How Does Your Garden Grow

I am a wannabe gardener.  Everywhere we've lived I've tried to plant something, usually without the best success.  My first, most ambitious garden was the best of all my gardens.  Each one has drifted further down in quality, with my last attempt in Baku ending in dead zucchini plants.  I didn't think anyone could kill zucchini plants, but I guess I can.

But still I try.  I just really like to grow things and so I keep pouring money into rather pointless garden endeavors.  One of my first big disagreements with Brandon was about spending money on plants, but by now he's given up protesting when the Burpee boxes show up.  

Our house was brand-new when we moved in, and two of the three dirt areas were sown in thin grass and the third was bare dirt.  I had really hoped for a lovely yard with mature fruit trees and a grape arbor and was disappointed with an empty concrete yard.  But you don't spent 3 1/2 years with the yard you'd like to have, you spend 3 1/2 years with yard you do have.

My gardener planted these from seeds.  I'm not that fond of marigolds, but they're better than bare dirt and add some nice color.

Herb gardens are always nice, and my gardener brought this rosemary when I hired her.  I like rosemary, and it looks shaggy because I keep cutting branches off.

This zucchini hasn't died.  Yet.

Friends had us babysit their areogarden herbs for the summer and we rooted some of the mint.

I started this thyme from seed and surprisingly, it's just fine.

This is another cutting from the areogarden.  Thai basil.

The kids helped me 'urban forage' this mint from our local 'park.'  Bunches and bunches were growing wild, so the children pulled up a few plants from the ground and I planted them.  And they grew!  Time for mint ice cream.

Sage.  Gotta plan early for Thanksgiving.  We still have the turkey in our freezer from last year.

I've always had a rough time with basil, but this year's crop is doing pretty well.  Almost pesto time!

This bed is the worst of all of them.  Turns out that bad soil is called bad soil because it's... bad.  I've got plans for serious soil remediation and a lovely flower garden next year.  Because right now it can't even grow butternut squash.

I planted this squash six weeks ago.  Fertilizer anyone?

Snapdragons.  

Vines that are making a half-hearted attempt to hide my gas tank.  So far, not working very well.

My best success so far.  These beans spent about a month getting 9 inches high and then spent three weeks growing nine more feet.

And as a bonus, they have lovely purple flowers.

I have a cherry tree, peach tree, and apricot tree.  Maybe we'll get a few fruits before we leave, but I'm not holding my breath.  That's okay, because I like having trees in my yard.

One day I'll finally have my own yard, but until then, I'll keep plugging away.  I'm looking forward to seeing the difference by the time we leave.