A Garden on the Fire Escape

I live in a tiny apartment with no yard. This summer I decided I wanted to grow something anyway, so I bought three pots and some soil and lined them up on my fire escape.

Basil, cherry tomatoes and one very ambitious pepper plant.

I checked on them every morning before work, like a nervous parent. The basil took off right away. The tomatoes took forever and then suddenly exploded. The pepper plant gave me exactly one pepper, and I have never been so proud of a vegetable in my life.

There's something about putting your hands in dirt and watching something grow that slows you down. I stopped scrolling on my phone first thing in the morning. Instead, I'd stand out there with my coffee, watching the city wake up and counting tomatoes.

Next year I'm adding strawberries. A small life can still have a lot of growing in it.