Even apartment dwellers can be gardeners
The Edible Balcony, Alex Mitchell, Rodale Inc. 2012, 160 pp., $21.99
After reading—and sympathizing with—Rick Marsi (see column here), I note the contrast in reviewing this book, with its lush photos of pristine herbs, fruits, vegetables and flowers.
But, as Rick indicates, hope will ultimately sprout in a gardener’s breast. And Alex Mitchell cultivates that tender seedling.
Beginners and seasoned growers alike will find something of interest and use here. Clever and whimsical ideas for repurposing household objects share pages with practical advice on cultivation, including instructions for simple, low-tech watering systems.
The author points out that repurposing items otherwise destined for the landfill can become addictively satisfying, and notes that eccentricity can be a virtue: an experiment in Chicago produced 1,000 pounds of vegetables grown in 38 children’s wading pools (or “paddling pools”—she lives in England).
Mitchell, a former gardening columnist for the Sunday Telegraph, has organized the book by useful categories, which include, among others:
• Ten best easy crops
• Least thirsty edible crops
• Top 10 fruit trees for an orchard balcony
• Top 5 exotic crops to try, and
• Top city farmer crops for a shady balcony (“Generally speaking, anything that fruits prefers sun, while those that produce edible leaves are more tolerant of shade.”)
Sprinkled throughout her discussions are a few recipes, and projects such as planting a Pimm’s and Mojito Pot (“Two cocktails from one pot—what could be finer?”), curing your own olives, and rooftop beekeeping (“In Paris, there are hives on the glass roof of the Grand Palais exhibition hall...”)
Other sections, labeled Inspiration, highlight the successes of specific growers, such as the Eagle Street Rooftop Farm in Brooklyn. As Mitchell points out, not many farms have a perfect view of the Empire State Building. She quotes Farm cofounder Annie Novak: “If putting food on a rooftop revolutionizes the way we think about our health, the effect agriculture has on our ecosystem, and where our food comes from, then I’m happy to grow it up against the skyline.”
Maybe those are among the best reasons you’d want to take a look at this book.
Dorinda White