During World War II, American families grew “victory gardens” in their backyard—a patriotic way to fight food shortages and help troops by diverting the need for fresh fruits, veggies, and herbs.
In a way, the collection of plants currently sitting on the stoop of my Brooklyn apartment is its own little kind of victory garden. A concerted effort to care for something tangible, that also may just feed me at some point this summer (as long as I stick to my watering schedule). Earlier this year, I interviewed a series of New Yorkers about what they were buying ahead of Trump’s potential incoming tariffs. Julia Fox, star of Uncut Gems and girl about town, told me, “I bought seeds to plant my own food, just in case.” At a time when everything seems to be a recession indicator, a vegetable garden may be the most hopeful one to consider.
This isn’t my first summer spent trying to keep plants alive on my porch. Last year, my tomato plant limped along as I went out of town, only to come back and revive it at the last possible moment. I ended the season having enjoyed exactly five juicy little tomatoes. But they were undoubtedly delicious—sun warmed and bursting with flavor. As I’ve seen more people in my online universe talk both jokingly and semi-seriously about curating a vegetable garden of their own in particularly insecure times, I thought it might be a nice occasion to brush up on a few tips and tricks in caring for your own little collection of pots and planters with the help of Corey Blant, the director of urban agriculture at New York Restoration Project (a program which, fun fact, was founded by Bette Midler in 1995). NYRP works in partnership with communities all over New York City to create and preserve community gardens and green spaces.
Potted vegetable plants on the writer’s stoop garden.
Photo: Courtesy of Aemilia Madden
Photo: Courtesy of Aemilia Madden
It’s never too late to startEach winter, I tell myself that I’ll start early on my planting projects, but the reality is life often gets in the way of planting seeds early in the season. The good news, according to Blant, is that it’s never too late to start on something. “Not two hours ago, I planted zucchini from seed at a garden in Astoria,” he tells me over FaceTime, his face tan and his fingers dusty from a day in the soil. While he notes that at this point in the season, it’s too late to plant delicate lettuces, it’s prime time for squash, eggplant, and zucchini, all of which thrive in summer heat. Blant adds that herbs are a great option no matter what point in the season—“mint is going to be super vigorous, [as well as] sage and basil.” Come mid-August, you can even start to plant seeds for cold-loving veggies like cauliflower and kale.
If planting straight from seed is intimidating, head to your local hardware store and pick up a few starts (baby plants ready to go into the ground), which can be a little more forgiving. This year, I’ve set out my pots with a mix of tomatoes, habanero peppers, and basil, and despite the current temps climbing towards 100 degrees, I’ve been faithfully watering them and watching as my first little veggies begin to appear.
Make the most of what you haveWhether you have a backyard plot, a free stoop or a little space on your fire escape, make the most of your space. If you’re building a garden in a yard, go for a raised bed with quality soil or compost. “Start with that super high quality, super nutrient dense soil,” Blant says. Soil, sun, water… if you give the plants as much of that as possible, you’re setting them up for success from the jump.”
On my stoop, I use a mix of pots that I’ve amassed over the year, using the bigger ones for plants that I know tend to take over, like tomatoes. Smaller pots house basil and herbs. I try to use pots that have holes in the bottom for drainage, along with a saucer to catch the water that tends to spill out when I douse them. I picked up soil from my local hardware store, and also take the chance to grab NYC-made compost when I come across it at a farmer’s market or other local event (as an ardent composter, it’s a full circle moment!).
Photo: Courtesy of Aemilia Madden
Since I don’t have a hose in my front yard, I’m in the habit of filling up a pitcher in my kitchen sink every other day and carrying it down to the plants, watering them in the early morning or after dusk. But, as Blant recommends, don’t worry too much about perfection. “The best time to water is when you have time to water,” he explains. “Don’t overthink it. Morning, noon, night… it’s more important that the plants get water.”
All of this is to say, it’s an exercise that requires care, but doesn’t demand perfection. The occasion comes when I return from a long weekend to find my plants droopy and sad, but a thorough soak, and they’re back and energized.
And should you run into any issues (this season I’ve had a particularly eager squirrel digging up my pots in search of nuts), NYRP has created a database for dealing with the dozen common problems that come with growing plants in NYC. But for those elsewhere, or simply when in doubt, Blant also has an easy solution: “It’s a little bit controversial,” he laughs, “[but] if it’s something not something I know really well, I will just Google, ‘tomato leaf yellow’ and you’d be surprised how much the internet can help us.”
Embrace the communityLast year, I grew a number of sweet green peppers on my porch, which caught the attention of my local UPS driver, Dobson. He started commenting on the peppers’ size each time he rang my doorbell. Over weeks, we kept up the banter, and by the end of summer, he brought me a ziploc of scotch bonnet peppers from his own garden—a gesture that not only made me cry (I’m a happy crier), but further confirmed that vegetables have the power to bring people together.
“Even though I do have a degree in this, 80% of what I’ve learned, I’ve learned from working with other growers, farmers, and gardeners, in all the different spaces,” Blant explains. Participating in a community garden is an easy way to not only connect with neighbors, but to get hands-on experience working alongside those with expertise that you may not yet have. In my local community garden, there’s even a program to swap veggies—where you can leave your tomatoes and take a zucchini or two from the plot next to yours.
If you don’t have the time or space to test out your own garden this season, you can dip your toes into community agriculture, whether it be by visiting your local farmer’s market, investing in a seasonal CSA, or going to a local workshop. Admittedly, these things were all in my personal pipeline to becoming a city-dwelling veggie grower. Now, I’m taking the chance to not only enjoy the spoils of my labor, but also find new ways to pay it forward—one little patch of green at a time.