Day 119: Seattle Jungle

Morning everyone! Just some updates on garden status. Matt has done some re-arranging on the patio as grill season is now in full swing. We also got some new bedside tables so we're feeling Seattle-style and re-purposing our old ones. Patio table!! It gives me some great room out on the patio so I added a few new pots. Speaking of new pots Matt surprised me with two BEAUTIFUL hydrangeas (my ultimate favorite) which I placed in one huge pot to let it grow.

Look how gorgeous!Since my cilantro was used up I re-potted with a beautiful little blueish purple flower. Also, got a new pot for some marigolds to add a little color. And, a coworker of mine overheard me complaining about how my mint didn't have the greatest flavor.

She promptly ripped up a big chunk of her garden and brought it in for me! So, I have an amazing flavored mint transplant that is thriving (as mint commonly does). I've already thrown some in a big pitcher of lemonade. Yummy!

As far as old favorites that have been in the garden since Day 1... the tomatoes have beautiful little yellow flowers so I should have fruit in a month or so.

We have green beans!!! The plant had been flowering for awhile but I pulled back some of the leaves just last night and there's beans! Like, edible green beans!!! They look ready to pick but there's not really enough to make a sidedish for Matt and I so not sure what to do yet. Maybe I'll just incorporate them into a stirfry next week. Any ideas?

Enjoy the pictures, the garden is so beautiful and such a jungle! Neti (the cat) loves sitting out there and now you're just completely surrounded by green. It's almost blocking out the water! But, not quite...

Oh and I promised Matt: Wanna know his favorite part of the garden? His "art piece". It's a 12 mm Bing moped carburetor.

Chicago- Day 105: Starting Anew

As I am sure you have all noticed, I haven't been very good about updating lately. The truth is with the construction on our deck (that lasted way too long), finals, a week in Seattle, and the beginning of clinical rotations, I haven't done much thinking about my garden...or tending to it. Yes, the honest truth is that I basically killed everything that I had. It has gotten really hot here so my spinach and lettuce bolted, my herbs sort of shriveled up, and I never did thin those carrots....oops. I had begun to give up on the idea that I could garden and that I should even attempt to restart. However, Joe in his unending optimism thought that it was a horrible idea to give up. So after a few days we decided that this weekend we would go back to Home Depot, get some new flowers and veggies and really get our garden going.

Now the thing about going to Home Depot is that it is really difficult to get there. The traffic is usually horrible which was another reason I just hadn't gotten around to adding anything to the garden. It was just too much of a hassle. In order to combat this problem, we decided it was best to get there early in the morning (see I do listen to my mom). Obviously, I had no problem getting out of bed at 7am on a Saturday...make that 8am on a Saturday. Well, lo and behold we got to Home Depot in about 5 minutes (minus the time it took us to get some Starbucks into us), a trip that usually takes at least half of an hour.I was a bit nervous that the selection wouldn't very good since the season started quite a while ago. However, there were still some vegetables that looked pretty good and a lot of flowers on sale (hello! geraniums for 79 cents!). In the end, I ended up getting zucchini, japanese eggplant, a cherry tomato plant, red bell pepper plant, lots of geraniums, day lilies, pansies, daisies, and these little pink flowers that I don't really know the name of. All in all, we hit the jackpot. But the adventure doesn't stop there.
Joe also needed to run an errand at GameStop which is located pretty close to the Home Depot. However, we reached the store about 10 minutes before it opened. In order to optimize our shopping time, we decided to head over to the Sports Authority across the street to find a table and chairs for our deck. "To Sports Authority?" you may ask. Why yes, apparently Sports Authority has seasonal outdoor items including outdoor furniture. Who knew! Luckily, we found a nice glass table with 4 chairs and an umbrella that is just perfect. A great addition to the garden!

Now we have a beautiful deck with a place to relax and sit out in the sun! Though it was a lot of work today, it has already begun paying off as I am writing this outdoors right now. A great relaxation spot. Enjoy all the photos.

Day 98- WOWEE! Lots of updates

First off, Devon and Joe came to visit! We had a great time, and it was fun showing off the garden. In fact, while they were here we used the basil for some yummy Washington farm fresh tomatoes and mozzarella and some oregano in burgers! It was all delicious! And it was wonderful having them here. Miss you both!

It's been awhile since posting because we're really just enjoying the growing and tasting of things. I have been doing a lot of propping my feet up with a drink and a good book and just relaxing in the new found sun (yes, it's sunny here! don't tell the tourists) No real big events to report, until recently.

For example, we ate all of the cilantro. Didn't know it was a use-it-or-lose-it plant, but alas, it is. So I need to get a new one of those. Also, we have decimated the lettuce. Which is good, right? But still, we ate it all. So, not sure whether it will regenerate or if I should plant something new. But two empty pots on the patio is sad. Except that everything else is booming! I've eaten many a strawberry...

See how pretty!! They are very tasty, too. Not as tasty as I imagined, especially after the eye-rolling goodness of the spinach, lettuce, and cilantro. But still, the beauty of their color alone is worth it!

And then, my new laziness add-on: Aquaglobes! Yes folks, they actually work! They are gorgeous, first of all, adding a big pop of color to the green of the plants.

And my tomato plants are just taking over. I walked out on the patio the other day and yelled, "Matt, it's a jungle out here!"

My catnip is also taking over, I didn't realize how big it would get.

Speaking of cats, with some new time away from gardening spent bent over my sewing machine I made a quick (and cute) little bed for Neti (the cat). She spends more time out on the patio then I do! She loves to watch the cars and people and birds fly by, so I figured I should make her a little seat so she wouldn't have to sit on the dirty/cold concrete patio. Look how cute!! I quilted it for extra warmth/padding and added ties in to the binding so that I could secure it to the grill so it wouldn't blow away. And little did I know I was adding a bit of a toy for her in doing so, as she likes to bat at the bows it makes. She loves it!

Needless to say, lots of updates. I'll let you know on the tomatoes. I got my first blooms, which Sara (the master gardener) told me to pinch off. Sad, but it should help the plant to bloom stronger and make heartier tomatoes. So, there is still plenty to look forward to. Until next time, blog-watchers!!!