Good Surprises and Bad

The only reason I got out of my pajamas today was to look for two dogs who had escaped from a neighbor's yard this morning(ish).  I saw them running around in the street and decided that I wouldn't feel right just leaving them out there in the rain, especially considering there's a major road right next to our little community and no one around here knows how to drive.  I never found them (I'm hoping they're safely home now), but I did discover a couple of new things in our side yard, as I was driving back to the house.

Good Surprises...
Not only did I not know that we had azaleas in our yard...

But I had no idea they grew in bunches like this.

Back in March, I noticed these shoots coming up...

You can barely see them, way down at the base of those sticks.  Sticks that were once a plant, that is.

And I'd been wondering what they were going to turn into.

There they are.

It doesn't seem like it was that long ago - how'd that get so big?!

And so lovely.

And Bad...


What the heck happened to my Jade Pothos?!

Notice shredded leaves on table and floor.

Oh...I see.

It's cool, just play with the plant you've destroyed in front of me, Frankie.

Well, that's what I get for taking too long to hang it up.  Will definitely remedy that situation today.

She looks so innocent, doesn't she?

Herb Time

I had hoped to show up for this post about my herbs with a tactical plan.  A post about how I'd learned to take better care of my herbs and how they're now thriving.  But no.  I come to you today to present you with why I bought the ones I did and show you how they're doing.  And, once I've done that, I'm going to ask everyone who reads this post:  Why does my basil look so bad and what can I do to stop that?

Because I feel I should have brought more to this post than I did, I tried to make up for it by embedding as many links to gorgeous pictures on Food Porn Daily as I could fit in this paragraph.  I hope you click on and enjoy them.  I bought all three of these herbs because I knew my housemate and I would use them.  He uses mint in some fancy appetizer involving melba toast, fig spread and Halloumi cheese that he loves to impress people with.  I plan on muddling the mint for mojitos (that one's from Pioneer Woman, I couldn't resist) and any other drink I can find that involves it.  I use the rosemary in...well, gosh just about everything I can.  But mostly for soups, stews, roasts and I love it in bread but I am not ready to bake some of my own yet (someday).  I use the basil in my marinara sauce (correction: my mother's marinara sauce), on top of pizza, in salads and should I ever actually think to make caprese salad, I'd need a lot of it.

You may be asking yourself, why plant them when you can just get them at the store?  Because they charge way too much and I don't use them frequently enough to use them up entirely.  Sure, I can use a lot of basil in certain dishes, but in that case I feel I need to buy it the day of.  And rosemary - it is ridiculous how much they charge for it in grocery stores.  The stuff pretty much grows itself.  I am not saying that I have never killed one, I'm just saying that it is difficult to do so...  Mint, on the other hand, is something we rarely need, but when we've needed it in the past the stores were out of it.  My housemate only got to pick one plant, and Mojito Mint was the one he picked.

Week 1:  And away we go.  Newly planted in a window box and looking so green and pretty.

Week 2: The weather had been warm and rainy and for that first week everything was great.  But then, in this week, the weather chilled a bit and the winds came.

Week 3:  I had to move the box to a more sheltered area where it could get sun without as much wind.  By then it looks like the basil had already been hit pretty hard, but both the mint and rosemary were still thriving.

Week 4:  I think the basil isn't going to make it...it's only a matter of time before it gives up the ghost.  But at least the rosemary and mint are still doing well.  Maybe next time I'll do the basil indoors?  I checked these guys every couple days to make sure they had enough water (the rain took care of most of that) and, when they were getting dry, I watered and fed them (Miracle Gro Watering Can Singles).  I did attempt to prune the basil, but that wasn't till Week 3 and it was already going downhill by then.  Look how sad it is in Week 4!

I've learned a valuable lesson today about photographing plants for this site - taking the picture at the same time of day, on good weather days and from the same angle would have been nice.  Sorry, guys.

And now, let me show you my very sad, lonely, little Thornless Blackberry.  There's not much difference, but at least it's still alive.  Has it grown or did I plant a dead stick with leaves?  Anything is possible.

The Blackest of Black Thumbs

This site is dedicated to all the plants I have killed, which is many, in my misguided attempts to fill my life with greenery.  Fortunately, in recent years, I have found that a combination of Dummies guides and helpful friends make quite a difference and no one has to remain a “black thumb” forever.  Oh, and Pinterest.  How can I forget all the random things I’ve learned from Pinterest?

Many of us did not learn all the little things you need to know to keep plants healthy and happy before deciding to try our hands at indoor and/or outdoor gardening.  Sometimes a small shift in available sunlight or dryness in the air inside your house can make all the difference.  And who knew how important it was to find out which direction your windows face?  If you live in a townhouse, condo or apartment, there is a chance that none of your windows face that perfect direction or maybe you think you don’t have enough space to make a garden you’ll be happy with. 

This is a site for beginner gardeners (or those willing to give it another try) and those angels of mercy who take pity on us and plants, in general.  If you have a gardening question you need answered or some great green thumb advice, please send an email to DCLostGirl@gmail.com.