Instead of keeping a separate blog on the Greenhouse Garden, the community garden that I (through the Wicker Park Greens) help to maintain, I think I’ll just toss my posts in here. So, the “food & garden” subject heading will function as a mini-blog of my gardening and eating (and, perchance, drinking) life — along with the usual musings or links about slow food.

I mention this because the first garden catalog of the season has arrived (from Burpee, a consistently excellent seed supplier). I’m looking forward to an early start in the garden, before the bugs and heat of August come by and knock everything out. Several plants worked really well this year, including bok choy, mustard greens, collard greens, beets, arugula, and (finally) sorrel. The asparagus rooted well, and maybe I’ll be able to get a few stalks this year.

Possibilities for this year:
beans (none this year): edamame and French beans
edible flowers: mums, squash, and violas
fruiting: long eggplant, bell peppers (which we forgot this year), honeydew (Charentais), yellow squash, tomatillo, black beefsteak tomatoes
greens/roots: arugula, beets, bok choy, broccoli raab, carrots, yellow chard, leek, mustard, Napa cabbage, red garlic, tetragonia
herbs: Thai basil, bergamot, chamomile, chives, verbena
bush versions: delicata squash, sunflower, zucchini (much larger versions of these took over the garden last year)

Too bad my apartment’s porch is too dim for most anything to grow. I might try placing some perennial herbs in the courtyard immediately below the porch; as long as they look like they fit in, the landscapers won’t bother them. Plus, it’s sunnier down there than it is under the porch.