Not meant to put pressure on anyone. I was just wondering how many of us would consider themselves to be interested in environmental issues and try to behave in a way that minimised environmental harm. So here is my question: Do you consider yourself to be environmentally conscious? If so, does this...

This is a really interesting discussion, really set me thinking. I think there are several overlapping problems, which do not necessarily have a simple, single, or indeed any obvious solution at all. Clearly, population pressure on a global scale is a major issue, and the question how to feed an eve...

Hi all, thanks so much. Great responses, too. It seems your views on buying local vary depending on what's available locally and the extent to which it can be trusted to be what it purports to be, which makes perfect sense. Thanks again for your participation in this ongoing project. I'll sure be ba...

Hi all, here is another question to further my little research project into what makes us fruit and veggie growers tick: For those occasions when you haven't been able to grow all you want to eat, do you try to buy locally grown fruit and vegetables? If so, why? Also, slightly related question: do y...

Thanks for your thoughts, again. I know exactly where you are all coming from - it's just fresher and usually tastes better, and you do know where it comes from. And yes, I can also relate to the idea of self-reliance - as a country and as individuals. Knowing one can produce just something for ones...

Good point, Eddie. So what makes you do it (not being funny, just genuinely interested)? Although I suppose if I posted the question on, say, a car forum I might not get all that many responses. But yes, clearly by posting here I'm talking to people who are predisposed not to see it as a hardship, I...

That's a really good question, Mouse. I'm not sure I've ever thought about it before. I'm sure the displaying of expensive exotic fruit has something to do with it, although aren't there also expensive, exotic vegetables that we nonetheless don't display in the lounge? My first thought was that perh...

Hi all, here is another question sparked by your responses to my earlier questions about the motivations for fruit and veg gardening. Quite a few of you have mentioned that you enjoy the fact of being able to feed yourselves and your family with what you grow. So this has set me thinking again: Why ...

Thank you all for your thoughts. They echo my own quite well, I also don't think of it as work. From what I'm gathering, the reasons why we don't think of it as work are: 1. It's our choice, no-one forces us to do it. It's something we do for ourselves, not a boss. 2. It's relaxing, something that '...

Hi everyone, some of you may have read and responded to my earliers posts about what motivates us to grow our own fruit and veg and whether there are any emotional or spiritual benefits to doing so. As I explained there, I'm doing a bit of preliminary research for an academic research project into g...

Hi all, thank you very much for your thoughts. It seems to me that there are quite a few different feelings involved in our veg gardening and they all build up to a joint picture, a bit different for everyone. I'm now going to ponder your responses a bit and probably post some more thoughts and ques...

Hello, Some of you may have seen and responded to an earlier post of mine where I asked what motivated people to grow their own fruit and vegetables. I had some really interesting responses to that and thought I’d ask a few follow up questions on some of the themes that were emerging from people’s a...

Hi all, Thanks, again, for your thoughts on this question. I've now started a first run of analysis and think I've identified 9, partially overlapping themes to what motivates you (and respondents on the other forum) to grow your own fruit and veg. The themes are, in no particular order: *Connection...

Hello all, thank you very much for your responses. So much interesting stuff coming out already. I'll start going through these in a bit more detail soon and then I'll probably be back with another post to ask some more questions. Hope you will feel like responding to those as well. In the meantime,...

Hi all, I'm new to this forum, looking forward to exchanging plenty of great ideas with you all. I have a small garden at home, which is not terribly well stocked or tidy but I quite like it like it is. I also have half an allotment plot, also not as well maintained as I would like to, but time is a...