Container gardening can be limiting at times, but I can usually find a way to grow what I want by changing the variety. I'm fascinated with root vegetables, beets and carrots in particular. When it comes to carrots, I grow the little round baby carrots. Parmex-baby ball, Parisienne,and Tonda di Parigi, are a few varieties of this little orange gem. Instead of straight down, these carrots grow round, and are perfect for container gardening. Their flavor is dynamite, and I thought any excess would make a killer indian-spiced pickled carrot.
Admittedly, this year I was a bit lazy with my carrot planting technique. I picked two containers, made (quasi) rows, tossed in the seeds and covered with soil. Carrot seeds are teeny, and I have been known to have little patience when it comes to seeds so small you forgot if you planted them or not!
Well - I pretty much forgot I was growing them until today. I was cultivating the tomatoes, coaxing the cucumbers, and flicking stinkbugs off of the pepper plants when I noticed that the carrot tops were getting pretty tall. I reached down and pulled out a beautiful carrot - though not quite ready for a full harvest. In about a month I'll have a on of these beauties.
If the cucumbers give up on me this week, I may amend the soil with compost and get in another planting of carrots....or maybe beets...