Adventures in Gardening

Growing up, I always watched my dad do yard work. But not just yard work as in mowing the lawn. I mean, yard work because he really cared about his yard. Plus it was a stress releiver. Even though he has a bad back he still spends time devoted to sprucing up his yard and now (lucky him...) helping me with my yard! I never thought I would enjoy this kind of thing. And I admit, there are some days where I really don't feel like going out to water my veggie planters or flowers. And some weeks I let the weeds get a bit more out of control than I would care to admit. However, once I get my butt outside and start on whatever project it is, I find myself enjoying it and it actually becomes relaxing. A bit of a stress releiver. Almost in the same twisted way that I find peace in cleaning after an argument or a stressful day. It's probably connected to some sort of control issue, and enjoying the fact that I can control something and have an immediate (or almost immediate) result from something I've done. However, that's another issue...

My yard and my garden is now my pride & joy, my little project. I get so excited each day when I see how things are growing! My roses are beautiful and so fragrant. Going through the garden department at stores just makes me excited and I have to restrain myself to NOT spend money on more plants or garden decor. So much fun. =) Mock me if you will.....but if you are a garden lover then you will understand.

Take a look at my "babies" and how they've grown this year....


So here is a look at one of my two raised planters in my backyard. (They came with the house, how awesome is that?) This picture was taken the weekend before Easter. The plants around the perimeter are my tomato plants. A variety of cherry, roma, and more of a robust variety.



This is a close up of ..... peek a boo! A tomato, first of the season. This was taken last night, May 17th. Though this particular plant surprised me. It came out of "nowhere", or more specifically, from a seed that dropped from a plant from last season! And surprise! A huge tomato plant! :-)



This is from last night as well, just 1/2 of that same planter but you get the idea. Everything is growing so big! Except my poor little basil plant in the front there. Snails and birds were attacking it.... so I think I saved it on time. I'm paying special attention to it so that I can hopefully nurse it back to health.....I LOVE basil. It's so darn expensive in the store!



Oh! And this is my cucumber plant. It's in the front/center of the planter with the tomatoes in it. I've never grown cucumbers before but it seems to be doing well. I hear they can take over the space they're in, so....bring it on ..... I'm ready!



This is what my other planter looked like the week before Easter. These are zuchini, yellow squash and yellow onion plants.



Now, look at them! Getting so big! The ones in the front with the different colored leaves, they are my yellow squash plants.
In the middle are my yellow onions. I know they look like scallions, or green onions. But the round yellow onion is actually under ground to be harvested later.
On the other side are my zuchini plants. . . getting rather large as well!


Peeking inside my zuchini plant......I've always wanted to try a recipe with squash blossoms, you can stuff them and fry them....we shall see....


And here are my yellow squash getting bigger each day!


I just had to throw this in here, a beautiful rose from one of my plants :)


And I love this plant, I have two of them but I forgot the name. They are floppy and kind of do their own thing but I like it! The only thing is I have to make sure to cut off the dead ones when they are dead that way it makes room for new blossoms, but overall it's low maintance. Adds nice color :)