Bloomin' Awesome

My mom is a talented gardener, in that she can keep a whole yard of plants and flowers and shrubs alive through long, hot California summers. It's remarkable, and, of course, her garden has been well-documented here and on my Facebook page.

So with Casa Meg settled on the inside, I decided, about a month ago, to create my own little garden, on the tiny balcony that I call my own.

It started with two small houseplants that weren't getting enough sun in my living room, a pot of mini daffodils, and a small bucket from the Target Dollar Bins in which you get a few forget-me-not seeds and a dry pellet that turns into soil when you add water.

Sprouts!!

Daffodils are hardy little souls (that's why their my favorite--I identify) and so I've never been too worried about those. But the houseplants were dying slowly and I was never sure the forget-me-not sprouts would do much of anything.  But I persisted, and added. I hung a hummingbird feeder--no takers yet, sadly--and adjusted how much sun everyone got. I have asked Mom so many questions, and with her advice, I have managed to keep everyone alive even as I add to the crowd.

New growth! I soon dead-headed all those brown leaves and now
this one is looking great.

A couple of weekends ago, I got a bit of a bee in my bonnet and went to the OSH (Orchard Supply Hardware) across the street. One hour and about twenty bucks later, I had a small pot, some potting soil, some Allyssum, and Savlia. Oh, and a package of citronella tea lights. I went home and gamely set out to plant my new charges...and I discovered that dirt under the fingernails isn't so bad. There's something immensely gratifying about helping things grow.

By the time I was finished, the sun was setting, so I lit a few of the candles and relaxed for a bit.

Now, I've got a daily routine. I enjoy going out and checking on everyone, gently cooing to them when new growth appears, and singing to them about how pretty they are (I'm told this works, so I'm rolling with it). I've started saving tea leaves, egg shells, and produce waste to blend into a vile mixture that nourishes the soil. Mom uses this with great success, so I now have three plastic food storage containers of the stuff chillin' in the fridge.

It's really lovely out there now, perfect for Sunday brunch after a four-mile run.

Now that I've had some success, I'm adding even more. Mom gave me cuttings from two of her geranium bushes, and I bought some basil because summer is coming, and I'll be needing fresh basil with my tomatoes and mozzarella.

I moved the shelf over to get it a bit more out of the sun, as on particularly hot days, my little garden gets parched and unhappy. I almost lost my basil...it was a very close thing.

My forget-me-not sprouts are growing like mad, and I'm so proud.

This past weekend, I added yet more--a bigger pot with some marigolds, more allyssum, and some gorgeous lantana, which I've seen all over Mom and Dad's neighborhood and I absolutely adore.

Lantana--it's so multi-colored and pretty. One of my favorites
in a garden.

 While all of this was happening, I was on the lookout for the perfect garden gnome. I didn't want a California Surfer Dude Gnome, or anything like that, just a simple, small one to watch over my wee garden. I found him at Hobby Lobby.

A little colorful touch.

The lantana is going to be fabulous.

As I mentioned, my basil went into some distress--it got blown off the shelf one day and dried out. I've babied it along, and I'm getting new growth!

One of the original houseplants that I almost killed, showing
signs of coming back. 

It's almost ridiculous how satisfied I feel every time I glance out at my tiny balcony garden, knowing that I'm keeping it alive, and feeling happy every time I go out and water and check the soil. I hope to buy a larger pot soon to keep on the floor of the balcony, for some summer annuals. In the fall I'll replant my daffodil bulbs in a bigger container, and some bulbs that Mom has from her garden, so that next spring, their happy faces will greet me just as I'm starting to get sick of winter.

Garden Girl