Garden

I dream of someday having a garden planted in the earth, but, for now, as an apartment dweller, this is what we have at home - a lot of potted plants on the outdoor stairway and balcony.




Above, from left to right:

* Basil
* Potted arrangement of Lemon Verbena, Pineapple Mint and Lemon Balm
* Potted arrangement of Rosemary, Oregano and Thyme

The two pots on the right are going to have to go into much bigger containers if we don't get them into the earth by next year. I kind of like the idea of having these herbs in barrels, planted together the way they are. Fresh basil is such a blessing, and I just love smelling each of these fragrant plants in turn.

On the side of the red bike is a collection of plants in various states of healing. Closest to the bike are a few cacti which fell off of a shelf about a year ago. They have managed to survive and reconstruct. One of them which has looked like a prickly man's package for years is growing a new shoot which will eventually keep me from laughing like a junior high kid when I look at the plant. Next, there are some orchids which are really hard to see in this picture, although there isn't much there, anyway. For years I had lots of gorgeous orchids and took great care of them, but then I went through a period of depression (I guess) in which I didn't water them for a few months. Ants invaded their roots eventually, so I put them outside and my husband has been watering them sometimes. Now, after a long dormant period, they are sending up new growth! I am amazed and awed by the resilience of these creatures. Closest to the camera are some miniature roses which my boss gave me and a coworker back at Christmas. No one in the office expected their roses to live, and that's why my coworker gave me theirs. However, miniature roses do live with plenty of sunlight and water, although they are going to need cutting back and either planting in the earth or repotting come the rainy season. I'd also like to grow beans and possibly cherry tomatoes in this location.

Above, from the wall to the camera:

* Hydrangea (It's a shame I didn't take this picture a month ago. The flowers were a gorgeous, vibrant shade of blue).
* Mexican Hat Plant
* Wildflowers from a CAYA ritual.
* Lavendar
* Aloe Vera
* Jasmine

Here's a shot from another angle (below). At some point, it would be fabulous to have a raised bed garden with vegetables and more herbs. I make my own compost from kitchen scraps with composting worms, but have nowhere to put the compost (it'll be awhile before it's ready, but, still, one day we'll have tons of super awesome nutrient-rich compost). I love the idea of having a culinary and apothecary garden, growing my family's food and herbal medicines. And don't even get me started on fruit trees and flowers! We also have a small apple tree (not shown) which was a shoot from the apple tree he loved at his former house. He has memories of his children climbing the mother tree, so it's pretty special. My wishes are that our future includes many, various fruit trees and a solar dehydrator.