Living & Gardening Aboard a Boat
Most of you probably have a small spot of earth that you can grow a few vegetables in. Some of you have more than that and have quite a nice plot of land with raised beds and tidy rows of lettuce. Still others have greenhouses filled with tomatoes and peppers. Me? I'm a little different. I have a very unique gardening arrangement. I do my gardening on my sailboat, Ladyhawk.
When we sailed off into the sunset, I left a 14' X 30' greenhouse behind, filled with organic tomato and pepper plants. My raised beds were chock full of all colors of lettuces, herbs, pole beans and cukes, and too many more incredible edibles to list! In the four years that we've been gone, I realized how much I really missed my gardens. I missed having fresh basil right outside my door, ready and waiting anytime I wanted to make a Caprese Salad Bento Box. I missed the fresh dill when I felt like making Grilled Salmon with Cucumber Dill Sauce.
Tomato Sandwiches
But most of all, I longed for those red, ripe juicy heirloom tomatoes. You know the one. That perfect tomato you could eat right off the vine like an apple. I would cut off a hunk of fresh-out-of-the-oven sourdough bread and sneak off into the garden with a knife. First stop would be the basil patch. Just a few leaves were all I needed.
Then off to the greenhouse. I'd sit right down on the ground, dirt on my shorts and all, and make myself a tomato sandwich. I didn't need to wash it, just a little wipe with my denim shirt and that tomato was clean enough to eat! Forget about the napkin or paper plate. One bite into that sandwich and I had tomato juice dripping down my face and chin. Just thinking about it now makes my mouth water! How bout you? Are you salivating yet?
How To Grow a Garden on a Sailboat
This was the summer I decided I was going to have a garden again. But on a boat? Where the heck was I gonna have a garden? Was the salt air going to have an effect on my veggies? How about the bees? Don't I need bees to pollinated the flowers? What about???? So I got a few pots and a friend gave me a few tomato plants. I bought some green and purple basil, some mint and lemon balm, and a HUGE purple petunia that cascaded over the bowsprit.
Container Gardens on a Sailboat
The mint and lemon balm took over the pot and ended up sprouting vines through the handles! The mint made the best Mojitos and Watermelon Gin Fizzes (coming soon!)!
I had so much basil that I made more than my share of Homemade Pesto for Grilled Pizzas and pasta salads. I had trouble with the cilantro and it promptly died as did my rosemary. Oh well, to the sea I say, to the sea with it!
One Ton Tomato!
The friend that potted the tomato for me also planted a few surpise seeds in the soil. I didn't realize this until I saw a trailing vine trying to attach itself and wind all the way up the backstay! I quickly stuck a bamboo pole into it and let it do its thing! They ended up being quite beautiful too! The tomatoes were awesome, producing tons (OK, so I'm exaggerating again) of tomatoes that made their way into many sandwiches, Panzanella Salads and Award Winning Chili.
Boat Gardens? What a Great Idea!
Our dock mates have to walk right past our boat and the trailing petunias. It was BIG and it couldn't be missed. People would stop and stare and then say, "Wow! What a great idea!" They were even more amazed when they saw the rest of the vegetable garden on our back "40"! The back 40? Yes! Our boat is 40 feet long, and the veggie garden is on the aft deck!
Next year, I'm going for the window boxes! Let's see if anyone notices!
What a great idea. I miss the garden too as my father in law had a wonderful one right by the side of our house (actually he had acres of garden) and I could go out and pick what ever I wanted. I may have to try the containers next year as I could put them on our deck. Have missed chatting with you on your blog--life happens!!
Cheryl
Posted by: Cheryl Sims | September 23, 2008 at 07:43 AM
Hey hey! Wow, a successful herb garden on a sailboat! I tried to grow basil and oregano once in my kitchen, and they both died horrible deaths. I'm usually pretty good mothering plants so it was a sad day for me - especially since I was told that basil and oregano could take over the world if they wanted to - but yours look great. Tomato sandwiches are my not-so-guilty pleasure too, with fresh basil and a bit of [Vermont] cheddar on freshly baked bread!
Thanks for dropping by my blog. I really love the local community in Burlington and the farmer's market is my favourite place to visit on the weekend. They opened a new Healthy Living across from University Mall and I suppose you've already been to City Market (formerly Onion River Coop) downtown?
Jacqueline @ Toxo Bread
p.s. I never really baked (or cooked, for that matter) before coming to Vermont. A year later, I'm a baking fiend and discovered that people call Vermont the "baking mecca" of New England. A suitable title indeed :)
Posted by: Jacqueline | September 24, 2008 at 12:10 AM
That's one terrific idea and I absolutely love it! Now all there's left for me to do is to get a boat ;)
Posted by: Lore | September 25, 2008 at 04:26 AM
Your plants look good and healthy! When I try to grow herbs in pots they don't do so well. My friend gave me a rosemary plant one year at Christmas shaped like a little Christmas tree and I killed it really quickly! Love the mojitos! I haven't grown mint... might have to do that next summer so I don't have to buy it!
Posted by: Paula | September 25, 2008 at 07:53 AM
We moved aboard our 45' house cruiser 3 months ago. I found your site trying to find out about container gardening aboard. Thanks! We are at dock in the Florida Keys. Do you know which vegetable plants are the best for the salt air here and the heat and if so when should I plant? Margie
Posted by: margie ipock | October 06, 2008 at 12:34 PM
That's wonderful =) Although Robin and I won't always be living at the same port, we want to grow a few herbs and veggies aboard. I've yet to do my research on what I can and shouldn't bring with us.
E-mail so we can chat about sailboats, gardening and cooking =)
Posted by: Kate | March 01, 2009 at 05:52 PM
Thank you very much for the information I really appreciate it!!
Posted by: Gardening Seeds | March 08, 2009 at 05:26 PM
Can you tell me more about your container choice, watering schemes, etc? I'm living aboard a 47' catamaran, and it's time and past time to get the garden going...
Posted by: Laureen | August 18, 2009 at 12:50 PM
Interesting post....what about when you SAIL the boat......are you a CRUISER.....or just a LIVEABOARD?....I am 38 and My wife is 34..and German..I learned to bake PROPER bread in Germany....and it took awhile to set our boat up to bake underway....with the steam etc etc. we have done about 6 to 7 thousand miles a year since 2005 . I would LLOVE to do what you are doing BUT.....do the plants go below?.....or do you leave them above?.......doubting at least that the ones you mention on the bowsprit could stay?.....again ...GREAT post
Posted by: Robert | March 12, 2010 at 01:16 AM