Basrah Rocket

     I spent some time at Contingency Operation Base, Basrah during the latter part of the latest Iraq conflict. The base was known for frequent rocket attacks. Besides the occasional incoming, I can't complain. Anything I experienced could not compare to what my grandfather endured in the trenches of WW I where he served as an artilleryman. It was hot but there was a gym and you could eat omelettes cooked to order every day by the Indian staff contracted to work for KBR.
      I had a very small garden there. Basically just two containers I built into the cinderblock wall I used to reinforce my living area from rocket attacks. Here are a few watermelon plants that seemed to really love the heat. They germinated within 48 hours in the scaldingly hot soil.

     I also had some luck with cilantro during the late winter months when it was still cool but tomatoes were generally a no-go. The temperature differences between day and night were too great and then before long it was too hot during the day and they dropped their blossoms. 

  A coworker also had a small garden near his quarters. His was considerably more aesthetically pleasing. I think he was growing sunflowers, cilantro and perhaps squash. 

     A few days after discovering that I was not the only one with a garden, I noticed that some local Iraqis who did cleaning and maintenance contracting work were also growing plants. They were growing sunflowers, garden cress and arugula. I was particularly impressed with their cold frame. 

     

     I gave them some snap pea seeds and in return they gave me garden cress, arugula and sunflower seeds. I have since grown all of them in my garden in New York. My favorite is arugula. The variety they gave me is a modestly sized plant but has a nice, peppery and fresh flavor. I am not sure if they had a specific name for the variety; I will never know. The airport in Basrah is still there but my understanding is that the surrounding base has been largely dismantled since the Americans left. Rocket is another name for arugula and so I named the variety Basrah Rocket as a sort of double entendre and memento of that place and conflict. Below is a closeup of the flowers. Most arugula flowers are white but most of my plants showed a deep lavender.