CATCHING UP » THE BACKYARD

I hate how often I don't get to post on here. It's a casualty of our current lifestyle, I suppose. Any time that is not devoted to my child, is devoted to my job. That's just how it is. Ever since becoming parents, Mike and I both have to squeeze what were 40+ hours/week jobs into 5 hours a day, more or less depending on urgency of deadlines. And lately, I've had a lot of deadlines.

As you know, the blog suffers.

But when I get a hot minute to do something I want, and with "what to blog about" floating in the back of mind, I tend to gravitate towards gardening. I do love getting my hands dirty, the fresh air and the gratification of growing things.

When we first moved in to this little house back in 2009, the backyard wasn't too impressive. In 2010, it got a lot of love (reminisce here, here, here and here). 2011 garnered an infant and the yard was all but forgotten. I don't remember 2012, I think we mowed once or twice? Anyway, 2013 is the summer we kicked back into high gear. I've been a gardening fool. Let's go left to right, shall we?

The backyard is a big square, with perimeter gardening beds and one of those metal sheds in the corner. When you come out of the sunroom and look to your left, there is a long herb garden. Take a gander at that giant tree in my neighbor's yard. I have a love/hate relationship with that monster. I hate it because it is messy with its dropping of the leaves and seeds all the time. I love it because it offers up partial shade and makes a wonderful wistful noise in the wind. (Speaking of shade, our yard actually has three separate climates, something you can really only tell by living in your house for a few years and keeping your eye on the sun. This side only gets late afternoon sun. Bad for Kangaroo Paws. RIP.)

N'ere you mind the grass. I'm in the process of killing that weed factory with hopes of replacing it with soft sod goodness.

For food, we have two Rosemary bushes, Camomile, Mint (in the black pot, invasive you know), Lemon Thyme, Basil, Parsley, Sage and Oregano.

It's not all herbs though. I also have some Alyssum and succulents peppered throughout just for looks. The two big pots still hold Papyrus, which I think is just the coolest. Sadly, they aren't as lush as they used to be. I blame 2011. But they are on a comeback. I added Baby Tears to fill in the pots so the bottom doesn't look so much like death and neglect.

Check out that Oregano! Grew from seeds three years ago. I'm just a little proud.

The Mint was from seed too (as was the Sage). I've learned with Mint, it can't get too dry. And even if you aren't drinking a lot of Mint Juleps, you have to keep it trim otherwise it gets super leggy and just plain ugly. BUT, it is so resilient! Blows my mind. I have hacked this thing to bits and it keeps coming back. I'm impressed by plants like that.

Now look straight ahead and past the ugly yet highly-functional metal shed, here is our eating area.

We painted the arbor/trellis/death trap black quite awhile ago and it is starting to show it's age with a bit of flaking and things. I am not bothered, it still looks good. It's a spider haven however, man alive! We hit it with a broom quite frequently and that helps hinder the Munster vibe. The Ikea Ammero set still looks brand new despite being left outside all last winter.

Side note: When I watch HGTV and they redo an outdoor space with tons of seating and pillows and trellises and flowing fabric every which-a-way, all I think about: spiders.

I am so psyched by my Asparagus Ferns and Black Mondo Grass that runs along the fence. What a triumph! This spot is shady all the time and these plants, as well as the larger Fern in the corner, love it here. The way the fingers creep over the edge is exactly the look I wanted. LOVE. You can't really see in this shot but the Black Mondo Grass has been multiplying and one day should fill all of the gaps.

I planted this Jasmine Vine with the hopes of growing it up and to the left. But it is proving really hard to train. Every time I tie back shoots to go the way I want them, it chokes to death. My new strategy is to cut, no more forcing. We'll see how it goes. And argh, it almost never flowers. It grows like mad during the rainy winter, then the summer threatens to dry it up. I water it all the time.

Beyond the dining area is the veggie garden. I built those raised beds myself I did and they have held up fabulously. We also added a swing for Thora and an extra 4x4 beam to support it (which has yet to be painted black).

We got a late start in the spring, but everything is doing really well and of course, I'm on it now. Right in front of the bed is a Begonia which has yet to flower and a poor little hosta that is being devoured by an invisible nighttime predator. Hmm. Most of the bed itself gets sun all day long. We have Romaine, Beets, Carrots, two Green Peppers, one Jalapeno, Pole Beans (SO CUTE!) and a cucumber.

We also have straight squash in the pot.

To the right of all that are tomatoes in the Earth Box. Can they look more pathetic? I can't figure out what is wrong here. But they are producing and growing...

The right side of the yard is home to our two fruit trees, a lemon and an orange. Mike saved these trees when we first moved in. Both had huge suckers which rendered them freaks (i.e., football size lemons! huge spikes!) and he hacked them both down to less than 4' tall. It's quite amazing really. The lemon recovered relatively quickly while the orange took a bit longer. But today, they both produce tons of fruit. The kind you can eat!

This part of the yard gets the most sun, although under the trees is a different story. I've been through a few rounds of plants down here and am thrilled with what I currently have going on. It's a combo of native grasses, three in 'Olive Oil' and two a wonderful green with orange tips. It starts off with an Orange Nectar Agastache which I just recently planted for color and to attract humingbirds. The Dragon's Blood, which I am using as a ground cover and border softener lines the front edges. At the far end is a Lamb's Ear, a plant I've always wanted. It's growing really well but fighting a dusty white mildew. Growl.

Can I hit you with some artsy shots of the Dragon's Blood? Because seriously. Dragon's Blood.

And lastly, as you come full circle, you are faced with this:

Ah yes, the sunroom. A sad and frustrating little reminder of all the projects that are not yet complete on this 1922 bungalow. Ripped screens are the least of my problems here.

But if I get up early enough, before my toddler and before my emails, I can sneak out in my pjs, with a cup of coffee and just maybe spot little creatures and moments like this, in the heart of the city:

I love our backyard.

Working on an herb garden

While the kitties entertain themselves...

{Orange chomps kitty grass first thing after breakfast}

{Roosevelt, taunted by the squirrel who casually plops nuts on his head, does nothing}

I have been toiling away at the neglected left side of the back yard. There we have a nice rectangular border which once housed some sad little rose bushes. Roses are lovely and all that, but not really my thing. Besides, I really want the back gardens to be hard-working and roses are just so... LEISURELY. So I gave them away. Literally, a post on craigslist was flooded with requests. In the end they were excavated by a landscape architect. How perfect.

What I want is an herb border. I want it for food. I want it because it smells amazing. I want it because this is California and it's what. we. do. It's just cool. And I want it to be a nice mix of herbs and decorative plants. Like papyrus:

I have wanted giant papyrus ever since I saw them during a photo shoot for work. They scream California to me (even though they are from Egypt). I suppose my fascination stems from being a midwestern import. The crazy prehistoric plants they have all around here are new to me. Other obsessions: giants ferns and black bamboo. Once I saw hedges made of geraniums. What?! In my hometown (Rockford, Illinois) geraniums are reserved for your grandmother's porch pot. NOT a hedge!

Anyway, I wanted papyrus and I wanted it to be the centerpiece of my herb border. Papyrus likes to sit in water. I do not have a pond, have no plans for a pond and I worried this might be an issue. The internet assured me I could grow it in pots, just no holes for drainage. Pots are best anyway because this plant is invasive, the same as bamboo. I set out for pots and found three amazing black plastic pots at Ikea, two large for papyrus and one small for mint (also invasive).

Then the deal of all deals, two giant papyrus for $14.99 each at Home Depot. I squealed. I had only seen this plant at boutique nurseries with hefty price tags. I snatched them up and wow, they are quite the showstoppers. People asked me about them as I walked to the register, people asked me about them as I walked to my Jeep. And people watched in humor as I set them in the back seat, sticking out the window. I laughed too.

They fit just right in my pots and I adorned them with two variations of potato vine, a purple and a vibrant green for color.

Then I could start to build the border. The papyrus took top position at two midpoints of the box. Mint was then placed in between but off-center. Some of my herbs are already nice little plants, including Mint, Thai Basil, Basil and Curled Parsley. Others I started from seed and they aren't quite ready for the ground:

Here we have Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, Sage and Red Basil. I also started some Catnip for the kids. I chose my herbs somewhat based on usage and some for color. The garden can be a little bit leisurely, all work and no play makes a dull border!

While I was at it, I fancied up my hanging basket. The alyssum is supposed to be good for pest control and it smells fantastic.

Here it is, hard at work growing to disguise my old fence. What you can't see is the Kangaroo Paw to the left and what will be a giant fern all the way to the back. Oh my goodness, I love it. Papyrus is right out of a fantasy, a little bit of The Neverending Story here in my backyard

A garden update: those darned pests

While home improvements take a hiatus, our efforts are focused on maintaining the veggie garden. This is more work than I had imagined, but still rewarding and lovely and a pleasure. We are learning, no doubt about it, and what I thought would be a matter of water, grow, harvest, has turned into all out warfare. No, not with my favorite neighborhood squirrel! It's People vs. Bugs. Exhibit A:

That's my broccoli. What was once an adorable little baby, has grown into a pock-faced beast. First thing every morning I come out and inspect the bed, and when Mike wakes up I offer him my status report. On the arrival of these holes, I didn't even let him have coffee! We stood over the leaves scratching our heads, completely bumming.

The internet was our next step. I type in "who did this to my broccoli?!" and there I learn all about the Cabbage Looper. Growl... we head back to the leaves and start turning them over and well, what do you know, green caterpillars in various stages of development going to town.

Cabbage Loopers are common and really not that hard to control. You can literally pull them off and mush (Mike mushes, I carry them to the Green Bin for recycling). Or you can spray. We are opting for an all-organic garden so no pesticides allowed. Mike found a recipe for Garlic Fire Spray, whipped some up and we spray this nearly every day. Cabbage Loopers? Conquered.

The next invasion came in the form of Aphids, black and green. They began with the artichoke. On first site, my barf reflex kicked in. The base of the plant was covered in ants too, charming. This is an ongoing battle. They get the Garlic Fire Spray and repeated doses with the hose. It's amazing! If you can shoot them off the plant with a hose, apparently they die before they can make it back to the plant.

Back to holes. My beans! Now what?! The beans are the biggest failure. I think I bought bush beans instead of pole, because they never even reached the trellis before fading out. I don't know if it was the plant or the insect attack that lead to such a demise. But my attempts to save them were valiant. I was guessing it was slugs. We all know about the beer trick:

Not sure if they just don't like dark beers, are they the PBR type? But no one has landed here (see the weakened beans in the background?).

Next up was copper tape. Expensive business but I'll stop at nothing to save my beans! Copper tape is all science. A chemical reaction occurs if slugs or snails try to cross. It would be a suicide mission and they determine the beans aren't worth it. Of course, we ran out of tape before we could completely surround the box. A friend suggested we round it out with pennies. I hugged her for her genius!

In the end, after Loopers, Aphids and slugs, I relocated what was left of the beans to a pot. I planted seeds for new POLE beans as well as some pod peas for variety, both have promised to use the trellis. And the rest of the garden is moving right along. We've even had a small harvest!

We are loving the Romaine and are down to three bunches. We've also been harvesting spinach, Mike made a dip. Beets, carrots, onions and lettuce are troopers. We have red peppers on the way!

Why are they green? This was a matter of great concern so I looked it up. Oh, they start green and turn red. Phew!

Squash has finally taken over the ugly pot. It has aphids, I'm working on it. But its got crops!

Not sure what's going on with my Earthbox. Cherry tomatoes are insane, but what's up with the sandwich ones? It's not dead though and there are tomatoes on it. Just weird I guess.

All in all, things are doing well here. We have learned a lot and next year will probably be better. But still, this is fun. And we've actually made food! That you can eat! The yard is such a refreshing place to be. We have butterflies, bees, it's starting to smell good. It's our little oasis in the busy, busy city.

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?

Raising Vegetables

Ahh... this was fun. Once we tore out all that concrete, the next big thing was to build a raised vegetable garden. Pretty standard idea around these parts: have dirt, grow vegetables. I had been fantasizing about this since the first time we saw the yard. The back corner is the perfect locale as this spot gets sun all day long.

Other blogs got me motivated. It seemed everyone was out there building, growing, even harvesting! Time to stop thinking and just start doing. My default resource for anything garden is Sunset and their method of building the box seemed reasonable. I wanted mine to fill a corner so I did a little modification to the design. My box ended up being 8', both ways, from the corner and 3' wide so I can still reach the far back.

This was too easy. We were able to cut all the wood using a borrowed table saw, then you assemble it upside down on a hard surface. For the beams, we used redwood as suggested, and the 4x4 posts were salvaged from the part of the pergola that we tore down. The 4x4s are chemically treated wood, a big no-no, but since they are so old and have been outside for years I'm not concerned about them seeping into my veggies. The redwood is gorgeous. (I would like to point out that I went alone to purchase this redwood from the Home Depot. The beams were on a high shelf and not ONE employee helped me. I gathered the big yellow metal staircase myself and dragged each board down one by one. Thanks guys!)

{a couple of my corners aren't perfectly square because the 4x4s were wavy. I'm trying not to let this affect my OCD.}

Then you screw everything together with 3 1/2" wood screws. This was the only hard part because sadly, my drill that I've had forever and a day is dying. Even with new batteries, it won't hold a charge. I was in denial and stubbornly refused to accept its death. This meant I could get about 5 screws in at a time, then have to wait a day to charge the battery. Ridiculous. Mike stepped in as the Voice of Reason and we checked out a drill. Once I had that, I banged the rest out in minutes.

Positioning the box was harder than I thought. That mother is heavy, and leveling the ground is no picnic. It became really obvious how NOT square our fence is too. I'm pretending its imperfection is beautiful in a way. Right? No? Oh well.

Next up was placing the mesh screen. The idea being to prevent rodents from digging up and eating the goodies. Crafty little buggers they are.

After that, dirt! We got all our dirt from American Soil & Stone in Richmond. LOVE this place. They suggested a combination of dirts to aid in drainage and nutrients. One was called Local Hero, genius. It took two truckloads with the S10, but cost less than $80. We don't own a wheelbarrow so Mike hauled all this in using our trash cans. Thanks honey!

All set for planting! There's something about this new dirt I find cleansing. I take pride in enriching soil that had been neglected for so long. We literally have no worms, you can dig and dig and find nothing. That's amazing to me.

We chose a combination of seedlings and seeds. I wanted to feel a certain amount of instant gratification, but also need to hone seed skills.

Our ready-mades:
Artichoke
Green Beans
Green Peppers
Red Peppers
Jalapenos
Romaine Lettuce
Yellow Squash

Our seeds:
Carrots
Yellow Onion
Beets
Broccoli
Lettuce
Spinach

Melissa, one of my dear friends, hooked me up with an EarthBox. I planted two tomatoes here, a cherry and a sandwich variety (Big Boy maybe?). So far so good, the plants have doubled in size!

You can also see the crushed granite we used to fill the gap between the box and the old concrete. Also from American Soil, I chose Blue Pathway. I like the permeable qualities of crushed granite as well as it's modern aesthetic. I plan to use the same stuff along the side of our house currently being taken over with weeds. Growl.

Ta Da! Isn't it lovely? I couldn't be happier. So far everyone seems happy except the green pepper, which has wilting leaves. I'm thinking it's too cold at night so I need to come up with a way to keep the roots warm. Otherwise, all seems well. I come out every morning to water and just stare at it. Happiness.

Oh hey, you can see the pergola all painted black. Swanky right? Don't tell anyone, but we still need to paint the tops. I need to do this before they update the Google satellite pics.