finding joy and conflict in growing brassicas in zone 10b
When I was a child, my grandmother’s garden overflowed with cabbages and broccoli, their leaves glistening with morning dew. She always said, “Brassicas love the cold.” But here in our warm 10b climate, those old rules just don’t fit. I spent years fighting yellowing leaves and bolting stems, feeling like I was failing her legacy.
Now, after much trial and error, I’ve finally coaxed my brassicas to thrive—by planting in the shade, mulching deeply, and choosing heat-tolerant varieties. My neighbors, mostly old-timers, shake their heads at my raised beds and shade cloths, insisting I’m coddling the plants too much. But the younger folks in our community garden love experimenting with these new techniques, even if it means breaking with tradition.
Sometimes I wonder: are we losing something by not following the old ways? Or are we simply adapting, like our plants, to a changing world? Some say my garden looks messy, not like the tidy rows of my childhood. Others praise the lush, wild look and the bees it attracts.
With the heat waves getting worse each year, I can’t help but think about how our gardens—and our values—are shifting. Do we stick to what we know, or do we embrace change, even if it means clashing with our neighbors? Every time I harvest a head of broccoli in July, I feel both pride and a pang of nostalgia for the gardens of the past.
#gardeningdebate #zone10b #brassicas #Gardening
