Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Virtual gardening


Last night's snack of pickled field garlic (Allium vineale, apparently despised by the guru of American foraging, Euell Gibbons! - we disagree) with a glass of cold Oyster Bay. It's the last of the garlic - almost time to gather more. And my turquoise planner, which has not been opened in 6 days - a bad sign, and overdue. I still like planning on paper. My personal seeds ordered for this year's crops on the roof (more pots are needed). Still thinking about seeds to plant in my Edibles on the Edge class at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in mid April. A Web-digression, researching the safety of plastic pots for food crops. A dearth of information. We drink water from plastic (actually, I don't, I think it's the biggest scam, ever - I drink from taps), eat food from plastic, have our water transported in PVC pipes, but what about food-growing? Interesting question. Lists made, a supper of celery risotto cooked and eaten. A bag of Organic Mechanics potting soil waiting for daylight on the terrace...

Today I will sow my Physalis seeds (known in South Africa and the UK as Cape gooseberries, ground cherries here in the States and now marketed as goldenberries, too - yesterday I saw the fruit for sale at The Garden of Eden on Montague Street, grown in South America). I am very curious to see whether mine will produce fruit. I may have lots of seedlings to give away.


The seeds I ordered? Several tomatoes - realistically, my most abundant crops have always been tomatoes and cucumber, as pedestrian as that may seem, but hey. Look at the variety available and the pedestrian becomes quite exciting. Lemon and bush cucumbers, black, yellow, green, red and striped heirloom tomatoes. Also on the list, fava beans and peas for their sweet green shoots,  black pasilla peppers, sweet purple peppers, two types of squash, skinny eggplants, shiso -wondering if I'll actually eat it - and various salad crops. And I know I'll succumb to more temptation as soon as I set foot in any store with a whiff of gardening in it.

Also on the terrace, a bag of rose food waiting, and brand new starter pots ready for soil. Let the games begin.

6 comments:

  1. There is nothing pedestrian about a good tomato!!

    Diane

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  2. Games, indeed!

    I sneaked out to check the cutting garden over lunch and it is full of ... drum roll, please .... plants - some already flowering! Hope to plant some lettuce and spinach this weekend ... at least that is what my paper planner is telling me to do! Some things you just need to hold in your hand.

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  3. Just found your blog through Martha Stewart Mag... your life story is wonderful, love what you are doing there in the city. I grew up on Staten Island and we had a "BIG YARD" about 1/8th of an acre... but my parents didn't garden. As an adult I live in Connecticut where my husband and I have an old farm we restored, large gardens and are trying to eat as organically as possible..although we fall off the wagon frequently. I look forward to reading about your little garden and travels!...

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  4. Field garlic...miam as we say in French. And speaking of pickles, have you tried caper berries? I have had some since a few days...lovely!

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  5. Ground cherries should grow like crazy in Brooklyn. I had them in my back garden in Montreal, they self seeded every year like weeds.

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