The Secret Garden

My friend Jena gave me the book The Secret Garden for Christmas last year. I totally love her book recommendations because I either end up loving the book or I don't like it but it sparks intense thought or conversation. I never feel like I wasted my time reading something she likes. The Secret Garden was no exception.

I love nature, but everything I touch in it dies. This year I was determined to plant something and make it grow. I'm going to learn to love weeding, watering and planting. My house is going to bloom and blossom with all of God's wonderful plants and flowers.

Now let me be honest -- I totally invited my neighbour Kristen to help me plan out the garden. She is a landscape genius and has the care of every plant memorized. She let me know what flowers need sun, when and how much to water them, and what blooms when. She took everything I did and rearranged it. My garden would already be dead if she didn't intervene and save the day. You should see the awesomeness that is her garden; if it was a competition I'd be on the losing team.

Here are some snapshots of the floral goodness that is 91-4A Sagami Depot. Be jealous. Oh, so jealous.

This is Abby's safari bench that I picked up last weekend. I can't wait for us to sit here and read this summer.

Notice I have flowers and herbs growing. I even have a freaking lime tree. Snap! This girl has game.

This patio is ready for some mad parties. I can't wait for Jeremy to fire up the smoker -- AKA garbage can remix -- and make some killer pulled pork.
How do you know the soil and fertilizer is optimal for growing flowers? Have your child test it out and then wait to see if she 'flourishes.' Abby is getting the tools ready for sampling in the photo below.
Here she is sampling directly from the original source.
Then she tried the dirty dirt from the flowerbed.

Then she laid it in and rolled around. She's alive -- so I say plant on.