Faking it: Gardening edition

Sorry for my long absence! Two weeks ago we were in Mexico (posts on that to follow after I finish wading through all the pics), and then this week was INsane.

But this weekend things had calmed down a little, which gave me time to work in the backyard. The main reason I wanted to buy our house is the backyard, which looks like a park. Or at least, it could except the previous owners were clearly not yard people. The plant selection and placement was clearly done by someone who was on crack. I've spent the 1.5 years we've lived here mostly just clearing out the crazy. That's almost done, and now it's ready to replant. In my head, it's going to be a lovely, serene park space, kind of english garden style, with veggie patches.

As I think I've mentioned previously, gardening is one of those things I'd really like to be able to do well, but alas. Just like with photography, I start to try to learn about gardening, but then it feels like there is sooo much to learn (soil composition, crop rotation, and pruning, oh my!) that I get overwhelmed and just throw some plants in the ground. Last year I planted eight or so different types of veggies. My final yield was four carrots. This year, I'm trying again. I bought The Vegetable Gardener's Bible, and I'm actually going to READ it (novel, I know) in the next month so I can get the garden going in earnest April.

I also started my tomato plants and my herb garden yesterday. Evidence:

My garden out my kitchen window. In the containers, I planted basil, rosemary, chives, cilantro, thyme, hibiscus, and radishes (I heard they were good container plants). In the back are the raised beds that hold the remnants of my winter garden, i.e., the surviving pea plants, which are actually doing quite well. I erected a support system for them yesterday that you can't really see in the pic. The rest of the winter plants didn't make it, but that's not my fault. The dumb dogs dug them up.

Six kinds of tomatoes, in eco-friendly pots.

If all goes well, in six months I'll be blogging about canning all my tomatoes. That is a long time to keep the plants alive, though, so don't hold your breath!

p.s., For fellow northern Californians, here is a handy calendar to show you when to plant what. Next on my list: carrots and onions (after hubby builds me my other raised bed, which will be after this week's horrible weather). I also need to order some rhubarb (which I'm using for landscaping and eating) and asparagus today.