Community
by Gibsy Beckett
Consider this picture a metaphor for the gardening project my neighborhood has embarked upon in the spirit of Sunset Magazine's One Block Feast. Here in Morro Bay, summer arrives not in the form of hot sunny days and warm evenings, but quite the opposite, making vegetable gardens a test of will and creativity. The menu boasts arugula salad with garden ripe tomatoes, herbed chicken, fresh caught lingcod and halibut, and a myriad of other mouth-watering dishes. But looking at the picture above makes all that seem fairly impossible and downright frustrating. A concrete garden beneath a cold gray sky screams "Raise your white flag, surrender now."
I don't consider myself a gardener at heart and I'd venture to assume that the majority of my fellow teammates don't either (not you, Chicken Dave, we are counting on your farming genes to guide us through this adventure!). I think hand watering our garden is a chore and far from therapeutic, as some green thumbs may declare. Although, I am growing to expect those daily surprises each seed and start offers: the swollen bud of a yellow squash, the tightly clenched petals of a sunflower, broccolini leaves growing so fast you can just about sit and watch them! Okay, okay, maybe I am falling into my gardening role more than I care to admit.
Well, we beach tractors are all falling into our roles a little more with every day. I took a spin around the neighborhood to catch up with the progress a few of our members. The metaphor picture above is from The Smith Family Garden, who are planting around, above and between a generous display of landscape rock and concrete. Happy green cabbage, baby shoots of sugarcane, and barrels of tomatoes (strategically positioned to maximize sun and warmth) were enthusiastically shown off to passers-by. As I finished up the garden tour, Dave Smith mentioned how happy he was to "get his garden on again," admitting it had been awhile since he had put seeds in the soil (sounds like he's channeling his past life these days!).
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In this picture we see a man on a mission. The Ditmore Family Garden was planted with equal parts enthusiasm and trepidation. Having lived on their lot long enough to know that the squirrel population outnumbered the household; the Ditmores planted their seeds with battle axes. This wasn't just any old garden ripe for squirrel harvest, this was a competition garden for Sunset Magazine, this was a garden their neighbors and teammates were counting on, and this was WAR! The picture illustrates how far the battle has progressed, as Nate Ditmore heaves the last of the squirrel mansion (a wood and concrete deck aptly named "Squirrel Haven") into his truck headed for the dump. You'll notice the garden behind him, looking more like Fort Knox, heavily armed with chicken wire. I trust those squirrels are shopping for real estate right now.
Beet Plant
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The Johnson Family Garden is tucked into planting beds alongside their driveway and house, making efficient use of what little land is available. Large broccoli heads and a shrub of tomato greens are nestled beside an intricate lemon tree heavy with citrus, all ingredients on our menu. Freezing some of their early harvest is already in the works, and Christine was happy to share her latest prize beet:
I am so impressed with my neighbors' willingness to embrace a farming role, nurture a green thumb or don their squirrel armor, whatever the case may be. Just 72 days left in this competition and only time and sun (fingers crossed) will tell how much feasting this neighborhood will do.
I am looking forward to introducing a few main beach farm characters in next month's column . . . some for milking, others for eating. Stay tuned!
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