A couple months ago I moved with some friends of mine into a house one of them bought. It's a nice house in a good neighborhood with some very friendly neighbors and we've settled in here pretty well.
Now I'm thinking about growing some food.
The problem is that we've got a huge pool in the back yard (which normally wouldn't be a problem for three young bachelors who've also got a garage full of everything but cars) so there's not much room to put plants in the ground. There are planters along the fences of the back yard and along the wall of the house by the entryway, but these planters are covered with little river rocks, ostensibly to make the place look nice while keeping yard work to a minimum, and they mean I can't plant anything unless I move them or I let time and natural erosion turn them into sand.
I gave the first option a shot in the back yard by the patio with an ambitious plan to remove these rocks from an entire length of planters in one afternoon only to be humbled by the stubbornness of the stupid little things. It took hours and Deborah and I only removed about a three foot section of them. We planted a few Gerbera Daisies and jumped in the pool.
So how about growing some actual food? Probably not in these planters. The soil doesn't look too bad, but it just doesn't seem realistic to plant produce in these things. There are already some little palm trees and ferns and things so it looks like I'm going to have to turn somewhere else.
So far, I've got two big pots with Better Boy Tomatoes in one and Jalapeno, Poblano, and Red Bell Peppers in the other. It's been only a few days, but they seems to be enjoying their new home. I just hope they can survive the scorching Bakersfield heat with a novice tending their needs. Good luck little peppers and tomatoes. I hope to eat you soon.
