Carrot Harvest

The night before last, we harvested the final vegetables from our roof garden. The last to leave the ground were the scraggly little garden's dark horse, planted on a whim--the bucket carrots. All summer, we babied them and marveled at them, amazed that something so substantial as a carrot could really grow on our city rooftop.

Along the way, we pulled one or two, but left the bulk of the carrot harvest until the cold snap snapped and we hoped they'd be sweet and and as large as they could be.

I'd like to say that we harvested at night because we'd consulted several almanacs, the entrails of a chicken, and one or two oracles to find the exact perfect phase of the moon and pollen count at which to harvest, but really that was just when we got around to it.

Look at them!

We grew them, on our roof!
And, even more amazingly, our strawberry plant is still flowering.

Must transplant ASAP. But first, just another few minutes to admire the baby carrots. (posing with CSA carrots)

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.

Another Look at the Garden

The potatoes continue to thrive, and those newish shoots in the middle are sweet peas. Why is it that the outdoor plants are doing so well, and the supposed houseplants can't hack it? I suppose my aloe is thriving. I bought some compost the other day, which will hopefully brighten all the little green people's lives.

Greyish Thumb

I'm kind of a terrible gardener. I kill a lot of plants. But I love growing things and picking things and having herbs in the kitchen. So this year I'm giving it everything I've got. Here's the early shot. Everything is a very normal kitchen herb except for the potatoes.