Rooftop Garden Redux

Ok, let me just start by saying that I killed the tomato.  I'm not proud of it, it happened, we're moving on.  What lesson did we learn here?  Young tomato plants don't do well unprotected from strong coastal winds.  In fact, they snap in half.  True story.  I'll spare you all the gory photos.

With head hung low, still mourning the loss of an innocent tomato plant, I dropped by Sloat Garden Center to find something a little more sturdy and able to deal better with our wacky weather here on the west side of San Francisco.  The sun is starting to come out more, but the wind is pretty consistent; I needed something a bit more established that won't get knocked over.

To replace the fallen tomato, I grabbed a green bell pepper plant with a good thick stalk and big, healthy leaves.  It was even starting to push a little fruit.  I figured a good perennial leafy green would be a good addition as well, so I potted a small french sorrel plant.  I've never actually tried sorrel, and since I never see it at the grocery I guess I'm just going to have to grow my own.  As one of the staples of French cuisine, the sorrel will make a great addition to pastas or quick salads.  I can't wait to try it.

So I guess for now I will have to rely on my friendly neighborhood farmer's market to get my tomatoes.  No problem there.  But for a few key ingredients, bell peppers, sorrel, shallots, and even a little garlic, I won't have to go very far at all.  Wish me luck (again) on getting my little garden to grow.  It's a learning experience, to be sure, figuring out what will grow in our little micro-climate, unsheltered from the coastal air.

And of course, I'll let you all know how it comes out.

(The shallots should be ready soon, and I think they are each going to be about the size of a baby's head.  Seriously.)

Big, beautiful shallots: