Rock Garden and Shed

Eventually I would like to make the grassy/weedy area where my shed and lemon trees are into a simple rock garden with whimsical decorations, comfy benches, and smooth rocks that sound pretty when you walk on them.  

I would like to paint my empty shed pretty colors to match the whimsical decorations.

Hopefully I can do this one day.  Soon.

Colors

I want to add a little more color to my backyard.  My garden beds get so much shade that I've decided to dedicate them to flowers for now.

Simple 6-packs of annuals were on sale at Home Depot for 99cents!  Yippee!  Thanks Mom for telling me!   I love good sales!

Soil Mates

A while ago I found this cute book at the book store.  It has cute chapters about different seeds that are compatible when you grow them together.  You can also find lists online, but the book was so cute!  Its on my need to read and put on my bookshelf list!

So, I planted strawberries and spinach together.  I love eating juicy red strawberries!  Spinach is my favorite for making salads.  (I love the deep, dark, earthy taste.  I can't wait for it to sprout!  Yum!)

Spinach, Strawberries, and Cilantro.

Yum!

Cilantro that I planted in the fall.

Tonight I planted two other soil mates.  Radish and broccoli.  Hopefully, we get some broccoli!  Yummy!

I will update this post with pictures and thoughts as spring moves forward!

Wheatgrass

My wheatgrass.  I really need to figure out how to properly use the wheatgrass juicer my sis gave me.

Radish

My radish always flourishes!  It makes me feel like a gifted vegetable grower.

In this area from left to right there are beets, radish, and carrots.

I am not gifted with carrots.  I will keep trying. 

Calla Lily

I have Calla Lilies growing all over my yard!  They are so pretty.

Starter Garden

My starter garden.  Planted seeds on 3/27.
From left to right.
Row One- Squash and Spinach.
Row Two- Beets and Cantaloupe.
Row Three- Sweet peppers and Basil.
Row Four- Carrots.
Row Five- Carrots and Morning Glory.
Row Six- Sweet Peas and Morning Glory.

Yard Art

I've been getting a lot of ideas for creating different garden displays in my yard.

Here is what I have so far:

Here is my neighbors tire art:

I want to harvest this idea.  I would like to use a few tires though and add more color!  

Wisteria

One of my favorite surprises my yard revealed last spring was the wisteria on my trellis.  I love the name and the purple flowers.  

It is starting to make the trellis lean to one side, because it is getting too heavy.  So, I need to figure out what to do about that!  I'll add that too my list!  For now though, I'll just enjoy its beauty!  

List

This is my list for following my heart:

1.  Research rock gardens.  Work in progress!  Added some items I would to my garden section on Pinterest.  Just don't have time for Pinterest right now with all the other stuff...
2.  Find more ideas for "yard art."  Work in progress!
3.  Wisteria/Trellis.  Work in progress!  Kind of.  Either take it all down or purchase a wood trellis from J.W. Redwood.  Then either have Pacheco help me or do it myself and have someone help with the concrete.  Update:  I still like the trellis at J.W. Redwood but the salesperson was really mean/.  I need to figure it out because the babies pull on the rope and the whole trellis shakes.
4.  Plant sunflower seeds along picket fence/pumpkin patch in front.
5. Work on birdbath/painted rock garden.  Work in progress!
6.  Trap gopher.  He is in the front yard.   My neighbor is trapping things and killing them.  Haven't had any rodent problems since they moved it.
7.  Keep eyes out for free coffee grounds at Starbucks.  Work in progress.  Vons Starbucks by my other   gym is a good place to get them.
8. Reinforce bunny coop with new chicken wire.
9.  Put up laundry line.
10. Starter garden.
11. Flowers in the rest of the garden beds.
12. Plant corn/cucumber.
13.  Weed side yard by brick path.
14.  Need ideas for Oliver's deck.  Find a little shelf for all of his bug jars and keep them on his deck.  We are going to make a container garden!  A friend at the Y is giving us some containers, collect more containers!  Cute ones at Ali's work right now!
15.  Get big rock for a special project. Been promised one.
16.  Find a bunch of used tires to use as planters/yard art.  Found some.
17.  Figure out how to make old hot tub area safer.  Possibly a small temporary wire fence?  Or Hay bales?  Get more hay bales.
18.  Eventually buy more bulbs for the front and side area by the empty shed.
19. Organize the garden-work table.
20.  Find a nursery where I can recycle the starter containers for credit.
21.  Plant pumpkin and zucchini in the front yard.
22.  Weed around bunny coop and in the small garden bed.
23.  Think about what to put in the garden bed by the bunny coop.
24.  Plant morning glory starters around dead tree and see if they travel up it. Observing now.  Strong and growing!
25.  Start painting dead tree with Oliver.  Work in progress!
26.  Plant sweet pea starters somewhere.  Think about where. I put them along the chain link fence
on my driveway with some morning glory.  Now I need to remember to water them!  Got lazy.
27. Weed pumpkin/zucchini area.
28.  Look for a chair for the steps by the easement. Go to Goodwill or Salvation Army this weekend.  Oops, still working on this idea.
29.  Collect rocks from Oliver's restaurant area and put in the birdbath painted rock garden.
30.  Kill the mosquitos buzzing around my room that followed me in from the garden tonight.
31. Nail holes in the pots that need them.
32.  Work on succulent garden and add Oliver's solo baby converse sneaker hi-top.
33.  Look for little charcoal for terrariums.  Found it at Petco.
34.  Start running sprinklers every other day.  Grass is starting to look sad.  Work in progress.
35.  Plant more sunflower seeds along picket fence in the front.
36.  Think about composting.  Figure out how to use black plastic compost bin I moved to the side of the house.
37.  Cut tree branches growing through back fence.
38.  Make a list of what I want to accomplish in our garden for fall, winter, and spring.  I like making lists.
39.  Replant Morning glory along driveway fence.
40.  Move starters once they have sprouted to plot area behind the playhouse.
41.  Sprinkler system box is broken.  What do I do? Manually turning on sprinklers for now.
42.  Replant wheelbarrow garden.
43.  Replant trunk garden.
44.  Break down sunflower stems and recycle them.
45.  Build something to keep bunny safe and warm inside her cage, so I can keep her outside all the time.
46.  Work on podium.
47.  Keep raking and picking up leaves!!!
48.  Replant Morning Glory around the dead tree.
49.  WEED!!!
50.  Eventually start a bulb garden along the fence by the empty shed.
51.  Plant one more lavender plant in the front of the house.
52.  Plant corn in the front garden plots.
53.  Put all herbs in the garden bed at the back with tomatoes and green peppers.
54.  Try and plant sunflowers in the front along the white picket fence again.
55.  Watch for tulips this year, if they come up, cut one for Mom!  She couldn't believe it last year!

Windows

So, I wanted to write about why I chose the title "Follow My Heart Garden."  It kind of has to do with my home's windows.  Since I spend so much time at home, I look out the windows a lot.  I watch things grow and some thing die, birdwatch, observe changes in the weather, and make plans.  

I get a lot of ideas!  A lot of them....  I want to use this blog to help me gather my ideas into a place I can come back to and use for reference.  I also love taking pictures with my little camera, so I can post them here.  So, back to my ideas.  I didn't know a lot about plants, flowers, trees, and gardening when I moved to my home a year and a half ago.  But I've always liked nature and I used to do a little bit of gardening when I was younger.  I usually get an idea and just go with it.  It doesn't always work, but thats okay, because I learn from it.  

When I say "Follow My Heart" that is what I am doing in my garden.  I get an idea or am inspired from something I see or hear about and I go from there.  I usually do a little research to make sure that it is possible and also make sure that I won't be wasting money on something that isn't going to be possible.  I think of "Follow My Heart Garden" as a good balance of intuition and strategy.  (If you know me well, you know that that is important to me.)  

My Daycare Windows.  I spend a lot of time in this

room, so I've got tons of ideas for the backyard!