Good morning Locavores!
Today, I wanted to share an update on my garden. Several months ago, I started my garden solely so I could share my experiences as a first time gardener with all of you. It was definitely an adventure.
Today, I am bonafide gardner. (ok, not really, MOST of my plants are still alive, so I call that a win)
Tomatoes.
Now here’s a plant I can grow! I grew tomatoes so well that my tomatoes are TALLER THAN ME.
I ate my first three cherry tomatoes this week (photographed above), and I have about 20 more that are ripening as we speak. Honestly, I have never liked store-bought tomatoes because the texture is weird and they have very little flavor. But, these tomatoes are full of flavor and vine-ripened sunshine. YUM.
Purple Bell Peppers.
Yup, purple. I was most excited to grow these, because they’re so unique. Have you ever seen a purple bell pepper? I hadn’t. I am a very adventurous person, and I think this garden brought that out in me. Taking risks and trying new things was honestly so fun. These purple-y, pepper-y guys are just about ready to pick and eat.
Jalepeños.
I was scared for my jalepeños for a while. I didn’t think they were going to make it. I moved them two weeks ago from direct sun to a spot where they got shade about 50 percent of the time, and they have flourished! I don’t have any peppers yet, but I do have blooms so I am holding out hope.
My serrano peppers shriveled up and died very tragically. RIP.
Herbs.
My basil rocks. Cilantro has had a rocky time; from what I read, I planted it too late and it flowered too early. From the mosquito edition to the garden, my lavender is flourishing and it smells heavenly. The lemon verbena is still with us (prayers, please) and also smells incredible. I keep the cintronella by my tomatoes and it has helped keep the bugs away naturally.
I do have to mention my salad attempt. I got sprouts, but they shriveled up. I think it was a bit too hot out for them. I’m still bummed, fresh lettuce would have been awesome.
Onions.
I planted 12 onions and four are still with us. My mistake here was that I planted my onions alongside my other plants. Onions have shallow roots so they need to be watered more often than once a week, which is what I was doing. Next year, my onions will get their own container so I can better control their water.
The Takeaway.
If I can do it, anyone can. I’ve been a locavore for my entire life, but I have a new appreciation for our local producers after adventuring in my tiny garden. Having access to fresh herbs has kicked up my cooking capabilities, and over-examining my plants to measure their growth has been so fun. The container garden has graced my snapchat story for a while now, and I’m going to miss it in the fall. For now though, you can follow me (@erinrwarren on snapchat) to continue eating cherry tomatoes and waiting patiently for peppers.
