Monday! A garden diary, with pictures :)
As you can see by Itzl's concerned look, this group is for us to check in at to let people know we are alive, doing OK, and not affected by such things as heat, blizzards, floods, wild fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, power outages, or other such things that could keep us off DKos. It's also so we can find other Kossacks nearby for in-person checks when other methods of communication fail - a buddy system. Members come here to check in. If you're not here, or anywhere else on DKos, and there are adverse conditions in your area (floods, heatwaves, hurricanes, etc.), we and your buddy are going to check up on you. If you are going to be away from your computer for a day or a week, let us know here. We care!
IAN is a great group to join, and a good place to learn to write diaries. Drop one of us a PM to be added to the Itzl Alert Network anytime! We all share the publishing duties, and we welcome everyone who reads IAN to write diaries for the group! Every member is an editor, so anyone can take a turn when they have something to say, photos and music to share, a cause to promote or news!
Ok, we do have a diary schedule. But, when you are ready to write that diary, either post in thread or send FloridaSNMOM a Kosmail with the date. If you need someone to fill in, ditto. FloridaSNMOM is here on and off through the day usually from around 9:30 or 10 am eastern to around 11 pm eastern.
Monday:
BadKitties
Tuesday:
ejoanna
Wednesday:
Caedy
Thursday:
art ah zen
Friday:
FloridaSNMOM
Saturday:
Dave in Northridge
Sunday:
loggersbrat
We bought our current house 12 years ago. The "landscaping" in the very small back yard consisted of a small flagstone patio, a LOT of snake-filled juniper, lots of rocks, a rose bush, and a very small evergreen tree. The land on either side of the house is deeply slanted. The only flat part is right in front of the house. It's basically a narrow strip.
The first thing we did was replace the scary, creaky wooden deck. Then we built a large flagstone patio and put in steps and terraced gardens.
Terraced flower garden and steps
When we bought the house, there were rocks and a rose bush right in front of the fence. The rest was all grass. On the side of the house, there were more rocks and juniper that was crawling up from the patio.
Another view of steps
We still had one huge patch of juniper. I wanted a vegetable garden. So, a few years ago, I ripped out the juniper, scared away all the snakes (they were harmless garter snakes, and they promptly took up residence in the flower garden), and we had a landscaper build a stone wall. I filled the space with garden soil and compost, and planted vegetables. These pictures are of the current vegetable garden. This is the first time that we planted broccoli, kale, cauliflower, and the flowering cabbage, which was an accident. I think it is a decorative plant? It was only 2" or so when I bought it at the farmers' market. Pretty sure it was labeled as kale.
Possibly inedible flowering cabbage that may have been mislabeled as kale, basil, cucumbers, asparagus, and cauliflower
There is kale, too, but you can't see it in this pic.
Broccoli, zucchini, more tomatoes
Asparagus, a lily, more tomatoes, and an extra block for the firepit. In case I dropped one and it broke.
The little tomato plant growing outside the garden is probably from a stray seed from last year.
This is the "nursery" for a broccoli, a tomato, and a pepper plant that I didn't think would make it :) They did!
There is also a pot planted with onions, and sugar snap peas all jumbled up. I couldn't get the wooden trellis to stay in the back of the planter, and the metal one was previously supporting peonies in the flower garden. I'm hoping they will climb on it, though.
The firepit that I built all by myself--badly--two hours before Cattus Minor's birthday party
This was where the swing set sand box used to be. We didn't put sand in it because we have a cat :) I planted grass and clover seeds, and they are coming in quickly! And those are our compost bins.
I also still plant vegetables on the deck. I did when I was single and lived in an apartment on Capitol Hill with a balcony, too. Just tomatoes and basil, then, though. I love caprese :) And the balcony wasn't very big.
Arugula and radishes on the deck. I need to thin and replant some of these!
Another tomato plant on the deck
The cooler is still out from my birthday party last night. It belongs in the garage.
A big pot of herbs on the left, and a planter with jalapeño and bell peppers on top and cherry tomatoes growing upside down. There is cilantro planted in the bottom, but it hasn't come up yet.
The cilantro seed packet was labeled "slow bolt," so maybe that's why?
The flower garden is clearly overgrown. I'll have to deal with that in the fall.
If you have a garden, what are you growing? This is the second year for the asparagus, and it is FINALLY starting to look like actual asparagus instead of dill :) No sign of any cauliflower starting to form.