Lavender
For the first time I actually have plans laid for the back yard while snowy cold fronts light up the weather map. The budget is thin but we live in the land of Plentiful Alleys. B and I took her wagon for a scavenger hunt this morning turning up two small and pristine pallets, some decent fencing wood, a clay pot and two contractor’s buckets.
B thoroughly enjoying "Being up high!"
We went back out to the back yard before starting dinner so I could tuck our finds under the stairs. B pushed around her dump truck and collected rocks as I realized I have never really checked on the plants before March or April in years past. Looking around, all the winter survivors are quite busy.
More lavender
The herbs on the back stairs are waking up. Lavender looks great, the sage is filling out as well from it’s harsh Halloween harvest.
- Sage
I had no idea the parsley would make it through winter. I just ordered seed but am thrilled to find the recent freeze and snow hasn’t taken a toll.
Flat leaf parsley
Seriously, that parsley is downright lush for January.
And then there’s the abandoned gardenia.
Gardenia
This poor gardenia was given to our ex-neighbor nearly-dead. She did what she could then put it out to pasture in its pot in the shade. She bought a house, moved and left the plant. I’ve done nothing to it… It looks the best I’ve seen it since it arrived last summer.
Mystery lilies
Our ex-neighbor, mentioned above, lived in the apartment next door and did most of the in-ground gardening in our back yard (four apartments share the yard). She planted these lilies a few years ago and, well, I think they are Easter Lilies.
Strawberries!
The strawberries. I have such a lovey spot for these in my heart, mostly because I didn’t realize until last summer how easily they grow. B loves to eat the little wild strawberries that fill every spot not otherwise claimed by gravel, mulch or tended plants. They don’t taste like much. We planted three cultivated strawberries early last summer and they look primed to produce this year. Some of the daughter plants are slated for pots so we can actually enjoy the fruit before the slugs and rats do.
