Ever since I was big enough to stomp down seed potatoes in the black soil of my grandpa's garden I have loved growing things. I started keeping a garden in my family's back yard when I was in junior high, and continued the process every summer until I graduated and moved to college--eventually transitioning to sustainable practices and organic plants. Gardening was something I really missed since I moved to a city and lived in transition between dorm rooms and apartments.
This year I am fortunate to live in the only apartment on the block that has a balcony. Earlier in the spring I wasted no time in procuring deep window boxes and filling them with rich soil and practicle seeds: in the bottom tier (away from the harsh mid-day sun), radishes, spinach and bibb lettuce; the top tier has a variety of herbs that are just outside the kitchen window for easy snipping. I'm also using a giant, deep pot I had on hand for some Danvers carrots.
So far everything is growing beautifully, motivated by the sudden, Southern spring that has fallen on Savannah. I am so excited to pick the first of my little balcony bounty. At this rate, the radishes seem to be winning the race!
There is nothing quite like growing something--knowing that by your attention and nurturing hands, you have propelled something to materialize out of nothing. I have to confess there is a little part of me that gets a bit of giddy satisfaction knowing that hidden here on my city balcony is a tiny piece of the country life I love.
