After however many years of living on my own, I finally have a yard! One of the benefits of having a yard, besides being able to have a dog, is being able to have a garden! Too bad I know almost nothing about gardening. Besides helping my grandma in her garden when I was little, and a quarter of an ag class in high school, I have no real-life experience. Sure, I've grown indoor plants - with varying degrees of success - but no outdoor ones. Until now!
After some research, I decided to go with pots this year, since it's already late in the season. And thanks to a LOT of useful tips and advice from
The Stitchin' Sheep, I decided to start with just a few veggies and herbs. Lucky for me, Dis knows a thing or two about gardening, and was eager to help me embark on my gardening adventure during her visit last weekend. After the Getty and before
Tito's Tacos and margaritas, we went to Whole Foods and Home Depot for our gardening needs. She helped me pick out some herbs (basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and lavender) and veggies (Japanese eggplant, yellow squash, and cucumber). I wish I took pictures at Home Depot- but you will just have to trust me that we were a sight, carting around a bunch of plants and containers and ginormous bags of potting soil. Also, can we talk about how busy the HD is on a Friday night? Holy cow!
I also wanted a couple of plants to put next to the front door. I love bamboo, so I was happy to find one short enough to fit in Darby. Having a truck or something really would come in handy sometimes, but as it were, I had to leave the pretty papyrus at the store. I also decided on this pretty "purple grass" plant that Dis loves (and that's the lavender in the short pot below).
We also picked out a few little succulents for the back porch, which I'll have to get pictures of later. I have one ginormous bag of soil leftover, which is perfect, because now that Dis helped me jump start this whole planting thing, I am excited to do more! Next on the agenda: flowers!!
Only time will tell, but I hope this will mark the beginning of my life as a successful gardener. I plan to read up more on the topic, and look forward to more planting. Miriam recommended a book to me on square foot gardening, which I immediately ordered and just arrived. It looks really interesting- I am anxious to read about this method in hopes of incorporating it into the garden as well. In the meantime, I'm really excited about what we've planted so far. I think Mr. Dakota likes it too...
" Um, please don't pee on the veggies..."
I also wanted a couple of plants to put next to the front door. I love bamboo, so I was happy to find one short enough to fit in Darby. Having a truck or something really would come in handy sometimes, but as it were, I had to leave the pretty papyrus at the store. I also decided on this pretty "purple grass" plant that Dis loves (and that's the lavender in the short pot below).
We also picked out a few little succulents for the back porch, which I'll have to get pictures of later. I have one ginormous bag of soil leftover, which is perfect, because now that Dis helped me jump start this whole planting thing, I am excited to do more! Next on the agenda: flowers!!
" Um, please don't pee on the veggies..."
7 comments:
Can't wait to see the garden updates!
Yay for the pot garden! Let's hope it all does well.
And, flowers... oooh... ahhh. My favorite is hibiscus, which I just bought to please myself. Back before I had kids, in the first house I ever had with a yard, I had a fun time taking care of the flower bed in front of the house. Dis and I actually were the ones that planted that garden together, too. I think we did a nice little arrangement, and it all grew beautifully. Those flowers were the babies I took care of in the evenings. Nice stress reducer before I started knitting. I can't wait to have a spot for a flower bed in front of the new house when it's done.
Excuse the comment hijacking. Apparently, gardening gets me about as excited as knitting does.
YAY! And dont forget to make a tripod with stakes for the cucumbers to climb. They like to climb and they're easier to pick if they do.
I have another book recommendation for you: McGee & Stuckey's Bountiful Container. It's funny that you're gardening because I've been toying with doing some herbs and veggies in pots as well. We rent a house, but there's no dirt - only miles of deck and ivy. This has inspired me. We'll have to get together and plan our gardens. Japanese eggplant sound lovely.
BTW, I loved the entry on the loft - very funny.
Gardening is very relaxing as well! Looks like you are off to a great start.
Looks like you are off to a good start! Looks like Dakota likes it ; )
Apparently there's a big singles' scene at Home Depot. Go figure.
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