Rooftop Garden Check-in & Cricket Update

I've had a few people ask me how our Rooftop Garden has been doing this year.  I haven't talked about it as much and I probably should.  We didn't do as many things this year because of less people to help with it and those who do most of it have been busier than usual.  But what we do have - I have taken some recent photos in the last week or so and will be posting a video, soon, too!

This year we have 3 different kinds of tomatoes we are trying.  2 out of the 3 are starting to produce something.  I will be posting more about which kinds at a later date.  Here's a pic of one of them in the meantime.

You know me and BASIL - I love it!  We have 2 'trees' of it we started this year as you can see here and we have one left inside near a window leftover from last year.  We have 2 'just starting out' plants that are growing from a 'drop off' from previous plants.

My mother has like 9 basil plants doing well in her back yard and she doesn't even use basil much so I guess it's time to start making pesto, eh!?  I know each time I mention it I have people interested in taking some once it's made.  I think I will make that a mini goal for this week and next week!

Another mini goal of mine SHOULD BE to do something with all of the Lemon Balm that is popping up everywhere!  I brought a little bit over from my mom's and it's going NUTS!

We have 3 containers of it going strong and I'm not doing anything with it...it's taking off on its own completely.

All I can think of is include it in tea but I want to try and come up with some home remedies and health/beauty ways to use it, too!

Suggestions for Lemon Balm?  Let me know!

And just a quick update on Cricket before I go...here she is!  She's a sweetie!  Ever since we lost Suzie - Paco and Riley have been going thru the motions with no real 'leader' and Cricket is leader - that is for sure!

She loves riding in the car, going for walks with fur friends, and doesn't mind baths.  But she doesn't like her nails done...so that will be something I will need assistance with soon!  She's still around 4 pounds and done growing but she has no idea that she isn't as 'big' as the other dogs!

Basil, Orange Peppers, and Tomatoes - Progress, Sort of...

These are 5 gallon buckets.  In these 5 gallon buckets are Basil plants!  The Basil Plants are about 3 and a half feet high so far.  I honestly can't believe how much basil these - once small plants - produced this year!!!  I know they usually do well - but had no idea they would do THIS well!

I'm very excited about this!  I have already done a few different pesto's out of the leaves I have plucked.  I hope to do more and very soon!

I will surely log - here on my blog - more about my near-future pesto adventures.

I think I might try and juice some and maybe add some to a few green smoothies, too, since I have so much!

But WAIT...there's more!  Yup!  You see correctly!  That's a 3rd basil plant!  This one isn't as big as the other two but still a very good sized plant. 

Oddly, this is the Basil plant I thought was NOT going to make it but it ended up pulling thru just fine!

In front you can see some of our cucumber plants.  They were slow at the start but I think we might see a few - thru to the end!

There are some Contender Beans next to the Basil - in this photo - as well.  We thought we were going to lose all of those, too, but we were able to save 2 of them.  One feel off and started growing next to it - in between the one Contender Bean and the Basil plant - all on it's own!

We've been picking them as they are ready and munching on them as snack - while at work!

This is a photo I took of our one sweet orange bell pepper last week but I'm happy to report that it's even more orange today.  The leaves are a little limp but we worked in some more soil and such to see if that helped.  I think a few bags of soil we bought were crappy.  One had too much 'wood' and the other was like mud/cement.  Live and learn - I guess, eh!?

Next year we will know not even to try the root veggies and I think we will nix the broccoli next year, too!  Eventho our broccoli plant was HUGE - it seemed to take MONTHS and ended up not producing ANYTHING.  Oh well.  This year was our first year and we will apply that to following years and go from there.

It was slow-going or should I say slow-GROWING with our Rosalita Lettuce but we were able to get a few of them to produce some greens.  We learned if we let them go too long they produce weird 'shoots'.

It's been VERY 'hit and miss' with our tomato attempts so far.  We have these two and another one that seem to be doing well but that's about it. 

Next year we might not do tomatoes.

We really tried to bring these guys back from the 'brink' with a little bit of 'lime' that Sam's father gave us.

I'm hopeful with our 3 Sunflowers - more on those in the near future - fingers crossed!

We might try and experiment with indoor container growing in off season months, too.  Nothing major just a few things we can try in the front room that has large windows.

I know there seem to be a lot of things that aren't really going our way but I want to keep trying!  There are other things that we are having success with - I assure you!

Too Many Tomatoes? NEVER!

I could seriously eat tomatoes EVERYDAY!  I LOVE them!  And I really love different kinds of tomatoes!  That's why The Seed Saver Exchange REALLY caught my interest and why I will be attempting to do a variety of them this year on our Rooftop Garden.  In addition to the updates I mentioned before I spoke to our outside sales person and she wants in on the garden too but seems to be more eager to start with 'starter plants' which I'm totally fine with.  I might actually get a few of those in my travels as well as local markets in the spring.  I will keep you posted!  As for some of the different kinds of things I mentioned in that previous post I thought I would elaborated on some of them today starting with the tomatoes!

Tomato, Blondkopfchen Organic - pictured above - (Solanum lycopersicum) (aka Little Blonde Girl) East German heirloom obtained by Seed Savers Exchange from Gatersleben Seed Bank. Small golden yellow 1" fruits borne in giant clusters, excellent sweet taste. Enormous yields and rarely a cracked fruit. Bears until frost. Indeterminate, 75-80 days from transplant.

As for the Blondkophchen I not only wanted a 'yellow' tomato I wanted something that would rarely 'crack'.  According to the description I think this might fit the bill. 

Next up - Tomato, Ukrainian Purple - (Solanum lycopersicum) (aka Purple Russian) Original stock of this variety came from Irma Henkel in the Ukraine. Plum shaped fruits are 3-4" long and weigh 6 ounces, generally crack-free. Great flavor, sweet and meaty. Plants are very productive. Indeterminate, 80 days from transplant.

Another Crack-Free small tomato!  I was looking for bite-sized that we could snack on at work as well as a tomato that was known for being productive.  This seems to be one of the ones that matches that 'want and need'.

Tomato, Lemon Drop Organic - (Solanum lycopersicum) Winner of SSE’s 2010 Tomato Tasting. Seed originally from Florida SSE member J. T. Sessions, who found this sport growing with his Snow White Cherry plants. Heavy sets of ½-¾" translucent yellow-green cherry tomatoes. Refreshing tart-sweet flavor. Continues producing even in cold wet growing conditions. Indeterminate, 80-90 days from transplant.

I have to admit - when I saw the NAME and description of this tomato - I couldn't pass it up!  This is the first of the 3 that was TART in addition to being sweet!  YUM!  I'm also SUPER EXCITED about this one because it says it continues producing even in cold, wet growing conditions!  Well, in Northwest Pennsylvania, I can say that is a certainty as well as on a ROOF in NW PA.

Tomato, Isis Candy - (Solanum lycopersicum) Gorgeous bicolor cherry tomatoes are red with a spectacular cat’s eye starburst on the blossom end. Rich, sweet, fruity flavor. Plants are loaded with 1½" fruits in clusters of 6-8. Bred by Joe Bratka of New Jersey. Indeterminate, 70-80 days from transplant.

Another one I first was drawn to because of the name.  Rich, Sweet, AND Fruity Flavor!?  I'm sooooo there!

Next up...Tomato, Tasty Evergreen Organic - (Solanum lycopersicum) (aka Evergreen) A favorite of Ben Quisenberry. Originally introduced by Glecklers Seedmen of Metamora, Ohio, in 1956. A green-when-ripe variety with medium-sized beefsteak fruits. Grapefruit yellow when fully ripe; flesh and gel remain green inside. Luscious and tender, strong sweet flavor. Very productive. Indeterminate, 75 days from transplant.

I figured the more color the BETTER!  I'm trying to get as much color as possible with the things I choosing to try!  I'm drawn to this one, too, because it's considered to be "Very Productive".

Black Cherry - I didn't forget about you!

Tomato, Black Cherry Organic - (Solanum lycopersicum) Vigorous regular leaf plants covered in clusters of 1" round cherry tomatoes. Dusky purple-black fruits bursting with rich flavor—sweet and complex. Indeterminate, 65-75 days from transplant.

I just can't pass them up!  The perfect snack tomato and go-to tomato!  They look amazing and I can even SMELL them thru the screen!

So there is a quick look at the Tomatoes we are planning on ordering thru the Seed Saver Exchange Catalog. 

NOTE: The Product Descriptions & Photos are located on their website as well.