The absolute best in my garden this year.
Hello everyone, I'm new here in the Hive Garden, inspired by the posts of one my recent blogging acquaintances, @riverflows. I live in Cotacachi, Ecuador, in a 2 story building with a small garden that I will introduce properly one of these days. I've been wanting to post in the garden community for a while now, and when I saw today's Question of the Week, I finally told myself:
Now or never.
That is because there is this one plant that I've been so incredibly happy about for weeks now. You see, I love dill. Dill pickles, dill-cucumber-salad, my very own Dill-Dill Pickle-Lupine bean spread. It's a flavor of birth-home, Germany, and a thing of taste bud nostalgia.
Here in Ecuador, it's really, really hard to find dill. Most of the times, when people told me they had dill, it turned out to be fennel. Imagine my disappointment the first times... But I got used to even the supermarkets labeling it wrongly.
A year ago, a friend gave me Dill Seeds. Just one package, maybe 50 seeds. I carefully planted them, and the first rounds did not work out at all. But I kept going. The second round was already better, but since I had limited supply I went for seed-by-seed. Apparently, that's not a good idea for dill, they seem to thrive when in community, competing for nutrients though growing strong in unity. Just like humans could, but look at us... well, not everywhere, growing community is still possible, but that's not the topic here, though interesting.
And starting this year, I got it right. I got huge dill plants, as seen in the picture above, and harvested a lot of leaves to make dill pickles (of which my buddy @meno just received some, happily I hope), dill spread, onion-dill-paprika spread... Oh my, so many possibilities!
That was already great. But the absolute best part, the addendum that I'm telling everyone, those who are and those who aren't interested? The seeds were from a seed-fast variety! I have little dill plants everywhere now! I'm in heaven!
To be honest, it is getting better now. The lack of dill combined with the influx of expats caused a surging demand for dill, creating a surging cultivation of dill. Still, I like to have everything in my own garden, to know where it comes from, dry it according to my needs and just be able to harvest whenever I need a couple of fresh stalks of delicious dill. And having my own seeds now gives the a certain autonomy, which is another step forward.
It's also an economic progress. The last time I made dill pickles, I taught one of my employees how to make them, and paid her for it. Raising my daughter is taking up and increasing amount of time, running the business more or less on the side doesn't help either, so I created a new job for her. Now, that I have enough dill, I can actually commercialize the pickles, creating yet another source of income for her (and me, I do make a profit on it, too).
With dill, there are only winners.
So far, so good. I hope I did it right, and if not, please let me know! I'm always happy about every feedback of any kind, especially the kind that gives me the opportunity to learn. And if you have gardening tips - I'm all ears. I don't have much time to really get into gardening, but I do enjoy my 2-3h a week, which is almost enough for the small garden I have.
Your patience really paid off. Now you can enjoy fresh dill anytime and even turn it into a small business. so inspiring! 😍
Yes! It's just amazing! I've been waiting for this SO long :-D
I'm amazed that you can get people to take away your rubbish and give you money for it, too (Dill, and Pickles) what a strange world we live in! You truly are a charismatic business man.
This is not a new campaign - my hatred for these things is well documented on the HIVE blockchain.
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Yeah, not everyone has a worn out pissed on rug for taste buds, so there is money to be made in delicious food!
Like things that are not dill pickles? ;)
Those are some of the best pickles I've had! I also have some dill seeds, what is the best time/conditions to plant them?
the Ecuadorian dill is very different than the one I'm used to in Europe and US. I found that if I dihydrate it, then cut it to small bits I can use it as herb to add in pretty much everything. To dihydrate, place it in the oven, keep door slightly open, and make the temp go up to 40-45 C. for about 1 hr.
I'm pretty sure that coast is very different from sierra as well. Here, I just planted them at random, though while there was some kind of raining going on. I guess that sowing in the beginning of raining season should be fine.
Happy to read that you enjoyed them!
It’s great that you never gave up even when the first tries didn’t work out. Now you have strong dill plants and also the joy of sharing your harvest with others.
I'm very happy, too, that I didn't give up, but learned 😅
with prices of veggies and fruits skyrocketing today, it does make sense to grow our own if we can, plus chemicals free as great bonus.
Veggies are still very cheap here, and I know where to buy the ones that are either organic or at least less-sprayed 🙃
I love dill! It's so good sprinkled on salmon, potato salad, and many other foods!
And yeah, the pickles...! Yum! 😋
Uuuh yeah potato salad. So good. That's what I made the dill-pickle-lupine bean dip for. It was supposed to be a little more liquid, to use as a dill mayonnaise, but turned out to be more like a spread after bottling it 😅
Your gradual process and nurturing paid wholesomely @beelzael I love what I'm seeing here. Even the fact that you dressed the garden when the flowers are at little stage it makes the flower expresses it potential especially in beauty. You're a genius I must say. This is applauding, you deserve your flowers @beelzael @riverflows. @meno
It sure about the genius part, most of it was done by nature. I just drop things in places 😅 but thank you!
I love gardening too, participating in the process of growing a mere seed to a full fledged grown plant with fruits and everything. I'm not familiar with Dill plants, do hear about fennel here and there, both a not native to this part of the world I think.
They're from the same family, and are not very common outside the upper northern hemisphere and the reach the according empires had, I think. Haven't checked into the distribution, though.
Welcome to Hivegarden.
I also love dill and cucumbers with dill
In our country, they say there is dill in every soup, referring to a man who interferes in everything
In my garden, it grows freely, like a wild plant
When the seeds ripen, I just scatter them around the garden, and in the spring I just make sure not to cut them when I dig up other crops.
I hope mine will propagate the same way! And that's an interesting saying, I've never heard it. According to a quick search, that's from Serbia, correct?
It should be able to expand in the same way.
Yes from Serbia.
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If you ever need a new user name, @dillman has to be it! I feel your excitement - it's how I feel when chamomile self seeds or coriander. A fantastic post - thanks for sharing. I don't think I've ever had anyone enthuse about dill in this community before!
Thanks so much for your contribution to the #hivegardenQOTW. The community appreciates your insights, inspiration & engagement with all of us in the Hive Garden!
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Oh, the chamomile! Another of those that I've unsuccessfully been chasing. "It grows like weed" they say. Well, not in my garden, for some reason. I'm harvesting every little plant with the upmost care, whenever I can make it grow enough. There will be the day that I restored my soil enough to have it grow like weeds... One day!
Welcome to @grdenhive! I honestly don't know much about dill, but I am fascinated by your story and your love for this kind of herb. It made me Google it, lol 🤣 I found that it's not a typical plant in my country since it thrives in cooler places. Most of our regions are warm and humid, and if there are areas suitable for this plant, they're in the north, probably, Benguet, Baguio, and the Mountain Province. I absolutely have no idea how it tastes, but I got curious by the way you yearn for it - it must be something irresistible and alluring. 😊
May you enjoy your stay in this community and showcase what you've got in your mini garden. Happy hive gardening! 💚
Thank you for the welcome! I'm planning on making these posts to a routine, like every Wednesday, so I'm motivated to do gardening on a more regular basis. it's a good addition to my life, but I usually forget about it :-D
lol 🤣 you can do it! Just one step at a time. 💚