Lush & Exotic Hawaiian Ferns?

Aren't these exotic & lush looking? Can't you just imagine them growing around a cool & shady waterfall, deep in the rainforest just waiting for you to relax on their aromatic comfort? Well... you probably wouldn't want to do that if you hoped to have any carrots for your carrot cake! Yep that's what they are...not some lovely tropical fern thriving in the jungles of Hawaii, just plain old straightforward carrots growing in a raised bed in my front garden ;)) Isn't it funny how our perspective changes? Sometimes we just need to look at the same old things with new eyes to see the beauty that was always there...

Ok, enough with the musings...yes we grow carrots in Hawaii, I grow mine in raised beds about 3 feet off the ground. Having them raised so high has pros & cons, some of the cons are that my space becomes limited to containers I can purchase or build and the load bearing of normal materials (2 X 4's etc...), and I have to stay on top of the watering as they run out much quicker than plants in the actual ground. Some of the pros are that the raised bed is much more accessible (no bending to weed or harvest), the wild pigs have a harder time destroying my crops and the slugs are much easier to control. Also weeding is almost non existent & it is very easy to amend the soil & fertilize, I don't seem to loose as much of the additives now. All in all it is a success, about 70%-80% of our vegies and all of the fresh herbs are coming from my little garden, & that really helps with the grocery bill!