City Organic Gardener

When I started this little garden I just tore out the bermuda grass, throw down some compost, manure and put in the transplants.
The soil is mostly clay, which really the whole yard is. I've had some success with this garden and by constantly adding compost and manure it is getting much better. This garden also had a layer of cocoa shells added to it last spring.
One major problem with this garden is that it's on the edge of the patio and the patio roof has no rain gutters. When we get a decent amount of rain it floods out sending the compost and water all over the patio.
Last year when I knew we were in for a good rain I laid down cardboard in the garden along the drip line of the roof. That seemed to word pretty well. At least the excess water floods the patio and not the compost.

Right now this is what I have planted here from the bottom to the top as you see it in the photo. Click on the photo for a larger image, but it's still hard to see.

1. Waltham29 (Broccoli) - This transplant is small right now, but I figured it would do better in the ground rather than the cup.
2. Michihili (Chinese Cabbage) - I love this stuff. As it's growing you can take off some of the outer leaves and use them in a salad. When you do pick it, it's not like a round cabbage, it's more like a compacted romaine lettuce. It's great for salads, stir fry or whatever. Lasts a long time in the fridge also.
3. Early Girl (Tomato) - Not a winter tomato but one year I had one that was planted in May and produced until February. I'll give it a try. There is plenty of garden space in the yard right now.
4. Yard Long (Asparagus Beans) - As with most of my transplants, they always get planted later than they should be. It's starting to produce right now, just not ready for harvest yet.
5. Poblano (Hot Pepper) - The last 4 plants in this garden are in a section that receives the least amount of sun. This pepper has plenty of blossoms on it right now, but they are dropping daily. The weather here has gone from being in the 90's to the 70's. That can't be helping the poor plant.
6. Ace (Tomato) - Of the eight plants in this garden it is the only one that I didn't start from seed.. It was a volunteer. It also is not a winter variety, but I'll just let it go. A lot of shade here, so it is starting to get leggy.
7. Romano (Pole Bean) - This is my first year growing this variety. I had a few during the summer and taste wise they weren't bad. It's starting to form some beans. I don't expect to get a lot from this plant at this time of year, but combined with the Yard Long I should get a few good meals.
8. Michihili (Chinese Cabbage) - Same as #2, except that before I planted it I extended this garden by about three feet. That poor plant is in crappy soil with little sun light.

This garden has a lot of issues going on with it. Some plants in the ground at not the best time of the year for them and not the best soil going on.
For right now I'm happy because everything is growing and everything is green. This garden bed is looking OK. When a plant can't cut it, I'll pull it out and replace it with another transplant I have at the time and hopefully this garden will at least always look good.

Labels: Patio Garden