garden update

I added to my fire escape garden! Two geraniums (one is salmon and one is hot pink) have found a new home with me. A lone bee has started hovering around my plants, which makes me happy.

I also re-potted my other herbs. My aloe vera plant has to be placed in a bigger pot, but it will be fine for a few days in the current one. My ivy got placed in a shiny brass planter I had sitting around. It housed my old ivy plant for over three years, so it seems like a good place to put it.

The boys (and by boys I mean the two kids ... and by the kids, I mean kitties) have taken up permanent residence on my windowsill. I have a screen over my window so that I can leave it open for fresh air and breezes. Ringo and Waldo love it. They especially like watching our new Bee Friend who has started hanging around the geraniums. Pigeons come sit on my fire escape sometimes, but have been smart enough to stop hanging around since the arrival of the felines. I keep hoping a bird will be dumb enough to perch there anyway, so that the kitties can go ballistic trying to get at it.

I had a random but entertaining conversation with some middle aged Italian American at the local nursery. I was asking him for advice about plants, and he had plenty of stories to tell. He was quite gay (I have the best gaydar of anyone I know) and spent a lot of time talking about his mother and his bad knees. I also found out his name was Anthony. He was a local from the neighborhood and apparently is quite an avid gardener. I love meeting characters like him. It makes the day so much more cheerful and social.

Back to the topic of gardening ... the only bummer is that my fire escape only gets late afternoon sun, from about 1:30pm until nightfall. That's still over 6 hours of sunlight a day, but morning light is better than afternoon's glow. Beggars can't be choosers, though. (I hate that phrase!) My cilantro is looking a little peaked, but it wasn't the healthiest when I bought it. My other herbs are looking wonderful, though. I sampled some of my peppermint the other night -- yummy. I am looking forward to making some tea with it.

I'm making gazpacho soup for lunch, and I am going to sprinkle some of my cilantro in it. My own herbs in my own cooking! How nice.

[edit: As of June 1, 2008, I still have some of my original plants from this garden, including the aloe vera and the geraniums! I also have 1 other plant from this same garden. Pretty cool, if ya ask me.]