The benefits of a garden

The other evening I wanted to make a salad, so I stepped outside and snipped a variety of lettuce from our garden. As I came back inside, washed and then arranged the lettuce on the plate I felt a certain sense of accomplishment. Things you grow yourself truly taste better. What is something you have had success growing in your backyard?

Indulge me

After rain, snow and wet weather, we had a glorious day of temperatures just over sixty. To this Pacific Northwester the sunshine on my face made me feel downright giddy and might have even made my cheeks a little pink. With the sun shining, I took the opportunity to snap more of these lovely beauties. Fact: I will never grow tired of sunshine or flowers.

The details

I love to track the weekly progress of my flowers, it is a great visual way to see the passage of time and makes me eager for more sunlight and longer days.

Daphne Odora. This flower is new to me, but smells like sweet citrus when in bloom. I can hardly wait!!

Crocuses remind me of easter eggs, but especially in this particular shot. It is a reminder how even the most troublesome flower popping up in the middle of your grass can be beautiful.

I love irises, but mini irises are extra sweet.

Fall color

I might be influenced by the cooler weather, or the maples subtly turning, but as the plants in a my garden die off I have felt a strong desire to replace them with lush fall colors.

What are some of your favorite things to plant for the Fall?

How does your garden grow?

Up until the past couple of years, I have never thought much about gardening beyond potted flowers. I have always enjoyed lining our decks with varying splashes of color, but that was always where the inspiration ran dry. Between living close to a nursery and my desire for fresh herbs I have been inspired to stretch a little in the gardening department. I by no means have a sprawling plot of land, but I have quickly realized a dozen pots on a deck can get you quite far.

This year I have been delighted to see stripes of red appear on my strawberries, enjoyed finding new recipes like butter and sage pasta to utilize my thriving herbs and really getting crazy by incorporating three types of lettuce into my garden. There is a deep sense of satisfaction in growing your own food whether that be one strawberry here and there or anticipating the arrival of your tomatoes. I feel more in tune not only with the growing seasons, but more hopeful than ever for sun.

My thriving sage, it has doubled in size the past couple weeks.

One of my favorite flowers are dahlias, they are vivid and cheerful to look at each day.

Fresh lettuce is nice to pick off for a sandwich or a salad.

I was so eager for basil this year I set it outside a little to early, this is my second attempt and it seems to be doing much better than the first.

In addition, I have leeks, three kinds of tomatoes and mint. I am excited to see how it all does.

What have you had success growing in pots?

The $10 Happiness Project: Beautify your little corner of the world

How often do you see something in a magazine, at a store or on someone else's blog and think I could do that?

Today was rainy, gloomy and I needed a little creative outlet of happiness.

Sometimes I think I am in the minority of people who like to live small. I like our small condo, I like not having a lawn, I like not having a lot of closet space. Living small requires constant editing and purging of stuff. If I do not love it, I get rid of it. It is easy to think because you do not have this or that that you cannot be happy, but I am hear to tell you it can be the very opposite. You do not need a yard to have a garden and quite frankly it is easier to lean out the window and water your pots than trudge outside.

The task was easy: I wanted to beautify my meager little balcony garden.

I wanted labels on all my plants, not out of necessity, but aesthetic. Awhile back I saw some on this blog and with the help of Google I was able to relocate them.

With one trip to my local hardware store I was able to purchase all the supplies required:

paint brush

wooden paint stir sticks

paint brush

White china marker

Directions:

Paint wooden stir sticks with black paint. I used black outdoor furniture paint, but you could also use chalkboard paint. Let dry.

Write the name of your fruits, vegetables or flowers with the China Marker on the stick. I wrote cursive on one side and printed on the other side. This way, if I grow tired of one style I can switch to the other.