Urban Farming, Small Scale

We're growing a very tiny little garden on the roof. It's had its ups and downs, its wet and dry times, tangled peas, limited enthusiasm strawberries, dropped plants, white fly infestation, and some very perfect, tiny harvests. This is our first tomato and our second carrot. We couldn't be prouder of a bushel.

I really mean it. There's something about this little flea-bitten garden that's become really important to us, to me with my transplanted cultivation desperation, and to Matt, who is living in newly awakened awe of each tiny leaf and each tiny piece of food that we can provide to ourselves. This year, we're just playing around, learning what works, but each year we're going to get better at this. If we were French, I think we could grow an entire kitchen garden in the space we have. Not being anything of the kind, we'll still do our best. This year, we have more tomatoes coming, and abundant thyme and basil. We'll be gone for much of August, out in some more verdant farmland, but we might have to bring the pots along in the car. It will be a wrench to leave them.