Urban Gardening

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A few photos from my urban rooftop container garden. For the first time, I've put in vegetables - about six of the 20 pots. This is an experiment for the spring and summer. I just harvested my first two heads of lettuce and have been eating the ever-bearing strawberries as they ripen, a few at a time. The chard should mature in about 2 weeks, the snap peas have about 7 weeks. If the aphids don't destroy the Brussels sprouts and artichoke, they should be ready in about 6 weeks. Here's hoping!

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Photos

First crop
Two types of lettuce, ready for tonight's salad (which will include pickled green beans I canned two months ago.)

Chard
Red chard, ready for its close-up.

Pink
I can't remember what this flower is, but it's more than six feet tall and is seeding to other pots.

Herbs and flowers
Geraniums surround the basil plant I use constantly. Tonight it will go in pasta with whatever I have around.

Green
Lettuces around the perimeter, Brussels sprouts in the center.

Everbearing
Strawberries in foreground, rosemary in background.

Valiant
Artichoke tries to overcome aphids (and the ants that tend them); strawberries (back left) and rosemary (back right).

Comments

[Joel Goldes]

Ladybugs
Git you some ladybugs fer them aphids, or some praying mantids. Nice garden!

[Joan Price]

aphids
Your lettuce looks fabulous -- wish I could join you for tonight's salad! Have you tried importing ladybugs? They love dining on aphids. You can buy them by the hundreds at a garden supply store, I think (my experience is decades old, I'm afraid), and though you can't convince them to stay if they want to fly away, they often stay where dinner is plentiful.

[Sarah]

Portland, pickles, garden
Great pictures, all. Good to see your garden thriving w/your automatic watering system -- mine too! I may have paper-white narcissus in bloom soon -- I love the fragrance. xoxoxo, Mom

[Sarah]

Lavender flowers ....
...I think, are cosmos. As in the movie, The Color Purple, a great field of them.