My Urban Garden
When I moved into Garden Court Plaza I was told I could have a garden plot on the giant green roof over the parking lot. So Friday morning I went to inquire and was told I could claim any area of the garden that was "abandoned." "Abandoned" turned out to mean the area inhabited by three-foot dandelions and garbage.
So I went to Home Depot and bought a pair of $3 gloves and a $7 "cultivator," or hand-held hoe. I also bought a couple of little white picket fence things so I could mark off my efforts. Not having any clue what do to, I just went to work, hacking away at a 2-foot-by-2-foot area, pulling up weeds and soil and rocks and trash. A neighbor clued me in to the secret tool stash, and I tried out some big rakes and shovels.
I did a little research online - AFTER I had hacked away at the land - and returned to Home Depot for a bag of MiracleGro to replace the soil I had removed along with the weeds. I also bought a small bottle of Roundup, the weed killer. I sprayed RoundUp on the area around my little patch (take that three-foot dandelions!). I called the company - they said I could plant vegetables three days after I spray. I'm going to get some plants from the UC Garden Club next weekend and plant then. I bought a brave little watermelon plant from Home Depot that is waiting as well. Clarence has already taken a bite out of it.