tinkering around

Lately I've been spending a bit of time tinkering around my little garden of pots. It's so exciting to see all the little plant hopefuls begin to flourish and grow.

There have been some failures, like the original pot of petunias. Note to self, don't even think about using a pot with no drainage. It never works. Never. I've replaced the first batch with these lovelies:


My tomatoes, you ask? They are humming right along. As the summer gears up I am seeing little fruits pop up almost every week. Now, I have no idea when any of them will actually be ready to harvest (I like that term, harvest. Just saying it makes me feel like a "real gardener.") I'm keeping a close eye on them, though and the moment they are ready ~ they will be chopped up with some olive oil and basil before those tomatoes know what happened!


With basil from my herb garden, of course. The basil, rosemary, parsley and mint (not pictured here) are thriving in their multi-colored pots. The cilantro was another fail. The first plant grew, no problem, but when I cut it to use some I must have cut it wrong. Cilantro plant, the elder, was exchanged for a younger model. Which I shall be more careful with the next time I need some in a recipe.


My first experiment with actually growing something from seed is turning out well! I'm pleased to introduce you to my fair nasturniums-in-training. This is the only patch of dirt inside my little patio space and has been enhanced with some potting soil as topsoil. I did exactly what the package said to do; soaked the seeds for 24 hours, planted them into the soil so they had enough darkness... and here they are! Hopefully they will continue to grow and will produce pretty (and edible) flowers.


I find myself sitting outside of an evening, Beulah chewing on a bone at my feet, enjoying the growth around me and dreaming up idea for the rest of the season. What comes next? Any ideas?


The plan is to continue to grow something or another outside my door throughout the year. As the seasons pass I want to swap out the plants that die for seasonal ones. Mums in the fall, maybe evergreens in the winter, bulbs for the spring. An ever-changing garden to watch and enjoy.