Thursday, April 11, 2013

A Garden That Grows On You:

Purple cauliflower that I have been growing in my backyard, I've been waiting patiently to harvest the vegetable.

      If you happened to check in earlier this week than you likely read this post where I mentioned that I have been feeling pretty under the weather. When you are home sick you can go a little stir crazy but lack of energy can keep you from escaping the confines of your home. When I'm sick but craving the outdoors, I retreat to my small but essential backyard. In the Spring and Summer months it is one of my favorite rooms in the house and perfect for entertaining, grilling, or tending to the plants and flowers. Here's a little peek at the space I have been savoring lately:



When I first moved into my apartment over two years ago my backyard was cleared of all plant life. This Calla Lily randomly showed up on day and I have been enjoying the blooms ever since. 

Tuberose roots that I planted shortly after taking this photo. I have never grown this fragrant flower before and I cannot wait to have the plant's heavenly scent drift thru my backyard!

I've never really been much into garden statues but I couldn't
resist this gnome that reminds me of the movie Amelie!

Last season, I could not for the life of me get cilantro to sprout. This year I have had no trouble at all. I'll be sure to share the secret when I figure out what I did right!

The cyclamen I featured in my "Cosy Casa" post have since been moved and planted in my backyard along with green zebra tomatoes and lemon thyme (which is in the teacup planter).

I purchased several hydrangea plants last year (I love having these cut flowers in my home but at 3 dollars a stem I decided to just purchase my own plants) and I'm happy to announce that they survived the Winter and I hope to see them bloom in shades of white, pink, and blue very soon! 

I planted strawberry plants last year and they happened to make it thru the winter also! It's so nice when plants weather over because it saves you money from having to buy new ones the following growing season. 

I bought this zucchini squash plant when it was about 3 inches high, currently it has reached about a foot in height and diameter and I know its going to get MASSIVE. I hope that the $2 I spent on the plant returns the favor in yummy veggies! 


      I've still got a few more plants that I would love to add to my yard as the frost disappears for good. Ancho peppers (for making carne con chili) are a must as well as a few more herbs (for drying out and using in the winter as well). Growing your own produce is a fantastic way to get exercise as well as save a bit on groceries. Do you have an outdoor space that you love? Perhaps your own yard, a community garden, or just a local walking trail you adore? I'd love to hear all about it!


Yours,
Nico

10 comments:

  1. You have a delightful green thumb Nico! I think it's wonderful. My grandfather use to grow tomatoes in his backyard. I only enjoyed picking and eating them. HaHa Planting is an entirely different thing. But the vegetables and fruit taste so much better. Enjoy your harvest!

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  2. Hi Lovely, thanks for your kind visit! Definitely lets do a trip together, it would be such fun! You have a beautiful flourishing garden, its beginning to get really cold here, so my garden is slowly dying down (so sad). Please do let me know whats the secret to growing cilantro (coriander), I simply cannot get it right. The purple cauliflower and blooms look great. Happy Friday!

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  3. Hi Nico,

    How lovely your have some wonderful plants, both vegetables and flowers and yes, you have a green thumb. I love gardening but over the summer with lack of rain, many of my plants died, which was sad.

    Happy weekend
    hugs
    Carolyn

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  4. Great post!
    Have a nice weekend! besos.


    http://onecolourorathemedaybyday.blogspot.com

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  5. What a lovely look into your backyard! Very interested in the tuberose! I garden in my house we have bunnies that eat all of our flowers. I couldn't get my cilantro to grow last year either (oooh parsley as well) basil is pretty much the only plant I can keep growing. There is still snow on the ground here so another month or so till I have plants to tend too.

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  6. Thanks for showing this wonders of the nature and that I learned a new English word: cauliflower, which in German means Blumenkohl!

    I like the nature, too, but I fear I haven´t a green thumb ;)

    xx from Bavaria where the nature needs still time until the plants are as big as yours, Rena

    www.dressedwithsoul.blogspot.de

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  7. Your garden and plants are a reminder to me I need to make time amid the busyness of our move to get my garden here started. At least a small one this year. Our old one in California was full of good stuff growing that my family loved and our fruit trees were all established and really producing, but as with everything else right now we're starting completely from scratch or fixing up what was old to make new for us. Enjoy the fruits of your labor!!

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  8. Our garden is rubbish. Our back door is broken so we can't even get into the back year. Ha.

    That Lilly is lovely!

    Corinne x
    www.skinnedcartree.com

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  9. wow, gorgeous photos! :) thanks for sharing!
    newest follower!
    Juliet
    please visit soon!
    www.apurplesky.blogspot.com

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Positive comments are always appreciated!