Urban Garden

My reading genre is still heavily food/restaurant oriented.  Somewhere after reading Omnivore's Dilemma, Animal Vegetable Miracle, Soul of a Chef and watching Food Inc., I decided we needed to get back to our farming roots (they run deep on both sides of the family - something we have never really cared to embrace before).  Unfortunately, I am not a green thumb - or any thumb - and our plot of land consists mainly of our driveway space, where our car is usually parked.  My previous gardening forays have involved herbs in the window sill.  Which I buy every now and then.  I keep them until they dry out and die a few weeks later and then buy more, or just put the pots away.   I am glad to have saved most of the pots - taking up precious space in our condo, but saving me extra $ every time I get the urge to "garden".

I decided to do a "pizza garden" with the girls.  Grow tomatoes, basil, peppers & onions.   We planted the seeds on the counter weeks ago...apparently about 5 weeks too late though - thanks for that tip, Dad.  Would have been good to know 5 weeks ago.  We searched for a half barrel to use as the entire garden.  My gosh these things are expensive!  It reminds me of the book "The $64 Tomato" - which I haven't read, but pick up every time and ponder how much my tomatoes will cost, if I ever get one.  After expiring my options at Mahoneys, Home  Depot, etc., I happened on this barrel in the Christmas Tree Shop window and had to stop...real cedar and only $16.99 - about 1/10th of the other prices we saw.  Sold!

But, I am a gardener now, and my patch of driveway does not have "full sunlight".  So by golly, my pizza garden will.  I enlist Ben to buy casters to put on the barrel so I can wheel it around the driveway for maximum light.  You know, the 1 or 2 days a week I am actually not at my office during the day (i.e. weekends).

I KNOW this pot is too small for all my plantings, which is why my tomatoes will go in my new Topsy Turvey tomato planter!  Which by the way, in case any of you get inspired, does NOT come with any tomato plants.  You have to buy them separately.  And they have to be about 10 times the size of the seedlings I have had taking up my counter space for the last 8 weeks.  Since I needed instant gratification I bought 2 mature tomato seedling plants from Home Depot - heirlooms no less, to put in the planter.  We also bought a big bag of organic soil and the Topsey Turvey at Home Depot.   Good thing seeds are cheap...but it can't be efficient to buy everything twice.

Thus far the novelty has not worn off.  We are at least still watering.  I haven't moved the barrel around but once (a 180 rotation) in 2 weeks.  If you have any urban gardening tips for me - comment away.  I need real basic info (when, where how to buy/plant/tend) - I do not know what I am doing and will not likely ask for help.  I realize 10 plants in a 2 ft diameter tub is not likely to work out, but who knows.  This is my maiden year.  The learning curve might be high, but the tomatoes might be sweet!  And I think so far, I am up to about a $48 tomato.

(PS - I'll have to add pics back here for you to see the seedlings while still lush.)

In It to End It - Walk 40 Miles

Picture taking has fallen way down the priority list lately - which is not a good thing for a photo-based blog.  I've found a few from the last couple weeks to keep us telling a tale.

First, our dear friends visited from LA with their super-cheery Zoe, or "Baby Gibson" as we liked to call her.  We had a whirl-wind tour of Boston during a torrential monsoon.  They were troopers as we were soaked to the bone in puddles up to our ankles, pushing strollers for cover in the aquarium and then Faneuil  Hall.

We had grand plans for dinner in the North End, but after we came home and cleaned up, the skies opened up again and we took them to dinner at the picturesque, Alewife T station (well, Jasper Whites).  The men braved out for a cannoli show-down.  In a blind taste-test, Mike's Pastry once again prevailed - even though we claim to hate it for being too touristy, it keeps winning the blind tests over Bova & Modern.

On Mother's Day the weather was nicer, we walked through Harvard Square and I think our toddlers may have run them out of town.  Tantrum central at our house lately ...  I know it's just a phase I will look back on and laugh, but really, they chased their own grandparents out a few weekends prior!

So then there was the weekend of my participation in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.  It is 40 miles over  2 Days.  You know this, because I likely hit you up for cash.  I raised over $2300 thanks to all you donors!  

The walk was awesome!  The weather was so great I am probably ruined for all future walks.  If I could have fun walking with my client and her boyfriend for 40 miles, I was thinking how great it would be to do it with girlfriends.  So watch out, Girl Weekend, Sherie's vote is that we find a cause and commit to 20 miles or so.   What could be better than a leisurely, well planned, good cause where you just get to meander and chat all day with scheduled snack breaks?  Okay, I am leaving out the part about how after 26 miles on the first day, I could NOT walk and almost did not return to day 2 for the final 13 miles.  But, I did.  And it was great.  But maybe 20 miles is enough for the future.

Oh, and did I mention how great Ben, Elliot & Samantha were?  They spent their whole weekend shuttling me and cheering me on at various points...it was spectacular!

We really are proud...

What can one say?