greenhouse

A few months ago we bought a greenhouse. It's been sitting on Carl's side of the garage where he normally parks. In boxes. Un-assembled. Sitting there. Unused. 

You see, I have this thing. My thing is that I HATE reading manuals. I never do it. Who can? Who has the patience for something like that? I wasn't about to attempt to put this greenhouse together "just by looking at the pictures." That would've been a disaster. 

I had to wait for this guy.

He is an expert rule follower/organizational maniac/manual reader. He also spends hours typing incoherent (to the average person) HTML coding on the back end of websites. Sometimes I just want to cry thinking about doing certain parts of his job. Tedious, and not for me. Guess we balance each other out. 

We got very serious last weekend and finally put it together. Ok. I'm taking a little too much credit. Really I just swooped in for a few pictures and then left again because Carl- ahem- does not excel in delegating. I got bored and gave up.

Pretty sweet huh? Yeah! Thumbs up Carl. Nice job. Who was I thinking that he was all needing my help? Besides, look at the pride on his face. How could I have robbed him of all that glory? You did it Dear. All by yourself.

We made an in-ground bed on one side. Any ideas about what I should grow down there? I'm kind of at a loss as to how we can utilize this thing in the summer. It would've been nice to have it earlier in the Spring when the weather was much cooler. Carl if you are reading this please do not take that as a jab. (Even though I sort of meant it as one.)

(planting mint)

Whoa mama. It. Is. Hot. In. There. So hot. It's like a giant bubble of hot steamy air. I was so sweaty. I'm thinking that next time I will skip working in the greenhouse right smack dab in the middle of the day (or any time that I would like my hair to remain frizz free-- humidity is not a good thing for me).

The kids love it and huddle in there to warm up after hopping out of the pool. Needless to say, that has not been going over very well with Carl.

The roof is self-venting. Somehow this little greenhouse is smart enough to open itself up when it gets too hot inside.

We pulled out some left-over seeds from seasons past and planted a few odds and ends. Right now there are a few marigolds sprouting. Later they will go in the garden for pest control. I also started some basil because the bunch outside in the garden box looks iffy. The greenhouse is also housing our peppers, one replacement tomato plant, and 4 pots of cilantro (which Laurel has eaten all the leaves off of already).

 I think it looks great. Thanks Carl.

Don't miss yesterday's post... there's a giveaway!

the garden is in

Nothing like some manual labor, 

some good sweaty work,

and some dirt under your fingernails, 

to ease your mind a little. 

I put the whole garden in yesterday- as in every last plant and seed.

We are growing: cucumbers, peas, 4 different kinds of tomatoes, carrots, radishes, yellow summer squash, zucchini, bush beans, red peppers, 2 varieties of basil, parsley, french lavender, orange mint and peppermint, cantaloupe, watermelon, spinach, kale, romaine, butterhead, and green leaf lettuce.

I love jobs that you can stand back from and see a finished project. A lot of the "work" I do on a day-to -day basis is more ambiguous. Reading to the kids, or taking time to listen doesn't necessarily "show up" the same way as something more task oriented (like planting 200 square feet of garden).

Also, I got dirt on my face, which looks pretty cool. Maybe I could be a farmer after all?

I didn't have much help. In typical male fashion, Ian busied his hands elsewhere. He was happy to supervise (and test out the new patio). Oh, funny boy. 

I took a risk in planting this early, and naturally we had 30 mph winds today. I'm afraid to go out and see the damage. My risk-taking track record hasn't been very good lately. Grow little plants grow. Please. Fingers crossed!!

I've been up to my elbows in:

Laundry. I washed all the bedding, and towels, and curtains, and rugs over the weekend. It was a perfect day for hanging them out to dry. I just love drying off with crispy stiff towels and crawling in to bed with clean sheets that smell like sunshine. 

Yard work. I planted all my outdoor pots. It feels nice to have a little color here and there. I can't wait for them to fill out, get bushy, and flower.

And Babies. I had a 12 hour double header at the birth center yesterday. Two mamas, two labors, two babies, a couple of curve balls, one midwife, and me. Whew! 

So after 3 days of work, work, work, I finally got a shower, some clean clothes, and something other than a ponytail.  

The kids and I are headed out to have some fun!! This girl needs it.