing unless you plan ahead and arrange to sell or barter. I remember a glut of asparagus and pumpkins and the ingenuity exercised in finding new recipes (asparagus and pumpkin cake, anyone?). My husband had never laid fork to earth in his youth, but as a practical scientist, he took up the challenge of self-sufficiency and invented various labour saving devices. Harnessing the power of nature to horticulture was something rather new and strange then. Rain, wind and sun come free, so he fixed water butts on all the downpipes, made a Savonius rotor mill from an oil drum and salvaged car parts, and solar panels from recycled beer cans at first, and then second hand radiators. When we wrote the original version of this book in 1978 it was around the same time as the popular comedy show, The Good Life, was being broadcast. The series did set some people thinking 'we could do that, and better!' however, despite this we were widely regarded as cranks and in hindsight the book was well ahead of its time. Now, 40 years on, homeowners are realising that they are in possession of a valuable asset, whatever the _uctuations of the property market. They

Eve McLaughlin wrote the original version of Cost-Effective Self-Sufficiency with her husband, Terence McLaughlin, a scientist, who is since deceased. Eve is a genealogist and has written a number of books and guides about family history. At the age of 82, Eve continues to be a keen gardener and propagator, and enjoys spending time in her farmhouse garden in Buckinghamshire.