Since we didn't do a vegetable garden this year at my mother's because of weather and the possibility that we might move away and not be able to take care of it, I just have to enjoy my little flowers and herbs at our apartment. We've got a pretty little variety in our back porch/yard area and I'm proud. It makes me happy to look outside and see everything growing and blooming.
For the back patio flowers, we have marigold, zinnias, and a little petunia. The lone petunia is leftover from a pack that we used for the front flower bed. He had to go somewhere!
I'm afraid I won't be showing you pictures of the other petunias just yet. They have struggled this year with all the rain we are having and the fact that there are no rain gutters on the front of our apartment. So all the water pours down into the flower bed and wreaks havoc on the flowers and their root systems. Bummer. They are thriving pretty well despite their less than ideal situation.
And I'm also sad to say my beautiful bright pink geranium on our front porch looks like it may have taken a tumble in our absence to Louisiana. All the buds were broken off and the soil mixed around like it had fallen over, then been put back in an effort to save the pot. But there are a few new buds appearing. So maybe my front of the apartment flowers will bounce back and I can share pictures with you later this summer!
And I'm also sad to say my beautiful bright pink geranium on our front porch looks like it may have taken a tumble in our absence to Louisiana. All the buds were broken off and the soil mixed around like it had fallen over, then been put back in an effort to save the pot. But there are a few new buds appearing. So maybe my front of the apartment flowers will bounce back and I can share pictures with you later this summer!
Moving on to the herbs, which are a different story:
Cilantro. I'm just trying to keep picking it frequently so it will grow, produce lots of leaves, and hopefully not flower too early. I want to get a lot out of this plant for salsas if I can!
Rosemary. This little guy is doing fabulously and smells wonderful.
Chives. A new endeavor. I've already used their light onion-y flavor a couple times in recipes.
Parsley. Nestled next to the Basil. Which, I'm afraid also happens to be taking a beating from some terrible insect. I remember a couple persistent grasshoppers last summer attacking my parsley and I think they are back (notice the chewed leaves on the upper right). I've got to fight them because the reason I planted basil in ground this year is so it will grow to be big, strong, and super leafy for many batches of pesto.
Anybody have any great suggestions for natural pesticides? I've read about dish soap in water with baking soda. Does that work? Please help a girl out here!
No comments:
Post a Comment