Grow, Make, Learn, Thrive: The State of the Garden

As promised, pictures of my entire garden. You can click on any picture to see it come up in a bigger version.

The most exciting part -- the new vegetable and herb garden! In the back are two baby cucumber plants who are already twice as large as they were a month ago. After I took this picture I finally got around to giving them help to reach skyward via string. They have baby trellises above their pots right now, but obviously eventually they will need more.

The tupperware on the bottom left has one freshly planted row of spinach and scallions each. Once those sprout, I will plant another two rows, and so on. My first try at the critical skill of succession planting. Next to that is a container of just-sprouting dill, then parsley, then a freshly planted container of English peas, which I will trellis straight onto the pen. The pen, by the way, is there to keep both dogs and cats out of the "digging boxes"/"litter boxes".

Close up of the dill on the left and the parsley on the right. I've already nibbled on the shoots which I pulled when I was thinning the plants, and they did not disappoint.

This boring shot is of my freshly-planted Forget Me Nots and my big new watering can. The house I live in has on-demand hot water rather than a boiler, which saves energy but means that you have to run the shower for a while before the warm water reaches you. I save the cold water in a bucket, then transfer it to the watering can. (I also use the water for cooking, since it's the same water that comes through the kitchen faucet.)

This as my first non-succulent plant, a fuschia. It's got a few buds right now but isn't showing very well. It grows happy pink flowers regularly.

A big ol' fern which has been growing quickly during the past couple of months. It's in a huge pot because its mature size should be three feet tall and wide.

The succulents which like shade, blocked off from the dogs' pee by little fences.

And here's the entire rest of the succulent garden! I can't stop myself if I'm walking my someone's yard and they have a type I haven't seen before. Succulents are super easy to take care of -- you grow a new one simply by picking off a branch and sticking it in soil, and they are drought tolerant. They come in all kinds of funky shapes that are fun to look at. They were a great starter plant for me and allowed me to discover the joy of gardening. It is the most relaxing and fulfulling activity I can turn to if I am feeling stressed or depressed. My garden is a big factor in my sense of well-being.

Close-up of the strawberry pots. There's one plant in there that's not a succulent, and I don't know what it is, but it has pungent leaves and pretty purple flowers.