It’s my hope that this site will provide a space for city gardeners to share successes, mourn failures and most of all, exchange ideas. Comments? Suggestions? Send ‘em my way — comments are always welcome or you can email me at plantsondeck at gmail.com.
There are plenty of resources out there for us urban gardeners, but you have to seriously search. Growing tired of weeding through pages and pages of text only to discover a paragraph on container gardening, this roof deck gardener decided to give blogging a shot.
Plants on Deck, July 2010
First, a word or two about Plants On Deck. It’s located on a 10×10 bright blue deck built atop my little row home’s roof in South Philadelphia. After moving here in 2003 my lovely husband and wonderful father built my elevated yard, knowing that I couldn’t live in a world without dirt. Two years later they installed a pulley system so water could be hauled up more efficiently and safely (the deck is reached by what we call a “sladder” a steep stair/ladder combo). In 2008 they built a 2×4 extension because the planters were threatening to take over. Completely.
This year, approximately 25 pots are crammed onto the little blue deck. That’s hundreds of plants on deck.
POD Extension
The Infamous Sladder
This is totally awesome!!! What a great use of space. I am so glad to see I have a fellow South Philly Gardener!
Thanks! I’ll keep an eye on your garden progress as well. Good luck.
Pingback: Swiss Chard and Preserved Lemons « Plants On Deck
LOVE IT! What a terrific use of space. While I have a good size yard in my SW Portland, OR home, I still utilize more space on my deck with containers. Tomatos, cukes, and herbs are currently thriving in about 10 pots lining the space.
My goal this year was to get everyone I knew, even apartment and condo dwellers to plant ONE veggie or herb plant in a container to help make the community a better place.
I’m trying to figure out how I can use my pitched roof to enlarge my garden area. That idea may have to wait until the next house comes along!
Keep up the amazing work. I’ve added your site to my favorites!
Julie
Thanks so much, Julie! You’re absolutely right. I just bought a little self-watering pot for an extremely busy friend who travels a ton. She lives in Chicago and her 2×4′ condo balcony doesn’t leave much room for gardening. In that little container I planted some Thai basil, tarragon, and rosemary — so, at the very least, she can spice up her vegetarian meals with a little home-grown green.
How can I subscribe to this blog?
Good question. I think there’s a subscribe link in the comment box, but I’m not sure! I’ll see if I can’t figure it out.