FARMING OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FIFTH Inspired by a visit to a South Florida demonstration farm that emphasizes resourcefulness — “they’ve built things like a well pump from simple bicycle parts, irrigation systems from cinder blocks, and terraces from old tires,” he notes — summer resident James M. Harrison begins “to notice similar ways that people in Houston’s Fifth Ward are harvesting their own backyard crops. Just up the block, one of my neighbors is growing banana trees on his driveway. He’s been able to do it by building a raised bed from cinder blocks against a fence, and using soil that he composts in his backyard. A couple of days ago, we collected basil leaves from the neighbors herb garden, and used them to make pesto. It went great with the tomatoes from our own back yard. And over the weekend, I snacked on figs, cucumbers, and citrus in a Community Garden on Houston’s south side with some friends.” [Neighborhood //#5]
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An banana tree isn’t a difficult feat to accomplish in home gardening. They grow like weeds. Why do you think the price of bananas can be maintained pretty much year round. They are cheap produce that naturally grows in abundance.
For those with limited yards, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, green onions, and herbs are great in containers. If you have a patio with a lattice work, you can easily grow cucumbers. Just let the vine grow up the lattice work and enjoy.
We took out our pool and planted a garden. We’ve been overwhelmed with tomatoes and okra. Next year we’ll be planting a bigger variety. Bananas and Mangos have been growing in our backyard for years. Of course, once we get a big freeze, we’ll need to start from scratch.