Since I still have a lot to say about last summer in NYC, I will post a page to continue reflecting upon my hyper-urban gardening experiences there. Meanwhile, this summer I am sharecropping in Bloomington, Indiana where I live.

Last year one of my goals was to involve as many people as possible, so our farm was 17 growing spaces big, spanning all 5 Burroughs of the City.  Not knowing how much I could handle with such a large geographic distance between spaces, I kept each planting relatively small. This year, pared down to 2 locations, I’m experimenting with yield, portability, and shared responsibility.

Location number one is home. My landlord gave me permission to turn my yard into a micro farm. Since the soil is very hard, thin and full of tough tree roots, and the space somewhat shady, I decided to make full advantage of the sunny patio area by re-using the pots I sewed for Sharecropper NYC, and added a bunch more. What’s great about portable pots is that my soil investment can travel with me when I move someday.  But I’m also working on amending the soil in the rest of the yard by building up organic matter. Phase one is clearing the land with newspaper and straw. In the fall I’ll add dried leaves and compost and plan to build more beds in spring. I’m doing the same same on the side of the house.  On the front porch, I’m growing lots of greens–pretty and edible! Click here, here and here for photos.

The second space is the Willie Streeter Community Garden. My friends Sarah, Maria, Kerry and I each rented an organic extended-season plot for $25 (which includes water) and have consolidated our efforts. We share watering, weeding, planting, and re-planting tasks, cover vacations without the garden suffering, and keep each other company when managing chores. We’ll need to amend the soil much more heavily next year as some of our plants were a bit scrawny. We lost broccoli, eggplant, and squash to insects and extremes in weather patterns, but as you can see here, we had great success with the heirloom tomatoes, basil, onions and leeks!

2009 Post-season relfection: Our two biggest challenges in this space were extreme temperatures (concrete enclosure), and rats (so bold they come out in daylight and eat everything in sight, including tires!).  We decided on hot peppers hoping they would bypass spicy food, and it worked! I only found one pepper all season with a nibble taken out of it. Even though peppers thrive best in hot weather, we watered every sunny day, sometimes more than once. It’s essential with potted plants. They dry out very quickly.  Thanks again to Rachel, Georgia, Kevin, Jake, Valerie, Madeleine, Seth, Patty and Eli. We had a beautiful harvest and a wonderful time. More photos on Flickr and Facebook.

2009 Post-season relfection: Matthew calls his patio “the back 40″ as in 40 feet.  We’re talking NYC remember. But it was plenty enough space for our green beans. As you recall, we planted lots of different varieties.  Some did beautifully, others not so much. The Purple Podded Pole was a stunner in terms of color (see above taken by Matthew Wills)! All of the plants produced, but overall our harvest was much smaller than anticipated.  Perhaps the cold and rainy beginning played a part, and although beans are light feeders, they may have needed a bit more fertilizer. It’s such a balancing act! Thank you Matthew for your good care and good company! More photos on flickr.

2009 Post-season relfection: Have you ever seen such gorgeous peppers? Sharecropper through the eyes of my dear friend, and incredibly talented artist, Andrea Wenglowskyj–romantic and dreamy. Our beginning was anything but.

Making art with live plants is a precarious endeavor, especially seedlings. I trucked 300+ grown from seed by me in Bloomington, Indiana to NYC the first week of June. If we’d have hit a heat wave en-route, the little guys would have been toast.  But as luck had it, the drive was cool and overcast.  Upon arrival, I worked against a ticking clock to get the lot transplanted into 17 locations around the city. What I thought would take 1.5 weeks stretched into 3.5 weeks, due to organizational set backs, and a steep learning curve on the inter-workings of New York transportation systems and supply routes.

95 Halsey was one of the last locations installed. Torrential and relentless rain storms which pummeled the area throughout June, were both a blessing and a curse. Blessing, because like balancing spinning plates, maintaining while installing would have meant further delays.  And curse because the un-transplanted, pelted with so much rain and without sun, withered–some died.  So our peppers were weakened to the point where even several weeks after planting, we doubted their survival.

But the sun eventually shined.  And with Nate’s loving care, a good dose of organic fertilizer, and the amazing fortune of a long growing season…well, you can see for yourself by clicking here our happy ending. Thanks you so much Nate and Andrea for everything!

Or, the Long Island Cheese anyway. Here are some photos taken by Christina Kelly of Isak Mendes harveting our first pumpkin over at the Lefferts House. It’s a beauty…should make a fine pie! More photos on Flickr and Facebook.

Here is Sharecropper as seen through the eyes of Skye MacLeod, Video Producer from Columbia University’s EdLab. Skye followed this project from the moment I landed in New York. He filmed plantings, interviewed participants, even helped dig some dirt himself, and is putting together a short documentary. Here is part 1, Installation. Skye, I don’t quite know how to even begin to thank you for all you’ve done. You’re amazing!

These beautiful greens were grown at Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanic Garden–2 types of swiss chard and arugula. The spot was a bit too hot for our spinach. It bolted much too quickly, and faded out, but as you can see, the other plants were quite happy. Many thanks to Patrick Grenier, for supporting this project, and for his good care, Kelly Kawabara for helping me tend the garden all summer, and the park rangers for storing my tools, loaning me their wrench for the faucet, and their good humor.