Home Grown Vegetables...

Last weekend, Chris and I planted our vegetable garden. We picked up our plants from a local grower that we had ordered as a fundraiser for the Gweimen Centre, an organization that helps provide assistance and education for widows and orphans of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.

 

First, we arranged all the containers on the back walkway.

 

 

Then we filled them with stones for drainage per Grandma Versluys' advice.

 

 

And a few more pots...

I put together the tomato cages with adjustable arms so you can move them as the plant grows.

Then, we planted all the herbs and vegetables. 

Two tomato plants (with Marigolds to deter pests- also a Grandma Versluys suggestion), a pepper plant, parsley, arugula (from seed), basil and mint...

Another two tomato plants with more Marigolds, another pepper plant, chives and cilantro...

And the extra Marigolds and chives from last year found a new home next to the house...

 

 

Now, I just have to remember to water them...regularly. However, it's been raining every three hours for the past few days so I'm good. And to feed them  Miracle Gro  weekly.  And hopefully, they'll grow lots of vegetables. Now, I just need Mom to teach me how to can salsa and I can be in tomato-induced heartburn heaven in a few months.

Improving Curb Appeal: One Plant at a Time

Good 'ole Home Depot...I'm sure they love us. Seeing as we've dropped a few coins there in the past few weeks on landscaping materials like flowers and bushes and pruners and a/c units and potting soil and....the list goes on. But words don't really do justice to the changes around our abode...that's why we take pictures. 

Chris planted Salvia (purple) and Tickseed (yellow) in the front yard. However, he realized he bought medium height Salvia and tall height Tickseed...so he had to do some re-planting since he had planted them backwards. Live and learn and then dig up some plants. 

 The Salvia is still taller than the Tickseed but it will grow to be about 12-24" taller than the Salvia, eventually. 

Chris planted a Barberry bush in front of the mailbox.

Then he had to move the pavers forward a few feet and re-purposed a few from the backyard patio area so the path would reach the driveway. 

Chris planted Creeping Thyme in between the paver stones. 

Watering his handiwork, making sure it packs down to stabilize. 

The man does nice work. To the far right of the front of the porch (under the Evergreen tree), Chris transplanted Hostas from the backyard to fill out the front "bed".

 

Weeds, Weeds & More Weeds

Ugh, weeds. Plural. Thriving in the disaster of the "landscaped" area next to the stone patio/terrace under the Maple tree in the backyard. 

 

 

This picture was taken a few weeks ago so you'll have to use your imagination to picture how weed-infested it was. Um, because I forgot to take a true "before" picture. Doh!

 

While Chris and Craig got to work on installing the garage door opener, Shari offered her assistance for weed-removal and I took it. For about 1-2 hours. We did some serious damage!

 

 Let the wild muddy rumpus begin...remember all that rain we got (and in the basement)?

Weed bouquet anyone? Look at all the baby Maple trees trying to grow in the Vinca vine...

And now, notice the lack of baby trees...Thank you, Shari! 

I found a baby walnut tree...where the heck are the walnuts from??

Isn't that kinda cool? I obviously thought so. 

After helping rid the darn Lily of the Valley (which we have in spades), Shari helped transplant some...um...I think she said they were Black Eyed Susans. 

Much improved, made satisfactory progress, and so on. It was a job I had been trying to avoid but went a lot faster with some help!

After our weeding adventure, Shari and I made a quick trip to Costco and I snagged some instant curb-appeal improvement (the hanging basket) for a mere $17.99. Now, I just have to remember to water it...regularly. 

I also got to put some of our new tools to work today. After watching Chris balance enormous Hostas on borrowed shovel while carrying them to the desired transplant spot, it became clear a wheelbarrow was needed in our garden tool repertoire... since, ahem, the neighbors don't have one (but we'll share). So with the money from our garage sale, Chris and I bought a bright orange steel wheelbarrow and shovel at the good ole' Home Depot.

How does your garden grow?

Silver bells or cockle shells? Nope. Daffodils and tulips. They came with the house (read: I didn't have to plant them). Love those kinds. 

 Aren't they so pretty? 

Tulips, my absolute favorite.

I took these pictures on Monday. It was a beautiful day, sunny and warm and about 70 degrees. The flowers unfortunately do not look exactly like this any more. You see, Tuesday morning, we were pelted with hail the size of Everlasting Gobstoppers (think movie theater candy) for a good 7-10 min. Now most of the leaves on the tulips are shredded. The tulip buds are still intact but the rest looks a bit sad. The daffodils put up a better fight.

In other gardening news, my itty-bitty African violet (front left) has not made it. The mother ship (original plant, back center) and that other baby plant (front right) are still going strong so I'm not a complete failure at this keeping houseplants alive thing. 

 

Surprise in the Spring...

Over lunch a few weeks back, a co-worker said she'd just started to have bulbs peeking up in her flower beds. I instantly regretted not actually planting our tulip bulbs last fall. Argh. Another missed step in the role of homeowner. Doh! But wait, what is that I see?

Okay, I'm over it. Apparently, the house came with more than a step stool, toaster, 3-4 brooms, snow shovel and a desk. It came with...perennials. Tulips. My absolute favorite flower. I think there is another type of flower coming up too but I'm no expert. Any thoughts? One tulip is even poking up through the stones near the mailbox.

During our gutter-cleaning bonanza, I also noticed that my chives were making a comeback. I had no idea they were perennials! 

I cleared away the old stuff and dug the growing chives out of the pot they were in last spring and replanted them in a smaller pot that would fit on the window ledge inside the back porch until it warms up a bit more. Our back porch is kind of like a greenhouse, with big windows to let in plenty of sun. Hurray for plants that take care of themselves!!