This Just In

After two years of depression, so much has changed.? I have my life back, my healthy, happy frame of mind back…and with this has come a desire to try something that for me, is new.?

?My parents are both prolific gardeners.? My sister Andrea also possesses a green thumb.? If I am given a plant as a gift, I can keep it alive and thriving, so I’ve decided to try my hand at redoing the picket fence garden in my back yard.? I planted three lillies that my mom gave me last year back there, but I want to dig everything else up and completely redo it.?

?In the past, I’ve just let what the prior owners of this house planted come up, and just let it go.? I didn’t weed, I didn’t do anything.? Watered it occasionally, but that’s it.? There are a few hollyhocks that have suffered.? This year, I’m starting fresh, and I want to see what I can do.

This is the garden now, under half a foot of snow.? You can see the remains of a hollyhock against the fence.

With some luck, perserverance, education and TLC though, I’m hoping that this cast of characters will turn into something wonderful.

*Snicker* which of these things is doin’ it’s own thing? Which of these things are kinda the same?

Because it’s easy to grow, and I know I can do it, I am starting with some alyssum.? This is?Carpet of Snow Alyssum, which is just gorgeous in the pot I grow it in on my front porch.? I get happy just looking at it.

At my mother’s suggestion, I picked up some pink Rosie O’ Day alyssum too.? I think this will be just divine with the white.? It will be like a big bucket of cotton candy on my front porch, I can hardly wait.

The hollyhocks are making their exit this spring, and making their debut are these beauties:

Providing a nice splash of color will be some columbine:

And then at last we get to the things I want to grow in large pots, in the sunny spots on my deck.? The first thing is this Cottage Garden Mix.? Is it not incredible? So Victorian and pretty.

Lastly, these carnival bell peppers will be my first attempt at growing my own vegetables.? I am going to plant them in a large pot and stake them.? I chose these for the color first–I love the varied colors of these.? I’ve also read that peppers are a great beginner’s veggie, with a high percentage of success.?

If all goes well, I’ll beautiful flowers to grace my table, and my own peppers?to use in my pasta sauce in August.? It might also give me the confidence to have other successful adventures in gardening.? I’ll be keeping a journal of sorts with all my notes for future reference–this should be helpful for other years; I’ll also be sharing my progress here.

Wish me luck!

S.