A garden update

It was my intention that my next post would regard something inside the house. But truthfully, not much progress has been made on any of our indoor projects. I just can't wrap my head around demoing kitchen walls knowing their is such sunshine and fresh air going on. You understand.

The garden is a haven of activity! There is progress every single day, it's amazing. I forgot how rewarding a garden can be. and relaxing. and simple. It's my therapy. Let's see how the seeds are doing...

First up was broccoli, something I've never grown before. The mirror-image leaves are precious!

Then carrots! I have lots of experience with these guys thanks to mom.

The beets are the prettiest. That red line is so rich. Everyone else has popped up as well (these pics are actually a couple weeks old). We're almost ready for thinning. Conceptually, thinning makes me sad. I hate to destroy all those babies! Nature is a cruel beast.

My seedlings are booming! Here's the romaine. I was worried about these at first because they just wanted to lay down. I propped them up every morning. But now, they stand all on their own. Doesn't it look like they are waving? What a happy lettuce!

My yellow squash is about three times the size. I can't wait until it starts pouring over the side of this somewhat-ugly pot. The rest I'll save to show you when the garden is bursting. Every day is more and more green...

I want to keep this garden completely chemical-free. I found Dr. Earth at my local nursery. Phew, this stuff is stinky! We also found some aphids on the artichoke yesterday, ew. I'm thinking they came home with me since I bought that plant at the drugstore, impulse purchase. But Mike gave them a dose of Organocide and today they are gone.

I want to leave you with a couple backyard details. These are all things that make me happy...

Our Ikea patio set in place. See my little lanterns hanging from the pergola? They were a HomeGoods find, perfect for citronella tealights. This is the ideal spot for lazy afternoons with friends. That's a potted Kangaroo Paw in the foreground. I scored two of these at Target a while ago, am completely obsessed.

This little bird feeder has provided hours of entertainment, not only for the kitties, but for the two squirrels that live in my neighbor's tree. Oh yeah, a handful of birds too.

Of course, no American backyard is complete without a grill. We bought the biggest Weber they make. Somewhat overkill for just us two, but it absolutely completes the vision.

Here's sort of a patchwork of the whole space from the view of the sliding door. See that long empty bed on the left, I'm thinking this will be a border of ferns and herbs. The dirt is all prepped and ready to go. On the far right you can see our two citrus trees, a lemon and an orange. They have a funny history I will tell you about later. Can you spot the two feline beasties patrolling the grounds?