Planting Day
I fear that we may be a bit far behind but better late than never. Armed with the confidence of farming sprouts for several weeks, it is time to start to plant our seeds for the coming summer.
We are going to be creating 3 mini-gardens as we don’t have a proper backyard (it’s a cement covered patio for a coffee shop) so it’s time to be a little creative.
Our fire escape will become our herb garden. We live several stories above ground and having herbs closer to the kitchen would be an advantage compared to running up and down stairs. I’d rather keep herbs growing until the moment of consumption rather than keeping them in the fridge. I have some concerns that it may be a little hot for them and am going to have to find some hanging trays in order to ensure that “escaping” is still an option.
We have an outdoor parking spot. I am picturing at least 2 garbage bins of potatoes growing. We considered using old tires (I have an ample source of free ones) but disposing of them is awkward, eating something grown in them is somehow eerie to me and the garbage bins will store potatoes or gardening equipment through the winter.
The majority of our garden will be in pots which we can move around the patio of the coffee shop. We haven’t picked up our pots yet but see that there are plenty of affordable options to get us started. We won’t need those for several weeks as we’re starting from scratch. There are plans for many different types of veggies – some for eating and some for preserving (there’s going to be a lot of hot peppers if all works out).
I m also considering an experimental batch of Hops – at our cabin. Hops are hardy and I could start them in the city before moving them north in mid spring. An advantage of growing hops is that they are annuals – they return year after year. I’ve been warned that they can take over a garden but wouldn’t have that concern if they were grown in the middle of our forest. I also understand that deer can eat them which would be disappointing as I would lose a key beer ingredient but may gain a different source of food in the fall.
Any which way you look at it, there is time to get growing for the summer. We are learning as we go and we’ll share our progress as our first full season of experimenting begins. Right now I am filled with hope and reminding myself to be patient with our first attempt.
Comments
I’m looking forward to get some window plants started soon. We don’t have a fire escape or balcony but we have really old windows that have big sills. The plants can’t fall out because there’s a screen at the edge of the sill so it will hopefully work out well. We have room for a lot of plants but it’s too bad we have south/east facing windows.
Herbal gardening is wonderful since the herbs can be grown in a variety of ways. Plant a container garden for you deck or patio for great colors, different textures and super aromas. Planning an herb garden in the ground will allow you to cultivate a traditional kitchen herb garden outside. Or if you have limited space, become an inside kitchen gardener and plant your herbs on a windowsill or in a window box.