Veggie Garden, Rockaway Beach

I went to Rockaway Beach last week for the first time ever -- I was participating in a beach clean-up sponsored by the Surfrider Foundation. On my way from the subway to the beach, I fell in love with this garden.


It's completely ramshackle, but replete with ornamental perennials and vegetables.




The net fences indicated that, though the garden looked like it may have been abandoned, its owner is still actively involved. It has all the great bones of a potager; it just needs a bit of finishing school.



It's also a safe bet that the gardener in question knows a thing or two about natural pest control. Marigolds (or Tagetes species, most likely T. erecta, though Tagetes minuta also works) like the one below, have been planted throughout the garden. Marigolds are believed to have chemicals that deter pests such as aphids and have been a popular companion plant to tomatoes and other vegetables for years.