Gardening

I have a few projects lined up for the next few months (we'll see how they pan out) and one of them was to start my big plan of becoming an urban homesteader.

I know very little about gardening, but after reading a great book about being 'country minded' in the heart of the city: The Urban Homestead, I have made it a plan to do many of the things listed in the book such as planting edible things (not only flowery things), starting to make my own yogurt, beer and cleaning products (2 of those for consumption), and learn how to basically be fairly close to self sufficient as we be. Or at least on the path towards that.

I think there is definitely a balance of things we like and want to do, so this is not a major rehauling of our lives (plus, Jo and I like our pleasures as well). However, I have always been more 'green' but have not really put my heart into it. I think now that I am 40 - my breakthrough decade - plus with raising a child, I would love it if I can encapsulate some of my earlier passions and thoughts into reality, while having fun.

So far it has been great.

I turned the waterfall area on our rooftop into my 'raised garden' and acquired some good soil from a farm around here, as well as mixed it with potting soil and some of my compost that had been sitting there for about 9 months. I started to plant randomly - I had no plan - and by my birthday a few weeks ago, I saw all of them sprouting. That was a great gift, by the way!

Anyway, here are some pics of the process so far.

Here we are getting ready to put more soil into the waterfall area. Sage is helping, too. (Those food bags have soil in them now)

Mocha wants to get in on the act, or at least get something to eat for being disturbed...

I have no idea how they will turn out, but in those 3 cups are 3 maple tree saplings, gotten when we went to AoWanDa a few weeks ago. I would love to see them grow up more and just hope my 'black thumb' turns into a 'green thumb' pretty soon. We still have a bunch of random aloe from 1 plant that our neighbor started about a year ago - boy do they like the sun...


Here is the other raised bed that Zak, our previous tenant, made for himself and left. I planted a teeny tiny lemon tree about 2 years ago and it is really going crazy. Last season we pulled off about 40 lemons. Now it is bigger, so we hope to have more. (we use lemons for cleaning stuff, drinking - usually with vodka, or airing out the fridge, and of course giving away for karma points to those who want it). Also, note the aloe over there. Basically I just can cut off a leaf, stick it in the ground and it will root shortly....amazing.


Sage is interested in the plants already sprouting and helps me water them. I put enough soil in the waterfall area to fill it halfway and then planted my seeds. Recently I filled the other side as well.

Here is baby basil

Here is some spinach

On the left are tomatoes and on the right are carrots. The space under the carrots are strawberries, which I learned later are slow pokes..


Here was my first experiment - garlic. Man, did they like the soil and sun. They shot up in less than a week and have been growing good ever since.

Here is my other Maple tree sapling, which I am crossing my fingers for.


I put down a layer of rocky soil, then will put another layer of good farm soil and then top it off with store bought planting soil. Just experimenting as I go...



Plus, I acquired some cartons from a fish stall near here and will also start to plant where I have some free space. I am getting ready to plant Mint, Lavender, Chili Peppers, more strawberries, Rosemary, Squash, and of course - Sage! But that is a bit hard to find here.....
I am saving the other remaining cartons for transplanting the carrots and other things when they get too big.


And to be safe from Mocha and the birds, I put a little (broken) lattice over the top.

Now, to wait and watch them grow!