The rooftop veggie garden...

Up close and personal with my growing tomato

I am the child of hippies - I grew up eating alfalfa home grown on the kitchen counter in a jar - and have recently been entertaining the idea of trying to sprout quinoa in my kitchen, although I haven't tried it yet. I also have the world's MOST amazing MUM ever! She raised us with a curiosity about the world around us and the confidence that inspires us to believe we can do anything, which probably explains why my first thought, upon moving into our house with a balcony last September, was ooh, I can plant a rooftop veggie garden. A little research made me realize that it wasn't the ideal season for planting much of anything (which I kind of assumed - butternut squash doesn't seem like it would stay contained in a little planter, but who knows, I might try it next fall!), but I figured what the heck, I'll buy a few veggies, stay on a budget in case they all die because it is winter, and see what happens. Here's what happened:

Crowded little windowbox with tomatoes, sage, garlic, green beans and strawberries

Now granted, it's been one of the warmest winters I can remember since moving to California, so that probably helped. But the truth is, I am a forgetful (and busy!) farmer who doesn't always remember to water my little 'crop', and with little more than an occasional watering, my veggie window box has thrived! I like to joke with my hubby that we will be able to make a little green bean caprese salad when our tomatoes are ready :) My little experiment turned out so well, I've decided to invest a little time in expanding my veggie garden this weekend. I bought two more pots, one to transplant the giant (non-fruit bearing!) tomato plant that's threatening to take over the window box, and the other for my new zucchini plants, which I hope will do well. I have wanted to try making stuffed squash blossoms like these for so long, and I can never find them so I figured this year, I'll grow my own :) I also got another strawberry plant, to fill in the windowbox and keep the other one company.


The first of two lovely green beans so far

 Our little rooftop veggie garden is a long way from becoming our sole source for fruit and veggies, and possibly will never become that, but it's fun to watch it grow and I can't wait to try a caprese salad with my homegrown cherry tomatoes! It all started with an inexpensive windowbox from Home Depot, a bag of organic potting mix, a few seedlings brave enough to weather the winter, and a little green watering can.