WHO: Paul Isaacs, EYE WEEKLY city blogger (eyeweekly.com/city/torontonotes) and his girlfriend Sheila Hanlon, York University PhD student.
WHAT: Apartment patio in the thick of Kensington Market.
THE STORY: For several years now, Isaacs and Hanlon have successfully turned their small porch — perched above the busy market streets — into a veggie oasis. “We have squash, lettuce, tomatoes,” says Hanlon. “It’s great when we can make a meal out of the things we’ve grown.”
The couple created their crops on a budget by exploiting local resources. “Chinatown!” says Hanlon. “You can get really cheap plants and bargain with the shopkeepers.” Isaacs points out that neo-Victory Gardens require a minimal investment of space, money and time. “Even a single guy living alone could grow a small herb garden, some peppers,” he says. “It’s pretty low maintenance.”
Isaacs and Hanlon have lined the perimeter of their modest deck with copious pots, and as the season progresses, squash vines will climb up the railings and lattice, providing a lush green screen. The two enjoy eating their meals outside all summer. “Plus the Wi-Fi reaches,” says Isaacs. “When it gets really hot inside, we can work out here.”
There is the matter of the occasional pest. “The squirrels sometimes like to pick off the tomatoes and eat, like, one side and then leave the rest there like a trophy.”