Our seeds...

On our way back from a visit to Richmond, we stopped to get some seeds from Home Depot. There were so many yummy veggies to choose from. Here is what we picked up to start with:

• Chives
• Basil
• Cilantro
• Brandywine Tomatoes
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Butterhead Lettuce
• Mesclun Mix

With the help of a few friends and my dog, Logan, we got all the seeds planted and back to my apartment to wait out the rest of the cold weather. Since we planted, all but the cilantro have popped out.


It is thrilling to work next to the plants and watch each day as they grow more and more. Who would have thought that you could put these little specks (seeds) into the dirt and they come out as food?! This evening, we are going to be selecting the most fit of our seedlings and planning their journey to the containers outside.

Here is Logan:

Beginnings...

When I read Michael Pollan’s “Omnivore’s Dilemma” (http://www.michaelpollan.com/omnivore.php), I was still unable to keep a single plant alive in my apartment and had just recently stopped eating each of my meals at my nearby Subway (I alternated between turkey and grilled chicken foot-longs). After I finished Pollan, I picked up Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" (http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/) based on a recommendation from a Good Samaritan who saw me reading Pollan. As I read more, I started to feel intrigued by the prospect of growing my own food, or at least knowing where my food came from. Michael and Barbara inspired me and I grew increasingly fond of the Dupont Circle Farmers’ Market (http://www.freshfarmmarket.org/) and even started cooking.

Two years have gone by since I moved to DC, and I have read countless “foodie” books and blogs discussing the issues of our current agricultural/food system and the hopes for local and “sustainable” agriculture. I even visited Polyface Farm (http://www.polyfacefarms.com/) for a guided tour with Daniel Salatin. Now, I am ready to prove to myself that I can grow something that my friends and I can eat!

And so, my friend and I are beginning our adventure with container gardening in her yard. I decided that this would be a great opportunity to start a blog to discuss what happens next. The Adventures of Container Gardening (and Local Eating) will document the successes and failures of our urban container garden this spring and include some recipes and favorites from the farmers' market. I can’t resist sharing recipes when I describe this adventure because our food, gardens, and farms are intrinsically linked together with our environment and health.