preparation

My years of slave labor at the Lindenstruth Work Camp for Children... wait, scratch that.

To earn my allowance, I spent a few hours each summer weeding the yard. So, I was well-prepared for clearing out the back garden.

Whew!

another garden guru

Not only did Gammy provide free (and fabulous!) childcare for 2+ weeks, she also managed to clean up the back garden -- a well-needed and long-overdue task. We don't have a 'before' shot, so just imagine lots of ivy and clover sprouting up everywhere. Now it's tamed and beautiful!

another quick visit

Half of the garden guru team was in town for a quick visit, and no visit would be complete without some kind of house-related project.*

Since the flowering plant out front seems intent on taking over half of the block, we decided to remove the other two pairs of plants and find them a happy spot elsewhere. The jade plants ended up in the backyard, where we discovered that the second (dead) cala lily decided to make another appearance:

And the rosey looking ones came inside for now:

I'm not sure if the plant left out front is the kind that will put down new roots when you break off a piece, but we tried it anyway. Stay tuned for the results.

* I'd like to note, for the record, that I do not require this sort of assistance as part of the room and board package here at the Peralta Project. Rather, these folks come practically begging for work to do. After our gardening this time, we spent the afternoon at SF MOMA, followed by a lovely snack at Samovar Tea Lounge.

garden update

Well, we did end up losing the calla lily, and the mint didn't make it either. But, it looks like everything else is hanging in there so far. We might even get a tomato or two. I added 4 bags of mulch a couple weeks ago, and hopefully that will help retain the moisture. Fingers crossed we'll all make it to rainy season, especially since I won't feel much like watering at that point!

The front patch, on the other hand, could take over the sidewalk pretty soon! I think I'll take out the smaller, slower-growing plans and just let the other two enjoy the whole box.

more from the gardening gurus

The gardening gurus (aka Mama & Papa Struth) weren't content with just spiffing up the backyard. Oh no.

We also planted seeds from a vine in their own garden, which has taken root quite nicely:

You can practically watch these things growing, it's amazing. We'll plan them outside soon, to help cover up the chain link fence.

We also replanted the front patch, again. Third time's a charm right??

(The "second" time was my attempt to let the flowery weeds that crowded out the lavender have their way with the space. They died as soon as the rain stopped.)

And finally, we planted two tomato plants and a basil plant. These are 50-day Early Girls, which means we should have some cherry tomato-type tomatoes sometime in mid-July. Can't wait!

The back patch is doing well so far, and I've remembered to water it at least once each week. Everything we planted (except perhaps the tree) is drought-resistant, so hopefully once each one takes root, we should be ok with just an occasional watering during the rain-less summer months.

Well, that last calla lily might not make it. But I have my fingers crossed for everything else.

long overdue

So, when Mom was here in, erm, February, we painted the bathroom. It's only taken 4 months, but now the remaining to-do list looked like this:

• Remove shower door, replace with shower curtain/rod
• Finish painting vanity door and reinstall
• Install towel bars
• Replace toilet seat
• Re-do floors - stick-on vinyl tiles?

To clarify, the stick-on vinyl tiles are only a temporary solution, until we have the time/funds/etc. to completely redo the bathroom. I also forgot that I'd like to fix the light fixture with some brushed nickel spray paint. That hasn't been done either. But we did get some nice new towels.

Don't look too closely, but the pretty purple orchid from Trader Joe's wilted and died. Guess that's what I get for buying tropical flowers at a grocery store. We'll find a nice easy succulent to replace it. Maybe sometime in the next 4 months.

[catchy title goes here]

The backyard was a mess, but cleaning it up was pretty far down on our priority list. But, we couldn't host master gardeners for a weekend without getting something done outside.

This is what we started with:

Isao was on a mission to clean up this tree. (Notice the overflowing compost bin.)

Mom and I finally planted the Christmas tree I brought home from the office 6 months ago:

I had a few plants from an impulsive Craigslist purchase months and months ago, so we planted those along with some new bougainvillea. Since the ivy looks good for now, we'll leave it until the bougainvillea get a little bigger.

Not bad for an afternoon's work. Now, if I can just remember to water it once in a while...

Thanks again Mom and Dad!!!

august 17 - green thumb

Our sad little front planter:






3 lavender plants + fresh dirt + a little weeding =




Not bad for a morning's work.