The Fire Escape Garden

Now with even more dirt.

What you may or may not know is that I left the fire escapes of Brooklyn and moved to California.  And I must tell you – it really is great here.

Spring is springing, the dog is dogging, and we even have a yard for my new gardening adventures.  So stay tuned, raised beds are in your future.

Fruit tree in front of our little bungalow.

Since scaling back my efforts for The Fire Escape Garden this year, I have been looking around for a community garden in my neighborhood.  The Hollenback Community Garden is a very cool place and it is not far from where we live.  I am going to be traveling a lot this summer, but I am looking forward to participating as much as possible, meeting new people, and hopefully learning a lot!

I went for the Herb Plant-Luck, where everyone contributed herbs to plant in a Memorial Garden for one of the founding members.  It was a great day to be outside!

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Also gave away the Quinalt Strawberries!  I planted 5 plants in a huge pot, and gave the rest to gardeners with plots.  I hope they grow!!!

My Aunt Susie was visiting this week, and we went to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden to see the Cherry Blossoms.  I didn’t know the tulips were going to be SO TOTALLY TERRIFIC!

But they are.

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The cherry blossoms were gorgeous, too.

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Azaleas and more!

Snow garden.

Tomatoes are still ripening. . .

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Trailing sapphires are still kicking. . .

But I know it’s only a matter of time before the cold zaps everything.  I missed our fall planting window, but have an idea about garlic for the spring.  And check out this beautiful lettuce, gone to seed.

Salad with garden lettuce, tomatoes, and store-bought avocado (obv). The lettuce was a little tough, but the flavor of our garden produce is really incredible.

I have never really liked bees, and always ran away at swarms of them near trash cans in the schoolyard.  But in my garden, I can’t get enough.  I know they’re not interested in me one bit, and instead are doing the happy work of pollination.

Okay, if anyone is out there and reading, what are these?  I thought forget-me-nots, but perhaps I mis-planted.  In any case, they refuse to bloom, but are clearly thriving.  Thanks in advance.

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Not the clearest picture, but a quick look at how mint goes to seed.

These are the last of the wildflowers – unless the Forget-Me-Nots finally bloom! Trailing sapphires are still going, but the daisies etc are done. Chamomile might surprise me with a few new flowers!

Herbs harvested for dinner tonight – including a ton of basil, which we used in this wonderful dish.

I love when I get to make it home during sunset. The west side of our apartment (including the living room, kitchen and fire escape!) is really lovely then.

View out the kitchen window.

Lettuce is doing better, now that it is getting more light (previously blocked by flowers and cucumber). But a mess!!!

Baby Striped German! One is nearly ripe now, and there are 3 or 4 growing. . . Yayyyy, late bloomer!

Moved the Alpine Strawberry into a 12″ pot. GO STRAWBERRY! These little berries taste like candy – and a little like chewable Tylenol? But wonderful, and unlike any strawberry you’ve ever bought.

NO MORE CUKES! Done. What about broccoli?

Time to start pinching back the mint!