In the last seven years of living in my apartment (seven years! where did the time go?) one of my primary complaints has been the lack of outdoor space. I’ve longed to be able to have a little patch of earth adjacent to my home, in which I could grow a few things and in which I could experience the weather without having to shower and dress.

This summer, I’ve satisfied part of my longing. Thanks to a quirk of life that put me in the right place, at the right time, talking to the right person, I’ve found myself with a 4 x 8 community garden plot for the low, low price of $25 a year. It’s in no way adjacent to my living space, it’s actually a good mile and a half away from home, and yet I am still totally delighted by it. I’ve planted tomatoes, herbs, cucumbers and a variety of squashes and I’m hoping to harvest something delicious very soon. It’s a quick bike ride down to the plot and I visit it several times a week (we’ve had a really rainy June here in Philly, so I haven’t had to water all that much).