Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Berry fresh



With the transition from spring into summer, the apartment garden is definitely looking productive. My previous worries about what might grow on my half-day-sun patio have melted away as the mercury is hitting the upper 80s on a consistent basis. It seems so obvious now, but all the plants were simply waiting for warm weather to truly thrive.

I picked my first two fruits from the Quinalt strawberry plants. They were luscious, tender and had a really nice fragrance. The roma tomatoes are developing small green fruits of their own. Down on the pavement, the Contender bush beans have sprouted their first pods and the Swiss chard is finally starting to resemble some real eating greens. I look forward to sampling these in the next couple of weeks.

Meanwhile, to celebrate the first "harvest," I had a little ice cream. I took some scoops of Breyers vanilla and topped them with sliced almonds, banana, and the just-picked berries. After drizzling a little maple syrup over the top, it was perfect!


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow! They look great, Vince. I didn't think strawberries could be grown here but obviously they can.

That bowl of icecream looks delicious.

CurrentlyVince said...

My understanding is that the climate in Houston is OK, but the native soil (clay, alkaline) is not. This seems like a crop that is ideal for a hanging planter filled with potting mix.