The Joys and Pitfalls of an Urban Kitchen Gardener

At the risk of offending wildlife lovers, I have to say this. I think I hate birds. Make that birds and squirrels. All right, really only the birds and squirrels in my back yard. Last week I planted radish, carrot and beet seeds in a raised bed in the back yard interspersed with the lettuce seedlings I had planted the weekend before. And contrary to every seed packet's germination predictions of 7-14 days, but true to south Florida's balmy winter temperatures (we've stayed in the 70s for the last month or so), within 3-4 days the seeds had sprouted. The beets came first and the next day the radishes started poking their tender heads out.

My precious little vegetable seedlings were doing just fine for the next couple days as I dutifully went out every morning, watered to keep them moist and coaxed them along with a few maternal pearls of encouragement. And then came the birds and the squirrels. Something ate every last one of them, leaving only perfect soil-filled holes and an empty peanut shell as evidence. Arggghhh! It happens every year. I know the birds and squirrels have a right to coexist, but can't they coexist somewhere else? On the bright side, whoever it was left the lettuce untouched. On an even brighter side, I've ordered bird netting.

Azoychka Heirloom Tomato with Flower

Yellow Submarine Heirloom Tomato with Flowers

Broccoli with Emerging Floret

What's to keep an urban kitchen gardener from giving up? Why tenacity, of course. Tenacity and the fact that I can see the first florets emerging on each of my broccoli plants and gorgeous sunny yellow flowers on the majority of my heirloom tomatoes signaling the vegetal treasures to come.