Here is the garden bed I’ve constructed from limestone rocks and discarded concrete blocks that I’ve rooted out of the vegetation in the back yard of my apartment. I’ve filled the bed with Mango leaves I’ve stripped from branches that had been pruned and discarded in the back yard, green vegetation I chopped with a machete, and semi-rotted palm fronds which I also rooted out of the back yard vegetation. I am hoping the materials will compost over the next few months into usable garden soil, though I am relatively certain that I will have to also import soil.
I’m guessing that after watching me root out the rocks and chop vegetation, my landlord, Senor Monsreal; the fellows who have been renovating a vacant apartment here; and my next door neighbor, Joel, a Spanish fellow who plays trombone in the Yucatan Symphony Orchestra, consider me to be un Gringo Loco. And after today, when I dragged quite a number of fallen palm fronds from the yard of the vacant house next door over to my future garden, I am guessing that my other neighbors may have come to share the sentiment.
But, hey, you know me. I am a gringo, a quality I’m not so proud of these days, and I am loco, a quality of which I immensely proud. The fellows renovating the apartment must also appreciate loconess, as I notice that today they laid some unused concrete blocks in a line on the other side of the Lemon tree so as to start another bed.
I plan to plant tomatoes, melons, and peppers. Given that the back yard is composed mostly of sandstone I’m having to use the raised bed approach. If all goes according to plan I’ll be eating home grown produce early next Spring.
5 Comments
October 27, 2005 at 7:10 am
Beautiful. What an interesting project. You may find that for tomatoes you need a little shade. That’s what people do in Miami, which is less tropical than your climate (under the shade of a tree or with a little net draped over the plant). Otherwise on hot days the ripe tomatoes explode. They also grew green beans that in half shade.
October 27, 2005 at 8:08 am
Thanks El Macho,
I need all of the tips I can get for growing vegetables here. The only type of tomatoes I have found in the local markets here are smaller and look like Romas. Being Un Gringo Loco I have collected and dried seeds from the watermelon, cantaloupe, peppers and tomatoes that I’ve bought at the market. I plan to try to start them shortly after the Winter Solstice.
October 27, 2005 at 1:03 pm
If I were you I would get some good seeds, meaning seeds that you know are going to produce. Planting seeds from fruits and veges is risky as they maybe hybrids and unable to produce a crop.
October 27, 2005 at 3:03 pm
Thanks for the advice Life Long Harborite, and my half life long friend. Perhaps I will try the seeds I’ve collected as well as store bought seeds, or maybe starts if I can find them. At this point I’m wondering, given the climate here which enables the Mango tree in the back yard to put out new growth and the flowers to bloom at this time of year, when is the proper time to plant. I haven’t yet found any info on the www but I’m still looking. Oh yeah, and the climate here also enables me to acquire a tan this time of year.
I must say I’m having a great time rooting around, and cleaning up, the back yard which has been used as a dump for old tile and concrete. Sr. Monsreal, my landlord, and attorney, and a really nice fellow was by this afternoon and seems pleased with what I’ve done.
October 29, 2005 at 9:19 am
Some of our neighbors look askance at our composting operation too. But it’s in two old recycled Arlington garbage bins, which we bought from the county, way in the back corner of our lot. A couple of the immediate neighbeors are concerned that we are running a feeding station for rats. They have sent the county rat inspectors in and placed little plastic rat poison feeders. I told Latham–whose yard shares a corner with ours–that his lush English ivy ground cover are prime rat habitat because they offer not only year around shelter, but also tender and nutritious shoots. I’m pretty sure there’s a nearby colony, because I can see the hump in the ivy 40 feet away.