Our 8 Square Feet

I realized that one of my passions in life is to garden and attempt to grow some of our food. Three years ago when we had a house and a yard I started to dream big about how much of the lawn was going to be turned into edible plant space. That dream seemed to be dashed away as we decided to pick up our lives and take on apartment living overseas. While in Germany, it seemed like too much of a hassle to haul in dirt and all of the other tools I would need to start a garden. Our apartment did get great sunlight, but that was not enough motivation for me. After our move to Quito I stilled sensed a void in the pleasure I had gotten each spring in planning to get my hands dirty. Luckily, my lunchtime habit of watching an occasional TED Talk (A garden in my apartment) sparked my interest once again. See my video.

Now, I will admit, Ayelet keep giving her best effort to keep a few plants growing in our apartments. She likes to have fresh herbs for cooking. However, I wanted more than just herbs.

The back 40 with seeds sprouting in the ice cube trays

As you might be able to see in this picture half of our plants are growing or stacked in some very different ways. Ayelet and I were motivated by a few of our treks out in Quito and to Mindo. In Quito we went to a craft fair that mainly featured upcycled items. A few of our plant stand are old plastic bottle stands taped together. That gave us both plant height and allowed for a more packed space. Our trip to Mindo motivated us just to buy more plants and put them into any plastic containers that we had, like the old water or milk jugs you see. Now with my window farm up and running we have really been able to keep a diverse garden in a very small space. My idea of what a "garden" had to be was completely changed and I don't feel the same yearning for a yard just yet. I'm glad there are so many innovative people out out in the world with a humanistic drive toward a more fulfilling life. 

Here is a list of what we are currently growing:

The Back 40 - mint, lemon balm, basil, rosemary, peas, and oregano. 

In the Window Farm - Swiss chard, 2 strawberry plants, parsley, peas, lettuce

Pea plant from the ice cube tray

Strawberry blossom - probably will get the Q-Tip treatment soon

Peas in the window farm

Swiss Chard

Parsley - purchased mostly grown

Lettuce

The sprouts are really starting to take off and I will be updating the progress on my youtube channel if you want to subscribe. I'm sure you will see a post on Facebook with our first harvest from the seeds.