Gardening Small
At our farm for 40 years we grew a lot of vegetables. We were primarily a flower farm, also beef cattle, but we put deer fencing around the previous owner’s garden area, and after some missteps (chicken wire instead of hardware cloth) we created gopher-proof garden beds. We grew tomatoes, 3 kinds of beans, 4 kinds of onions, garlic, corn, many herbs, peas, potatoes, chard, beets, lettuce and more. We froze, dried, and canned these, such that we were fairly self-sufficient in the vegetable realm.
Moving to a tiny condo we had to make some changes. Many herbs and vegetables can be container-grown. One tomato, especially cherry types, such as Sungold, can produce hundreds of delicious fruits.
We love sugar peas, and that crop keeps getting better each year. Planted in pots, we get enough fresh peas for many meals, plus some for freezing. This year they are above the roof and still growing. Will I need a ladder?
We tuck parsley plants here and there in pots and between other plants. Many things we cook require parsley and of course we substitute it for cilantro.
One of the best herbs is basil, which I use raw and in cooking, especially in one pan pasta, which uses both. One $2 six-pack grows so productively that it suffices for all our needs, including the huge amount Mrs. side pocket uses for pesto.
As most of you know, I still have access to the farm, where I grow a few tomatoes and zucchinis. But I’m only there once in a while and I like to do hands-on gardening, so it’s not the same.