It has now been two weeks since I planted my rooftop garden, and because it did not immediately perish, I feel confident enough to tell you all about it! Soon. For now, I’d like to share with you the wonderful resources that made my garden possible.
One of the things I needed most in my gardening adventure was knowledge. Previously, mine extended only about as far as houseplant care. I sought out some books online, found a few, and narrowed down my selection. I ended up purchasing just one:
Grow Great Grub: Organic Food from Small Spaces, by Gayla Trail, author of the blog You Grow Girl. I wasn’t previously familiar with her blog, but she makes some beautiful plants grow and takes gorgeous pictures of them. I don’t know that I could have found a more helpful book for me! It features specific information about container gardens (which mine is!) and what kinds of plants work best in them. My favorite part is her honesty and straightforwardness:
I’m not going to lie to you. There is a heck of a lot to learn when it comes to growing a food garden. But you don’t need to know everything now in order to begin. You’ll learn over time through doing, succeeding, and yes, even failing. (pg.7)
Sure, these are words of advice to live by when you’re starting anything new, but she’s sort of a gardening goddess so it’s nice to see her admit these things. And it did give me a little boost of confidence to get started sooner rather than later.
In seeking out a place to buy supplies, I considered several options… the bodega around the corner that has some vegetable/herb plants, the little flower shop by our subway stop that has the same, etc. These would probably be fine, but also have been sitting out on some semi-grimy streets for a few weeks. Also, they may not have the size containers I need or enough potting soil. Again, I turned to the internet to help me find someplace that could provide me with everything I needed to get started.
I was incredibly fortunate to have access to my lovely sister’s car for a short time, and so I transported myself and my ideas easily over to Red Hook, a neighborhood typically only public-transit-accessible by bus. I had found a place called the Liberty Sunset Garden Center that was well-reputed for its selection, integrity, and fantastic views of Lady Liberty.
These pictures are all from the garden center itself, or the piers immediately surrounding it. It wasn’t the easiest spot to find, but I ended up getting nearly everything I needed to make my little rooftop container garden happen. The garden center has an enormous indoor space with succulents and various houseplants, planters, lawn furniture, and decorative items. The outdoor space is beautifully landscaped and cared for and is home to much healthy looking flora. They also keep an amazing vegetable, flower, and herb garden that is planted and maintained by kids from the neighborhood. If you live anywhere close, I encourage you to go take a look.
Most people know about Red Hook because it’s home to the Brooklyn Ikea. After Liberty Sunset, I swung over there to get some containers to use in the garden. I quickly decided I should either go there every week or never again. It’s a dangerous and exciting maze of brightly colored home design objects. I can’t believe I got out of there with my brains in tact.
And so, with lots of help from Grow Great Grub and the Liberty Sunset Garden Center, I was armed with most everything I needed to start my own rooftop container garden…
The thing about playdough is that it will ALWAYS dry out. Guaranteed. It’s nice to be able to make your own to refill those charming little yellow containers if need be. Recently we made some new yellow playdough in the classroom to replace the crusty old pink stuff. There are slight variations to the recipe, but you’ll pretty much find the same thing everywhere.
I have some tips for you, based on my own experience:
