Beans. greens and flowers this morning
It can finally be told: we are moving. Not far. Just to a building I renovated 24 years ago and have kept as a rental. We’ve sold our house on the big corner lot here in Columbia Heights to a developer who will turn it into six condos. Yes, we’ve really rattled around in this place and making it a multi-family dwelling is a much better use for such a prime location. And while we are creating more places to live for others, we hope this is the first step for us toward an even bigger garden (farm?) in a more northerly latitude.
My wife won’t miss all the work such a big house requires. But we both will miss the huge kitchen garden we made out of our corner lot on a busy residential intersection two miles from the White House. We’ve managed to grow much of our own food, and turn an unimpressive lawn into a showplace for neighbors and food gardening enthusiasts.
In fact, our garden will play prominently in an edible D.C. urban garden tour that’s taking place this Friday, July 15, from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm. The tour will also be visiting some of the city’s vibrant new school gardens, private enclaves and Common Good City Farm, the same urban food production facility that saw a visit from Prince Charles earlier this year. Go here for more details and to purchase tickets.
We are engaging the concerns of a hungry planet--slowly--right here in our kitchen garden in the District of Columbia, about a mile from the White House.
WOW–huge news, Ed. I am so happy for you, but can you maybe see if the new owner will keep the garden as an amenity for tenants? Very eco.
Also, I have those books to send to you still. Now I feel an urgency to get them in the mail today!
Does your new home have space for a kitchen garden?
I hope so.
Celia
Celia, our new (old) home is a north-facing row house. No room for a real kitchen garden. In addition, we will be upstairs, meaning the tiny back yard isn’t available to us either, only a roof-top deck. I am now contemplating whether I want to haul soil upstairs through the house for planters. My wife says I owe it to my readers. In truth, I’d rather have that farm I mentioned.
congrats on the sale/move. rooftop/container garden would certainly be a new sort of challenge.
Maybe you can find some neighbours with areas they would like help with transforming into productive city veg patches and become their mentor.
Celia
Being part of the Garden tour sounds great, how did it go? Also, it’s exciting about the move, I hope all your plans pan out wonderfully!