"April is not the cruelest month, if I may disagree with the eloquent gloom, of the poet of doom "
–Michael Franks (from the song "Coming to Life")
I always post my favorite spring time song by my boy Michael Franks on the blog every spring, and I'll let the song "Coming to Life" walk us through this episode of "The Garden of Eatin' ".
Anyhooz…a month and some change after I started the "Garden of Eatin' ", everything is growing!!! What a Gardner I've become!!! OR shall I say, and "Urban Soul Farmer".
Other than that Italian Oregano starter plant that was killed in action (not sure if it was "friendly fire" or not) everything is "Coming to Life"…..
Below: my "Herb Pot", From the top clockwise, Rosemary from starter plant, Golden Upright Marjoram from starter hiding at 3 O'Clock on the right, Garden Cress (from seeds) at lower right, and French Sorrel from starter [taking over] at the bottom left
"……all winter long the green shoots hiding, under ice and snow,
while they wait for the sun, while they wait to become"
–Michael Franks (from the song "Coming to Life")
Above and Below: My Cilantro and Parsley bush (from starter plants). I didn't fill that entire ball planter with soil, instead, I planted the starters in the cloth "Smart Pots" and dropped it in the ball planter.
So, if the Cilantro and Parsley bolt in the summer heat, I can simply pull the Smart Pot out and drop in another decorative plant (Even I modestly admit that is an ingenious idea 🙂 )
Below: Astro Arugula from starters, this thing is growing like crazy!!!! Not sure what it meant, but I had a dream it grew out of control, came into the bedroom and grabbed my ankles… hmmmmmmm
Below: Scallions, I tried this just for fun because someone on web suggested it. You buy a bunch of organic scallions from Whole Foods or wherever, cut off and eat the greens as normal, but instead of eating or throwing out the white bulbs , just plant them in the soil with just the tip showing..
…they will keep growing back, as I only planted these 3 weeks ago!! Now I have endless scallion greens for eggs, salads and everything, When you cut off some greens, they keep growing back. Someone said theirs grew to over three feet tall…AMAZING!!!!!
"Me, always looked as the least likely, to believe in spring, I was cool with reverb
…til love threw me that curve"
–Michael Franks (from the song "Coming to Life")
Above: (all from seeds) before thinning, Speckled Trout Lettuce (top row) ,
Red Deer Tounge Lettuce (middle Row), Green Oakleaf Lettuce (bottom row)
Below: I thinned the three lettuces so that [I suppose] 9 to 12 lettuce heads can eventually grow out, but the seeds sprang up so easily I didn't want to thin and throw away so I started planting the seedlings I pulled out anywhere and everywhere.
Below: Pacific Pearl Onions and Red Baron Scallions, both from starters
Below: 3 Types of spinach Space Hybrid Spinach, the tall spinach on the left (from starter plant), Red Kitten Spinach at the bottom (from starters), and Malabar Spinach (a.k.a., Indian Spinach), not a true spinach but supposedly can handle the summer heat unlike most spinach, from seeds, sprouting up on the upper right
Below: Garlic Chives from a starter plant (I'd better water this more)
"You, in love's forest, hibernating, counting all the wounds,
in your heart's history, like the rings of a tree"
–Michael Franks (from the song "Coming to Life")
Above and below: Rainbow Swiss Chard, all from the same starter plant
Once again, the Ball Planter simply has a Terra Cotta pot dropped, I can pull it out in whenever I want to switch 
Above: still more Rainbow Swiss Chard from that starter plant
…..and Below, more Rainbow Swiss Chard from Seeds (I'm gonna be one "Chard Eatin' Brotha' ")
Below: Atomic Red Carrots, and Chantenay carrots, and Dragon Purple Carrots
….juuuuust starting to "come to life"
"Now I feel love coming to life….must be real love, coming to life, like a Symphony "
–Michael Franks (from the song "Coming to Life")
Above: Purple Passion Spinach from seed. It's supposed to grow bushy and a vibrant "velvety" purple, I planted it in a fabric "Smart Pot" so I can drop it in one of the round ball planters to enhance the "summer decor"
Below: More Purple Passion Spinach, I threw some of the seedlings from the lettuce that I thinned from the other lettuce pot, it should grow to be a crazy, "funky colored" pot
Below: Strawberry from starter plants…I'm cool if this doesn't sprout strawberries because of my 3-4 hours of direct sun a day, but nonetheless, it makes a decorative bush, and strawberry leaves have health properties.
But, I think I see a few berries "Coming to Life" !!!!!
Below: I call this my "Psychedelic Salad Bowl", with starters from Bonnie Spinach, Bonnie Red Romaine Lettuce, and more of the seedlings from the lettuce seeds I threw in here. And I stuck a few other seeds in there but forgot which ones, now I see why people mark their plants 🙂
I'm just gonna let it grow wild, like a funky fresh salad!!!
Below: come on……..what's a garden without a basil bush?
"What we missed is coming to life, slowly kissed, its coming to life,
all we wished for, is coming to life….like a symphony"
–Michael Franks (from the song "Coming to Life")
Above: the steel spikes on the planters are so this "Street Gang" of pigeons will not have any place to land and devour my plants. And it really works!!! I can peek from inside the window, see them land on the rail, look around, turn around and fly away….FREAKIN AAY!!!! When the plants get "bushy" and fill out, the spikes should mostly be invisible, like the Cilantro Plant in the middle at the top.
……note to self, a lemon tree in a big, cool heavy pot would be nice right smack dab in the middle of this terrace
Below: OK, let me get the hell down from here an go write this article. How is it gonna look to my readers if I try to promote the healthy, holistic lifestyle, only to plunge to my death from leaning too far over the rail, for the vanity of the perfect overhead shot for the internet.
Would look especially bad since I'm gonna title the article "Coming to Life" 🙂 
Below: Michael Franks: "Coming to Life"
(I post this song every spring to celebrate end of winter) ENJOY!!!
"Growing your own food is like printing your own money" 
……you might also like
Ron Finley: The "Gangster Gardner"
He plants food and gardens in Vacant lots in South Central L.A.
click here or photo for all my articles in
"Sustainable Eating, Living, and Gardening" 
4 Responses
Heya, have you tried planting chia seeds? I tried my hands at planting them but I can't seem to get them to grow flowers. The best I could was to have them sprouted to around 10cm tall before they died.
Hey Calvin,
As healthy as Chia is, it simply doesn’t worl well with my digestive system. It leaves me feeling “stopped up”. Since this is my first edible garden, I’m sticking to more of the “salad staples”
Thanks for reading and commenting
~stay healthy~
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Hi Doug, I really like this post, nice pictures. Thanks.
Hi Lan,
Thanks for reading and commenting on my post.I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Doug Wallace at Gaia Health Blog
~stay healthy~
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