Help for the modern home dweller
My husband has done a little reading on growing hot peppers, and he tells me that this one is ready to pluck (and the longer we wait, the hotter it will get).
I was not expecting it to be ripe yet, because it is so small — about the size of a store-bought Serrano pepper.
But my tomatoes are a little small too, so I am just going to assume that’s normal.
Almost ready! And the one next to it (behind the leaves) is starting to turn yellow.
Isn’t it beautiful? It’s about the size of my fingertip right now.
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.
I scorn digital cameras. Such gluttonous symbols of American come-and-get-it, all-you-can-eat, here-have-600-images-of-your-dog-Gizmo-while-the-people-in-Africa-are-starving thinking. I am starting a new blogging revolution. A revolution in which we use pen and paper to connect to the hearts and souls of readers everywhere. One in which we reveal our true selves for who we really are. And I’m starting with my garden.
Let me take you on a little tour.
As you enter the garden gate, you will notice a pristine pathway of various-sized rocky terrain. These were purchased with utmost care from the heights of a truly magnificent mountainous region in an otherwise remarkably flat environment. (Aka: the rock store in Virginia Beach.)
Around the perimeter of the garden, you will notice a slightly sunken trench which holds in its heart the treasured pods of beans and snow peas. The ultimate destiny of these as-yet-unformed plants will be to climb to the heights of the wired garden gate, enveloping the premises with their gnarled and graceful arms.
If you will look with me to the right, you will notice the beginnings of pungent tomato plants forming an outer border to the smaller pepper plants in the foreground. A rocky path leads the way in and out of the dramatic scene.
To the left, we see more pepper plants, held within the confines of the splendid squash, zucchini, and eggplant…plants. In the distance straight ahead, we are lucky to behold a slew of okra plants, beckoning us with their pointy fronds.
Now, if you’ll turn with me as we exit the garden gate (Actually, no, you can’t open it. Don’t try to open it!!! Humph. You step over it…like this. What were you thinking?), breathe deeply with me and inhale the fragrant smells of spring. Anticipate the bountiful harvest of summer and fall. Pray hard that the terrifying fact that I ended up planting on the windiest day of the year will not have any detrimental effect on the plantlings.
It was lovely having you join me today. If you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to my digital camera research. What does everyone think of the Canon XTi?
I have just recently discovered the wonderful world that is gardening blogs. These bloggers are amazing. They are inspiring me to do things I never thought possible. John’s bringing home the tiller from work this week, and we are going to get to tearing up the lawn in favor of our annual veggie garden.
I really like vegetables, I really do. The tomatoes are especially a favorite, and we’ve really gotten into okra as well. Peppers never seem to do very well in our yard. Neither do strawberries. Squash and zucchini work for ANYONE ANYWHERE. Maybe they work a bit too well, in fact. I’ve never gotten a watermelon to grow ever. Green beans are pretty, and so are carrots. Broccoli is a supreme waste of time.
So there is everything I could ever think to say about gardening, at least for this week. But these gardening bloggers, man, I’ve got to hand it to them. They do their jobs very well. So instead of just telling you, let me show you:
For when you dream of gardening, but there is nary a yard to be found (or when you hate to weed but love to water)…
Container Plantings: Variety Soil and Care from Heirloom Gardener. If you’re thinking about container gardening, you absolutely must read this post FIRST.
For when you want a dose of color in your life…
Check out these gorgeous blooms in Pam’s “cottage garden” in Austin, Texas. Oh, spring! I’m so glad you’re here!
For when you’re in the mood for a little English gardening history…
Rule Britannia from Garden Rant. I now feel just a wee bit smarter.
For when you want to feel like royalty…
A Garden Frozen in Time from Bliss. The views here are absolutely breathtaking.
For when you want to be certain your gardening manners are up to par…
The Privilege of Visiting a Gardener’s Garden from May Dreams Gardens. I had no idea there were RULES about these things. Now I do. Thank you, Carol, for saving me from a lifetime of disrespectful garden-visiting!
For when you’re quite certain that it will not be warm enough to plant anytime soon…
What Is a Cold Climate? from Cold Climate Gardening. Don’t be disheartened if you live in a northern area and there’s still snow out! There’s still plenty you can do in the garden, if you’re so inclined. And when you’re done figuring out whether your climate is “cold” (though I imagine you probably already know!), Kathy’s blog is an incredible resource.
For when you’re feeling ambitious and want to start veggies from seed…
How to Grow Healthy Seedlings Under Lights from Garden Desk. All you need to know.
That’s it for today, folks! Hope you’re enjoying the new posting schedule. I really, really am. 
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