Garden Stories

Blake was confident that he would close this deal today. With a little charm and a briefcase full of earnest money, soon this useless farmland would be transformed into the biggest MegaFood franchise yet. And he stood to make a tidy profit on the deal…so it was clearly win-win all around. 



Garden Stories

Hugh was pleasantly surprised at how quickly he had adapted to the change from builder to farmer – but then, so many of the tools and skills were the same. The Great Recession had done him an unexpected favor and he was glad to be nurturing the soil now instead of paving over it.

Garden Stories Exhibit

Worms!

I spent some enjoyable time digging up worms in my garden and relocating them to pots with old roots & leaves. My strategy is to keep on distributing worms throughout Patio Farm and also to continue to dump coffee grounds and bury leaves and scraps. Already my soil is fluffier than when I started. These little guys are just awesome, so wiggly and so helpful.

Carrot Harvest

One of my favorite things about growing food is harvesting ... especially the excitement and satisfaction of pulling something out of the ground. I planted carrots in a few pots in September, and have been lovingly watering them and waiting impatiently for the carrots to grow large.

With low light and cooler weather, it has taken a good 6 months for that to happen. Six months! I find it amazing that it can take 6 months to grow a carrot, but that you can buy them at the store for less than a dollar a pound. My appreciation for the energy and effort that it takes food to grow was enhanced by my waiting and watching over these guys all fall and winter.

So, finally the big day arrived and Ryan and I took turns pulling out carrots until we had the full haul -- one 12" terracotta pot full of carrots. Sweet, crispy and each with its own personality and adorable shape. Lucky me! The next step is to make tajine, one of my favorite carrot recipes...