This morning, Dave Rickard of Bowood Farms said that he'll be planting an early Spring crop of peas, arugula, and lettuces later this week in the garden on Olive Street (shown above in a photo taken earlier this winter). In the meantime there are bags of spring mix lettuces for sale in the cooler by Bowood's restaurant, Cafe Osage. On Saturday there will be additional vegetables brought in from Bowood's greenhouses in Clarksville, including baby Japanese turnips, kale, and other greens.
Another reason to stop by on Saturday is the lecture being given by PBS's Patti Moreno on "Urban Gardening in Raised Beds" at 10 a.m. and again at 2 p.m.
When we lived on Lenox Place we built several raised planter beds. We planted dwarf apple trees in two larger beds and perennials in an oval one at the back of the property. The beds gave our small city garden an appealing structure and, because they were filled with good soil from the beginning, the plants thrived. I remember hearing that Lenox Place was developed on top of a swamp which was covered over with landfill. Perhaps that's why it was difficult to dig a hole for a plant without encountering a piece of concrete. Raised gardening was a great solution. Learn more from an expert on Saturday at Bowood.
Bowood Farms, 4605 Olive, (314) 454-6868.