Wonder Window

After a couple months, the window shelf arrangement has turned into an 80's haircut. Basically, the morning glory, growing from the original planter below, has taken over and despite my frequent and regular correcting, has persevered in its pursuit to strangle out everything else. Finally I gave up and just let it do it's thing (I can still pick my basil leaves, mint and rosemary even though they are hidden in a jungle of madness).

The hot exhaust from the air conditioner is preventing anything from growing from the right side of the bottom planter.

Here's what it looked like a couple months ago...

Astoria Gardening

When I moved to Astoria from the Upper East Side, the biggest concern I had was how well I would be able to transplant my micro-gardening capabilities. Having a dedicated fire escape on the top floor of my previous apartment, I took for granted my small yet convenient space. Knowing that my new fire escape space was on a lower level in much higher visibility, I came to the realization that the practicality of having a garden out there was much riskier. After all, it was technically illegal (although if a couple planters actually kept somebody from maneuvering across a fire escape during an emergency, I would have to say that it was indeed their time to go).

So while sitting in the new landlord's office to sign my new lease, I casually asked him if I could put plants in the common outdoor space behind the apartments. "No" he responded. "Cats will dig up the dirt and clog the drains." At that point I realized I had just signed a lease of a building owned by a man who had no desire to entertain any activity that, despite what benefit it could bring, had the smallest ounce of potential to bring any minor theoretical aspect of risk, whatsoever. In other words, he sucked.

From there I figured I would ask if there were any community gardens in the area. "No," he answered abruptly. At that point I understood that he was also unsympathetic to urban gardening, meaning that he not only sucked as a person, but he was an evil human being (that is correct, unsympathetic to urban gardening = evil human being). Not wanting to be in the same room as such a terrible person, I ended the conversation and left his office. Having some time to kill, instead of taking the train home, I decided to walk down 31st Street to take in the new neighborhood. I soon walked by an old woman who appeared to be digging up some dirt behind some bushes in a small patch of exposed earth surrounded by an otherwise impermeanble hardscape. I figured maybe she would know if there were any gardens around, since she seemed to be the type. But when I approached the old woman and politely asked, "Excuse me mam..." she jumped up, startled. I continued, "I just moved to the neighborhood, and was wondering if you knew of any community gardens around." She continued to look at me, confused, and responded hesitantly in a thick accent, "I don know, I jus bury my dead bird." Fair enough. I went on my way, feeling very welcomed to Queens.

I eventually did find that community garden, but it is a rogue garden on private abandoned land, so I cannot describe it in fear of endangering its existence. But I never gave up the idea of gardening at home, no matter how restricted my space was. The less space I had the bigger the challenge. For a variety of reasons, I had to confine all of my window accessories to a single kitchen window, which included a small air conditioner. However, a hanging planter and one inside/outside self draining shelf later, this was the end result:

Booya! No I have fresh basil, rosemary, mint, and some other random decoratives within easy reach of my kitchen. Take that, loser landlord!

Pepper Party 4

A lot of peppers this year. Nuff said.

Spring 2011 Garden

The garden is more or less complete for the season. I've expanded about 80% more than my previous year's surface area, now occupying more than half of the walkable area of the top level of the fire escape.

In here I have some Basil, Rosemary, Peas, a Pepper, a bunch of Fennel, Chamomile, 2 Easter Lilies, some cosmos and some duck foot ivy.

From left to right: in back in pots: Broccoli, Peppers, Chocolate Mint, random indoor plant, Sage; in middle planters: random stuff and String Beans, 4 each of Red and Green Bell, Cayenne and Jalapeno Peppers (that I got from Dad in Philly) , a Tomato Pot; Rain Catchment Bins; Compost...

To note is a funny "weed" I kept pulling out. It was obviously something that made it into my compost with a lot of seeds that eventually found themselves in pretty much everything I had planted for the past couple weeks. But I couldn't figure out what the darn thing was...

Yesterday morning I figured out what they were, as I was walking around a farmer's market in Madison, WI.

The plant caught my eye and I knew at once what had settled all over my garden. My roommate Dave had definitely put scrap zucchini in the compost bag, which had a whole bunch of seeds that would end up in the big compost bin and eventually get mixed in with soil to use. I'm going to get some of it growing in a pot or two and see if I can get some fruit out of it.

Plants Eating Snow

I've harvested water from my fire escape catchment basins to plant my indoor guys plenty of times, but not in this form. It's actually better in some ways because it melts slowly and avoids the occasional overflow.

Pepper Party 3

I picked my first bell pepper. Since I started so late in the season I'll have to settle with a yellow one. That's the ripest it will get now that it's getting cold out. It was delicious though, nice and sweet...

As for my beautiful cayennes, I tried to dry one out in the toaster over but instead of drying it I...toasted it. 

Attempt #2 seems to be working. Just letting it hang out.

And as for the jalepenos, the late start caused me to yield only the smallest fruit that probably wont get much bigger at this point (except for that one I picked earlier)...

Oh well. But with the seeds I've saved from this years crop, and some better planning, I'm already looking forward to next spring.

Visitor 2

Oh! Hey! Another visitor!

He came to admire my kalanchoe bean stalk.

Pepper Party 2

Recent pickings include the first cayenne I allowed to turn red and also my first jalapeno.

Both went to good use, ending up in a delicious quesadilla Eric made for at Exchange Bar & Grill.

Mr. Bean

My first major harvest of garden beans wasn't huge, and it wont ever be. I should have planted twice as many and spaced them farther apart. Then again, space was never something I had a lot of out on the fire escape.

The beans tasted decent, not the best I've had, but then again, this was my first run in this compact environment.

Pepper Party 1

Out of the 3 types of baby pepper plants I brought to NYC from Papa Brock at home in Philly, the Cayenne has been the most productive. The first to bear fruit, it's also the first to be picked and used. You can, however, also see two little jalepenos on the left over there.

And what more could a guy ask for than to have his beautiful girlfriend then use that tasty pepper to make the most delicious heuvos rancheros ever?

I can't wait for the jalapeno.

Visitor

He's actually more like a tenant.  He's been here for a couple weeks now, started out hanging out on the kalanchoe then moved over to the hosta. He's grown a bit during that time and is very photogenic. He's also very cultured. He likes kung fu, spanish literature and crepes. But who doesn't like crepes.

Rosemary Pea

If a sugar snap pea plant grows up through a rosemary plant, sharing root room, grasping on with numerous arms, and co-inhabiting the air, will the peas have a slight rosemary taste? We shall find out.

Slow Fade

It's been over 3 months since I cut up the "compostable" Sun Chips bag and threw it in the bin. Seems to be no signs of breaking down. See the red arrow below.

Next update in 3 months.

Truck Trees

Earlier this month you saw the truck farm, but this sight seemed a bit more impressive...and by "impressive" I mean impressively idiotic.

This guy is actually standing up in the back of a moving pickup truck on 3rd Avenue holding up two mini palm trees.  I smell the next Darwin Awards winner...

Growing Garden

What's an herb garden without fennel? Nothing, I tell you, absolutely nothing.  Not only is it a feathery delightful snack, but it's perfect to sneak up on somebody and put it in their ear.  Try it...very addicting.

I have recently utilized the Gaia soil to help enhance efficiency.  Made of small pieces of recycled styrofoam cups coated in pectin, this airy mix weighs nothing when dry, yet retains insane amounts of water for extended use, reducing that much runoff. Who knew styrofoam cups could actually do some good in this world?

But look at what's going on at the north end of the fire escape! Vinca vine is trying to mimic english ivy, yearning for the relief of a cast iron arm rest.

Truck Farm

I was riding down 2nd Ave this morning when I saw a familiar sight. It was the famous Truck Farm in action, the peculiar yet spectacular little mobile CSA, spreading leafy goodness all over town...

Truck Farm on 2nd Avenue

I took the video with my brand new GoPro Hero HD wide-angle digital helmet cam. Considering this was literally the first time using it, I'd have to say it worked out pretty well. Check out other sick videos by various extreme users...

GoPro Hero

Note: For more (and only) biking related posts, visit Brock's Bike Blog.

Memorial Lily

How cute, my lily decided to bloom on Memorial Day. My worms are also feasting today on all of yesterday's organic leftovers. It's a circus in that bin, and Mr. Sage and Mr. Hosta are peeking in on the action. It makes my fire escape garden complete. Except for the tomatoes. Anybody want to donate a plant?

Tumble Tree

60 mph gusts may not seem much to somebody in Miami or Chicago, but in NYC that's enough to turn a Christmas tree into a tumble weed...

It was even less fun standing on an outside terrace 200 feet above street level with that monsoon. Even with a balcony above, I was still getting rain straight to the face. Not fun.