Edible plants for bay area garden
March 28, 2016 11:59 AM Subscribe
Just moved to a place in SF south bay (mediterranean climate) with an empty raised bed garden, approx 10' x 5'. There are a couple of trees over it and fences/buildings blocking the west and east, so it only receives filtered light in the middle of the day. Any recommendations for edible plants (including herbs) that will grow well here?
I also have some wine barrel planters I can put elsewhere in the yard for full sunlight. I'm thinking tomatoes but am open to suggestions.
I also have some wine barrel planters I can put elsewhere in the yard for full sunlight. I'm thinking tomatoes but am open to suggestions.
I would try the herbs you would most enjoy to see if they get enough sun. Nooint in going without just because you were discouraged by something in a book.
posted by SemiSalt at 12:33 PM on March 28, 2016
posted by SemiSalt at 12:33 PM on March 28, 2016
Best answer: Actually, get yourself a copy of Golden Gate Gardening. It's not only specific to our area, but it's full of advice for different microclimates found in some neighborhoods and for various urban/suburban situations you might find yourself in (like shaded yards etc). Amazing gardening book, lots of troubleshooting, recipes for unusual vegetables you might grow here, etc.
posted by girl Mark at 12:56 PM on March 28, 2016
posted by girl Mark at 12:56 PM on March 28, 2016
The mother of edible landscaping, Rosalind Creasy, is based in Los Altos. I'd recommend any of her books as good places to start.
posted by Lexica at 11:26 AM on March 29, 2016
posted by Lexica at 11:26 AM on March 29, 2016
Response by poster: Thanks for the book recommendations all. I went to the library and found Golden Gate Gardening very helpful. For future time travelers researching this question, here's a rough list of the most promising crops I'm interested in:
Leafy greens: Kale, chard, spinach, lettuce
Most herbs work, I'm going with basil, rosemary, parsley, and oregano as those are the most useful for my cooking.
Others: broccoli, radish, wild strawberry, and some kind of pea/bean in the winter
More research needed to narrow it down from here, but it's a good start. And yeah, tomatoes in the sun, maybe a melon plant as well.
posted by ilikemefi at 2:23 PM on March 31, 2016
Leafy greens: Kale, chard, spinach, lettuce
Most herbs work, I'm going with basil, rosemary, parsley, and oregano as those are the most useful for my cooking.
Others: broccoli, radish, wild strawberry, and some kind of pea/bean in the winter
More research needed to narrow it down from here, but it's a good start. And yeah, tomatoes in the sun, maybe a melon plant as well.
posted by ilikemefi at 2:23 PM on March 31, 2016
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posted by otherwordlyglow at 12:24 PM on March 28, 2016 [1 favorite]