I live in a small apartment on the third (and top) floor. We have a rooftop patio with a lovely view of our neighbors’ rooftop patios and, in the distance, the Griffith Park Observatory. On a clear day, we can see the Hollywood sign…if we stand on our tippy-toes. It’s a wonderful porch, and nearly every evening finds us cooking supper on the grill and eating at our rickety table. Most recently, it’s also my garden.
My little garden’s humble beginnings, April 21, 2008
When we first moved in we had a glass table top but no table. (How does that happen?) We looked around and bought a half-barrel for $19.99 at Home Depot. It made a good table. Eventually the glass broke, and we discussed various possible futures for the barrel. None of them seemed quite right until this spring, when I was bitten by the tomato bug. My friend Mike’s blog was my downfall, and one Sunday at the Hollywood Farmer’s Market I found myself heading straight to the plant guy.
I bought a Roma, three sage plants, and three jalapeños. Now, I know that once sage starts growing you really only need one plant, and I think the same is true of peppers, but I am cursed with black thumbs. I have killed everything I’ve ever tried to grow in this apartment, and I was nervous. We went to the garden center at a local hardware store (Anawalt) and bought soil, and I set about planting my garden. The jalapeños went into a long planter I picked up somewhere-or-other, and everything else went into the half-barrel. Incidentally, I noticed when I was shopping around for the planter that no one sells real half-barrels anymore; everyone has plastic imitations instead, and often for more than I paid for the real thing!
A blossoming Jalapeño, June 3, 2008
It’s been nearly two months and though two of the sage plants have died, everything else is thriving! (And the dead plants are most likely the result of being uprooted by my toddler, not of anything I did wrong.) I will keep you posted as my garden grows, and welcome any tips you may have.
Stumble it!
Jalapeno plants are so beautiful. And I LOVE that barrel…
We have recently started a container vegie garden very similar to yours. We have peas and spring onions. My husband mentioned on the weekend that he though a half barrel would be a good idea - now I’ve seen how it would work
We have been really bitten by the success of our little garden. We are fortunate enough to have a largish back yard so we are planning a vegie plot now. Good luck with your tomatoes, sage and chillis. I can taste the salsa now 
Journeyers last blog post..Aspirations of a rural life