Sunday, October 3, 2010

Let's have a patio garden party!

The weekend weather was perfect to do outdoor work, so that is just what we did!


In July, I asked Mr. P for a raised bed garden plot as my birthday gift. My family pitched in, and yesterday it was realized. I love it so much that I get up from what I am doing and just go marvel at how it is exactly what I hoped it would be. The bed is fully planted with fall crops, and while it may not yield much, I get such a kick out of how a tiny flower with bees and butterflies fluttering about will all OF A SUDDEN be a tiny baby pepper or cucumber or eggplant.

My summer crops were a bit weird. Peppers? OH YES. Cucumbers? ehh...a few weird ones. Strawberries? 4. BUT OH MY berries, the absolute sweetest tastiest berries ever. And the strawberry plants that I thought were dead are coming back. Squash? Nada. NOT ONE. Ichiban eggplant? Scarce until the weather broke, and now that the temps are below 90 I have already eaten 4, harvested a grocery store size one today, and have 4 or 5 more growing. Apparently the eggplant do not love the Alabama heat like the peppers do. Melons? EPIC FAIL. Tomatoes? Grape, yes, and again, once the weather broke I now have maybe 45 blossoms, but not one regular size tomato all summer long.

Oh, I got sidetracked talking about the summer garden, when my point was to show you my fall garden party area. (I likely will not have a garden party, but I love sitting outside reading magazines in the sunny breezy gorgeous weather we have been having...and I call that my garden party.)

BEFORE: (now before you get oh so judgy about the hideousness of my yard, remember this is a rental!)

Way down at the bottom of the hill is Mr. P whacking weeds!

and NOW: TA DA!!


And the piece de resistace:



A different vantage point:

My summer garden...the frame thing is what Mr. P built so I could have all my plants at the apartment, and I still like it so I still have it.


It is kinda weird that we have all this set up in the front yard, but my back yard is all tree roots and shade. The "deck" and chairs were out back, but Friday night Mr. P and I sat out there with a beer, but Joe (the dog) kept wanting to be out front. We admitted we like out front better too...so we just said, "WhatEV" and put the garden party in the front yard because that is how we roll up in here.


I really love it, but now looking at the pictures---I am wondering if it is more really weird than kinda weird....

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

i love your front yard garden. weird? nah, maybe unconventional. but hey, if thats where the sun is and its where you want to be, why not?

Jen L. said...

Love,love, love!!! I would be very up for a garden party, should you decide to have one. Those two chairs would hold you and me just fine. :)
I covet your eggplant.

Anonymous said...

That is so many different kinds of fabulous!!!

creative kerfuffle said...

mr p is a regular bob the builder--wow! i am impressed. i don't think it is weird at all that you're garden party is in the front yard. you work w/ what you have, and this looks lovely. our summer garden sounds like yours, so much stuff didn't love the heat. we had a good crop of strawberries and i've noticed their fruiting again now. strange. we had no luck w/ melons, and even though we cleaned out the garden, i noticed a melon plant popped up and flowered last week. we're trying pumpkins (which are blooming now) but i'm sure we won't have them in time for halloween.

Shelley said...

I think it looks great, and makes your front yard look really friendly. Heck, you're in the south - it's kind-of like an extension of the front porch!

Anonymous said...

It looks great. I am not at all a garden person, but I am enjoying seeing and hearing about yours! Especially the Farmer in the Dell tag.

kilax said...

I don't think it's weird at all! I love it, and would love to sit out there :)

 
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