Mary, Mary Quite Contrary: Seed Starting

(Painting By: Maxfield Parrish)

Spring has sprung, Nesters, and there is no time like the present.

Even if you are living in the tiniest apartment in Brooklyn, there is no excuse not to do a bit of gardening. Even if you've got just one viable window.

Fortunately for us, addROC and I have a great little roof space. And, while it maybe not be the Ritz, this year, I've decided I am going to go crazy and attempt a ridiculous roof garden.

Here are the the first group of seeds that I've started:


1. The Scarlet O'Hara Morning Glory.
2. Wildflower Perennial Mix.
3. Wildflower Bluebonnet Mix.
4. Sweet Peas (the flower).


I am supremely stoked.

Even more so, because these pictures are from almost a week ago! There have been some serious developments to my tray of peat starters! I will update you very soon so you can see the sprouts and the new flowers and veggies we've started, right here in our own little Brooklyn kitchen.

Seeds are cheap. So, head to K-Mart and load up on flowers, edibles, and all the garden amenities that will make starting your Spring garden easy!

Bag O' Tomatoes: Step 1 - Sweet, Sweet Tomato Love

Yay!!! So we finally found some time to get busy with our bag of Tomato Magic!

How the Hot Tomato Love Went Down:


Above:(Left) An expanded peat-pellet in a Tupperware^© (Right) Peat-pellets before expansion and Tomato seeds.

1. We put one, thin peat-pellet into a Tupperware.^©
2. We poured 1/2 cup warm water over the pellet.
3. Then we waited around 5 minutes for the pellet to expand.
4. We fluffed the peat on the surface of the pellet.
5. We sowed 2 tomato seeds.
6. Then we ran and hid it in a dark place, and we're leaving it there until we see some sweet, sweet sprout action...

Seriously though, who knew tomatoes were so frikkin' sexy?!

You say tomato, I say a bag of them.

Awesome adventures in horticulture continue here at The Brooklyn Nester.

We've found an environmentally friendly way to grow tomatoes, on your wall! (Or any weird spot you can think of in your tiny-ass apartment.)

What's great about these little bags of tomato-goodness is that they don't make a mess and they'll grow all year long. You can keep the bag outdoors (weather permitting, my little Brooklynites) or indoors.

Oh, and I should mention that you only have to water them once and they're set for life.
How, you ask?
Well...they come with these nifty crystals that release water to your tamaters over time. So this is like, the most low-maintenance project, ever.

We purchased this "Magic Tomato Grow Bag Kit" from a company called: Clean Air Gardening. It comes with three bags for the plantin' and cost us a total of $27.97 (w/ground shipping).

We will keep you updated as to the progress of our red, fruity friends. We still have yet to plant (bag?) our tomatoes. But hopefully they'll be looking as yummy as the one's on the website (pictured above) in the near future.

So, go green like the rest of the freakin' nation.
It's the least you can do for Al Gore's chubby ass.

An Herb Grows in Brooklyn

Now, I know what you're thinking and you couldn't be more wrong!

Yes, something has sprouted in Brooklyn, but, the type of herbs growing on this roof are of an edible nature.

It turns out, my boyfriend, who has more than notable culinary skills, has decided that retail prices for fresh herbs are just too exorbitant. And so, in pursuit of the perfect seasoning for the perfect dish, on the cheap of course, he has sprouted (pun totally intended) a green-thumb.

Even I, the girly-girl that I am, have grown to love the little bit of green on our shitty little roof that overlooks Williamsburg Industrial Park.

Let's go in for the aerial shot:















Herbs and Veggies:

In the long, rectangular, green planter: Basil (on left), Parsley (on right). Herbal staples, I'm told.

In the small, circular containers: Both green and red jalapenos. Saucy!

In the Terracotta planter: A random vine plant. Excitement.

Ok, so maybe it's more like Martha Stewart gone-ghetto...but, hey, in this life some of us get a patch of earth and some of us get a pot of it.

I say, make the most of your outdoor space. It's always nice to see a bit of green in this concrete jungle, ghetto or not.