However short the trip, I cannot help but bring the garden with me wherever I go. The packets of seeds I had planned to start a sprouts garden with were rejected by customs hasn't stopped my desire for homegrown food. This visit to my parents' home is just a couple of weeks in duration. None the less I feel it is my duty to fill up their ceramic pots with greens that are appropriate for the season and fill in the empty spots in the front yard garden.
As is tradition, my mom and I visited our neighborhood nursery. She was looking for decorative plants for her pots and I for in search of crops. Fortunately we both left happy and even met mid-way with a few beautiful and medicinal herbs that will be planted in the front yard.
One item purchased was a tray full of lettuce. Instead of planting them in the ground directly they were put into ceramic pots with 100% compost. This is a method that I recommend for most gardens in dry climates. Compared to the relative wild of the front yard, these little greens with be safe and regularly watered when sitting just outside in the area we call the kitchen garden which is in the backyard and protected by the canopy of trees.
Between these pots I also seeded micro greens of arugula and cilantro. Sowing micro greens entails filing a pot or tray with compost and/or potting soil and then seeding very close together. These pots will grow quickly and need watering at least once -or even better- twice a day. Their proximity to the main activity of the house (the kitchen) means they won't be forgotten or dry out. When they are ready to harvest these leafy greens will be easily cut with scissors added to meals.
:: Now to the Front Yard ::
My parent's front yard is located on a quite street in suburban California. The are is tranquil and with lots of trees making it a hot spot for pedestrians and dog walkers. The yard gets a lot of attention as it is bigger than most and obsessively maintained by my mom. Years ago we decided to make the most of all the views per day and showcase a decorative and edible garden to contrast the entirely ornamental landscapes surrounding.
Gardening in California has many challenges. Most of the year is hot and dry and neighbors are known to tell on each other for over watering. I dream of my parent's growing bountiful greens but, the reality is that greens need a lot of water and attention neither which is guaranteed. Luckily, my mom shares my love of herbalism and most herbs don't require much humidity at all. Via trial and error we have come up with a system of growing arid-loving herbs like rosemary, sage & lavender as well as some lesser known medicinals, with leafy greens in the shady spots between.
People walking by tend to stop to admire at the lavender in flower, or chat with my mom as she harvests basil leaves before dinner. To make it more of a learning experience for folks we have added some labels naming the herb in the hopes that the passerby feels inspired to start their very own low water herb garden!