I love my crazy backyard. My tiny, crazy backyard. It makes no sense and it looks thrown together by a maniac who's sniffed and sprayed too much paint, but I think that's why I like it.

I can't grow plants. Most start to wilt as I walk in their direction, but for some reason everything grows. I like things to be perfectly spaced and level, and nothing is straight or level. Even the birdbath tilts. I love all kinds of pottery, especially outdoor pottery, but most of the containers are random thrifted items, repurposed for my purposes, i.e. the duck pitcher, the foo dog bookend, the ice bucket, and the random filing cabinet parts. Even the birdbath is made up of pieces purchased years apart that somehow work together in this garden.

And, best of all, it's boy and dog proof. Most of the plants are succulents and get broken off with abandon, only to replant themselves in an even better spot. Sometimes toys even make their way into the garden and take up permanent residency.

Because I love the color and the spirit of the garden, I would love to be able to sit outside. And read. Or nap. But it's so small. And there is no cover. And I can literally have full conversations with my neighbor who lives behind me because her house butts up against our fence. So aside from the full sun, the small space, and the "Hi, Diane!" thing, it would be a perfect place to build a respite spot.

That'll be my next project, figuring out how to spend more time in a place I like. Maybe something a little like ziss:

Garden Salad

Our little garden is starting to pay off! Free (ish) carrots and a child eating vegetables!

Although now I have to stop them from eating all the carrots.

Afternoon in the Garden of Color and Insanity

 

This weekend, John built us a raised garden bed for us to plant vegetables. I've selected a sort of salad bar concept for the vegetables, i.e. tomatoes, lettuce, radishes, bell peppers, onions, etc...

But before we could buy the plants, John hopped out of town and there is no way I'm planting anything without a second party present. 

1. Too hot. I need time to see where the sun is over the bed during the day.

2. I have no idea if things should go together or be faaaaar apaaaaart...

3. That's a lot of money to spend without coming out of it with new shoes.

So I ended up buying some thyme (that works on two levels), and some other cool succulents I found. 

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that my garden and backyard are a work in progress and most likely this will always be so. But in vignettes, it's pretty.  So here are a few I noticed today:

 

This last one is a plant that Beckett selected at the nursery. He just sort of grabbed something and said, "Here, Mom!" But it turns out it's the perfect foil for all the green and bright colors everywhere else.

The pots ARE the rainbow...

Still need violet. Too bad I don't need violence. Got that in spades. Ha. Garden pun. This is what it must be like to live in Darren Star's brain.

Hydrangeas

John came home with hydrangeas for the front yard. It seems a farmers market was getting rid of them. So we planted them and John said, "Better take a picture before they all die." So we did.

I think I need to explain "the secret" to him again.

Stuff I did while waiting for a new camera.

So maybe I didn't "bloom" the roses and wildflowers. But they were not at all entertaining before my camera broke.

Lady Marmabug

Not being natural gardeners, John and I are amazed at this squash plant that grew out of our "compost." It's like a fake compost because we built the circle to house an olive tree and have been composting in the circle to get the soil all ready. We've already grown a bunch of potatoes, same reason, and now then giantest squash plant in all the land.

While I was trying to capture its hugeness, I noticed bugs crawling all over it. Like a whole world living in my squash plant. Ladybugs and bees were working. I think it needs it's own reality show.

Cuckoo Garden

Ever since my husband cleaned out the garage and found random cans of paint, I have been painting everything. I painted my medicine cabinet, which started out small and became a two day project, and I painted every terra cotta pot in the vicinity. And a duck. And a broken spoon. And an old curtain rod.

 It's pretty amazing that Barkley is still brown and white.

Dirty Birds.

This birdbath had interesting beginnings. My old roommate found the base piece at a yard sale about eight years ago. Neither of us knew what it was, but it seemed like a cool piece. When my guy and I moved out, we ended up with it and it kinda sat outside for five years.
Last summer we discovered that it made a super cool outdoor umbrella stand.
A year later and we are much smarter. I found an $8 saucer and plopped it on top. And now we have an $8 bird bath!
It's like I'm Dorothy and I've always had the birdbath, I just had to click my heels together.
That just makes me want to buy shoes.

Weird Morning

After being asked if I was pregnant and punched in the arm by a renegade jogger, it would be nice to come home to a glorious garden and relax in the shade of a free peach tree.
But, alas, we are still pretty far from that dream.
I've transplanted some succulents and found others at the 99 cent store. The tree was free and the other stuff was super cheap. Eventually there will be grass on the right of the treated lumber edging. And in the center of the yard, off to the right of the photo, will be an olive tree. Olive-less, of course.
Right now I'm off to ask my garden goddess neighbor her advice on what plants I can add to the mix to complete the "look." There will be one soon, I promise.