Given how impossible it is to plant anything in my front yard, I give every green thing a chance to show whether it is weed or something interesting. Unless it is a ivy or vine, because those go crackers and make a mess. It's how I found out those useless lily-like grasses were my favorite kind of tiger lily! (that had not bloomed for as long as my neighbor has been here, which is something like 6 years.)

It's how I found out those useless lily-like grasses were my favorite kind of tiger lily!

My sistah! I found a huge (and totally overcrowded) clump of daylilies growing under a useless shrub I hated and murdered to death!

(I gave them nicer soil and breathing space, but it was already past this year's blooming season -- but I expect them to be actual lilies next year.)

Very jealous of people with gardens. I'm going to try some herbs on my windowsill, but I would love some actual yard to plant more.

I don't know if it was the heavy snow or the fact I thinned them out this spring in exasperation that they bloomed this year. I guess I'll find out next summer. Of course, I was out of town for the 10 days they were at their peak. My neighbor took a picture for me. They were pretty.

That's so awesome. We let lots of weeds grow, cause it's the desert and any green is good green. Except the tumbleweeds because those are the devil's own plant.

And one of the volunteers is this really lovely ground cover that we've let mound everywhere, putting off tiny white flowers, but mostly lots of little greenery. It's almost completely filled the bulb bed this year, covering the die back from the flowers. Next year I think it will totally cover. Plus it looks awesome cascading over the rocks around our tiny garden pond...whereupon the tadpoles eat it. Total win.

Time to figure out what flower bulbs go into the bed for next year. This year's rabbit report: no grape hyacinth or crocuses, all totally eaten. But limited tulips, definitely daffodils, and irises, yay! Plus all the alliums, which is fine because I actually like the round flowers the onions and garlic put up. They're a little large and unwieldy in scale, but they're still blooming when nothing else in the garden is.

Thanks to all you growing people, I'm thinking about putting some shelves up between my living room windows and putting herbs in pots on them. I think I can put them high enough that the cat won't get to them...

My downstairs neighbor planted the garden last year, and she said she was jeolous, because she fertlized and weeded and watered, and got nothing, and I planted and did just about nothing, and my harvest look bountiful. I told her it was because I talk to the plants every day, but I am betting that it is just the weather!

As much as I love having this stuff grow, with my lazy black thumb, I actually have more yard than I really want. I'm better with pots. But I have the 5'x8'-ish back postage and the maybe 10'x10' sloping front of rocky evil clay and I just pretty much barely keep up with it. I rake it. And get around to my pots.

msbelle, it is validating to be see that other people struggle with the stuff that one deals with daily!

I didn't sleep last night so I took a 3 hour nap this afternoon. ooops.

P, the nurse, is sitting outside in the yard with Grace. So cute. The neighbor lady, who is ineffectually nosy, said to K, "Oh! So he does belong here! He's not just an intruder?" if you thought he was doing something wrong, why not DO something about it?

YAY sander sharing is awesome.

In other news, did anyone see the Ephron Parody of the Girl with the... series?

Yeah, I'm a big fan of herbs in pots. In fact, with the sun getting ready to make its reappearance in the sunroom (the overhangs keep it off during the summer) we're getting ready to devote some serious space to our winter gardening, which is always more successful than our summer. So I'm thinking lots of greens, will definitely try kale this year. And herbs for sure. I think I'm getting Gardener's Supply Tomato Success Kit for my birthday, so we'll do those. And we'll bring some of the peppers in, and definitely try the Thai chiles again, those were great. But that's the normal stuff, and I'd like to expand some. It's always interesting to see what will grow off season and what won't. I used to really worry about the temps for the tomatoes, but they don't really seem to care all that much.