The rooftop garden update - strawberries, peas and potatoes

I've been busy studying for these 2 exams I take in around 3 weeks, but I took a chance to pop outside for a few update photos for you. Here is the strawberry patch, in front is the grow-bag from last year, and in the back are four planters which are baby strawberries which were runners last year from this main planter which I planted in smaller pots and then replanted here at the beginning of the season, in the green containers in the back:

I had no idea how they would perform since it is year two for them (which should be impressive!) but they overwintered on a very cold and snowy balconey this year. So far I've been very impressed with their performance thus far.

Here is a close-up for what they're up to:

And a super close-up of a strawberry on one of the first year plants:

(Please be ripe before I head over to the continent for a week in June...pretty please!)

On the front garden, if you put your back to the strawberries and face the street, you'll see potaoes, garlic and peas. I decided to do potatoes again since they did so well last here here. I had done peas before in DE and I love fresh peas, but it was an experimental year, since I know they like cool temps and the balkon is geared to hold in heat.

To try and give the peas a fighting chance I laid the 13 plants out long ways, next to the wall, so that they avoid sun until the afternoon where they get some partial shade as the sun goes over the building. In addition, I then put other plants (particulary the potatoes) next to them, to provide protection against the sun for their pots, as well for the plants themselves as the potatos are pretty leafy and spread well to soak up full sun exposure:


Here is Slocombe standing in 'her' pot of garlic, checking out the peas, so that you could see the long way view of the peas against the wall, sheltered by potato bags.

My rooftop garden is one of my absolute favorite things about my flat and about my life here in the UK. While container gardens are often limited in comparison to unlimited ground space, I have the advantage of unblocked sun (when we get it!) and concrete walls which retain heat. So the end result--while people on the ground have frost, I don't--so I get a fuller growing season than 'regular' allotments on the ground.