Gardening this season

What’s more local than an urban CSA powered by bike? Growing vegetables in my own backyard! Since moving in to the new house, I’ve transformed the covered trash pit into a compost-rich bountiful 10’ x 7’ garden plot.

When we moved into the new house, there was a covered patio/thing in the backyard, that we believed was a garden plot that was covered and converted to a patio, or just covered for the winter. In early spring I started demolishing the cover, which, I discovered, was rotted, pressure treated plywood covering a rotted wood frame. Underneath the cover was an assortment of trash including broken glass, parts of styrofoam coolers, ash from the fireplaces inside (with parts of burned things like credit cards, rusted nails and pieces of metal), big rocks, broken pots, coils of old cable, and decomposing netting. The highlight was a folded up piece of carpet 7’ long, buried 3’ deep, diagonally through the garden.

I was expecting a lot of produce from my CSA, so I just planted a few things in the relatively small plot. I planted carrots,

Datura

Tomatoes (from Eric’s Mom, from Germany seeds)

And many volunteer plants from the compost: Pumpkins, zucchini, and squash (acorn-like, but some albino and some technicolor).

The zucchini took over the garden, and then the yard. I started making and freezing zucchini cakes (like latkes).

I also planted parsley and basil.

A week ago, I just cleared out half the garden and planted carrots and lacinato kale for a winter crop.

All in all, I wish I had more carrots, the zucchini and squash took over too much. And I miss tons of fresh peas. So I have big plans for next year, and I’m looking forward to fresh carrots and kale this winter.