5.18.2008

Time for Home Growing!

As the spring and summer months hit the rose city and foodies all over Portland gear up to savor the fresh fruits and herbs and vegetables the city showers us with, people venture out more to the open markets in search of the best of our local flavors. It's easy to get people chatting about the bounty of great produce too. I often find myself immersed in conversation about the variety of vegetables people are experimenting with, and growing on their own. In fact, I will admit that I've been thrown off recently by how many patrons actually grow their own herb, fruit and vegetable gardens. Being a lover of the food world, a culinary school graduate and someone who adores fresh fruits and vegetables, I was a bit embarrassed at the fact that I, myself, do not grow my own! Not one pot, not one little branch of thyme, not one tiny vine of tomatoes has even begun to grow out on my patio. I have no pots, no soil, no nothing.

Well today is the beginning of change! I have an upper-level condo with a pretty decent sized deck. I've spent a couple of days cleaning up my much-neglected outdoor space, just sold the patio furniture today off of Craigslist (it was just too big of a set and I really never liked it anyway), and am now ready to make way for new pots to plant some beloved herbs and veggies!

The patio today

But where to begin? I'm sure one can stop into any Home Depot or Lowes to find the soil, some nice pots and even some herbs, but I want this to be more authentic. With Portland's abundance of farmer's markets around, where's the best spot to purchase garden starts? Do I need special soil for certain items? What are the best items to buy now? And just like most of my random curiosities, here comes a new one. On to condo-gardening 101! I'll keep you posted as I move along. And please, if you're an outdoor gardener and have some great tips, please do let me know! It's a big world in Portland produce out there and I'd love all the help I can get!

Cheers,

~JF


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Jenn, keep pursuing the dream! (I had to get caught up on the last few entries.) I can't wait to see the next picture of the patio. Love ya!

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