Forme Magazine
– From: Forme Magazine (August 2006)
Author: Gayla Trail
Feed Them to Assorted Mammalian Creatures
My first response is a loud string of expletives followed by a very long and drawn, “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!” ‘Black Cherry’ tomato with chunk extraction. Oh the humanity. A mysterious mammalian creature has been visiting the rooftop deck and taking nibbles out of random produce. We think it may be an opposum this time since one has …
Why I Love This Time of Year
Click here to see variety names. I have been in love with my rooftop garden this past month. Every meal includes something picked fresh from the garden that morning – there’s a bowl of fresh produce on the counter everyday! This is what I love about the harvest season (besides all of the eating). No …
Another Reason to Compost
I discovered another cost of garbage, both economical and environmental, while watching a segment on solar powered trash compactors on Daily Planet. I don’t know why this didn’t occur to me, but of course fuel is needed to operate the garbage trucks that haul garbage off your curb and out of the city to a …
Can’t Stop the Tomatillo!
In an effort to grow new-to-me determinant tomato varieties, I completely forgot to grow tomatillos this year. By the time I realized my mistake it was too late to start tomatillos from seed and none of my favorite local transplant suppliers were growing them. I’m told that tomatillos aren’t a popular crop. For shame. Well …
EcoForms
The world of gardening containers is a sad carnival of ugly. I grow A LOT of plants, therefore requiring A LOT of pots. Unfortunately, the few stylish containers out there fall outside of a price range affordable to the bountiful, yet thrifty grower. That’s why I was excited to find these gorgeous plant pots at …
Home-Grown Edamame
My spouse, our cat (she LOVES edamame!), and I just finished sharing a small plate of fresh edamame aka soy beans harvested from the rooftop garden. This first harvest came from one plant grown in a medium-sized container. The variety name is ‘Toyha.’ To be honest the taste was not unlike the frozen beans I …
California Giants
I’m currently in Northern California for the Blogher Conference. I’ve been to these parts once before but the massiveness of the plants, most especially the invasives really stand out this time. I assumed this patch of renegade nasturtiums was a random fluke. Until I turned the corner. And the next one. And the next. And …
A Bag Made of Bags
This crocheted bag looks like a great project to make for toting your garden harvest or trips to the Farmer’s Market. It’s made using plastic grocery bags cut into workable “yarn” strips. I like that the designer used different coloured bags to create a classier looking bag.
Growing More-erer Food
Because I am afflicted with the disease commonly known as “Can’t-Walk-Past-Plants, Most-Especially-Plants-on-Sale”-itis and because an entire kitchen garden that was non-existent a few days ago doesn’t seem to be enough today; I done went and bought me some pathetic-looking transplants. But wait, they were only fifty cents! Except the tuberous begonia — that was two …
Project “Grow More Food”
It’s time for me to face the cold, hard truth; my plot at The Parkdale Community Beer Garden is officially crap for growing veggies. With every new year I have found that while my soil continues to improve, the light on my tiny plot has been slowly declining. A couple of overhead trees have been …
Versus the Squirrels (Part 2)
Well it turns out that the squirrels just up and left of their own accord. I have no idea why they would want to leave considering the cornucopia of delights waiting just outside their front door, but I’m not about to complain. And with their leave the peas have flourished. The ‘Carouby de Maussane’ plant …