Now that the days are getting longer and the sun's rays have that welcomed warmth ... everything is greening up, the wildflowers here in the desert are beginning to bloom... and my thoughts are filled with the anticipation of garden fresh produce. Only this year we won't have our own garden, and will have to settle for finding the nearest Farmers Market. Last year it was right outside our back door, so here is a walk through our garden from last year...
The idea to have a garden came with a visit to our local greenhouse to buy some fresh lettuce and other greens. The greenhouse was filled with trays of "micro greens" that are sold to a local gourmet eatery. The micro greens are sprouts of various edibles, including- arugula, sorrel, basil, radish, peas, etc. "Micro greens" as they are called, mainly used as a garnish, have incredible flavor! They are so yummy, that just a few sprigs for garnish just isn't enough. In order to have all of the "micro greens" that I desired, for salads, sandwiches, and just munching... why not grow my own?
I purchased 4 sprouting trays (with clear lids- like a mini greenhouse for fast germination and sprouting), a bag of organic soil especially for seeding, and seeds! Teeny tiny sprouts appear in about 3-5 days, and in another week or two, depending on the seed variety- yummy, edible sprouts!
So, that was easy, why not have a few tomatoes, peppers, and some herbs? I didn't want anything elaborate, just a few plants. I decided to purchase two Earth Boxes. I went to the greenhouse to get a few tomatoes and pepper plants, and I ended up walking out with 14 tomato plants, of ten different varieties and 5 pepper plants. There would not be enough room in two Earth Boxes for all these, so we built a 4x8 ft raised bed as well! In the Earth Boxes I planted 4 tomato plants, 2 peppers and cilantro. The remaining 10 tomato plants went into the raised bed along with 3 pepper plants, some arugula, onions, and snap peas. I had so much fun! It was a super year for tomatoes and I can't wait to have a garden again. Eating fresh produce that's right out your own back door is so satisfying.
