A Patio Garden

Though James and I have always been thankful for a bit of outdoor space, our patio has remained neglected for the four plus years we've been living here. It's mainly been a place to park James' bike, house our struggling Christmas tree, and read outside for an hour or two.

It's sometime hard to justify projects around the apartment as renters here, but with another year's contract signed, James gave me the go-ahead to finally beautify the patio! He helped me hang latticework and shutters, hauled containers and bags of soil, drilled holes in flower pots, hooked up a hose, and much more so I could get things "just right."

I feel like I've been collecting planters, seeds, and ideas for forever! It took some research on Pinterest, numerous trips to the bird & flower market, and several days of trial and error. I could hardly stand up straight after my first ten hours of labor, but it was so fun to get my hands dirty. Filthy. Several bruises and loads of laundry later, we have a patio that drains and a lovely little garden!

For the container boxes along the lower wall, I tried to pick shade perennials, though I've since discovered that our porch get more light than I had originally thought. They seem to be doing well, regardless. I was able to find some river rocks inexpensively in town, which has helped keep the patio drier. And TaoBao (the Chinese version of Amazon) helped me find many a knick-knack I needed or wanted (like 's' hooks, a watering pail, etc.) I saved coffee grounds and banana peels to enrich the soils.

On the wall by the door, I have a series of little pots and boxes that contain edibles. I'm trying to grow oregano, cilantro, sweet Thai basil, rosemary, spring onions, and lavender from seed (without starting them indoors, fingers crossed.) Several of those herbs are unavailable here, and it'll be a thrill if I can grow them fresh myself. I was able to purchase several hot pepper, eggplant, and cherry tomato seedlings from our vegetable market too (all for less than one US dollar!) I am most excited about the tomato plant--it's long been a dream of mine to grow cherry tomatoes, as we used to pick them from the backyard garden growing up. Nothing makes a salad taste better than homegrown tomatoes!

Unfortunately, not everything is thriving. I can't claim to have a green thumb yet, especially if I'm to be judged by my dying bougainvillea tree. When I found aphids crawling all over the tree and the petunias I'd planted around its base, I thought I'd found the problem. Armed with homemade cayenne pepper spray, a few ladybugs, and one praying mantis, I have those pesky aphids on the run! The bougainvillea is still looking sad, however. I'm confident it is getting enough water and that the wooden barrel it sits in is draining well. Its roots might have been damaged during transplant (which I can do nothing about at this point), or it needs some extra nutrients. We'll see if it revives after adding some MiracleGrow. (Thanks Mom!)

Nevertheless, I'm thrilled with our new green space. It's fun to care for, beautiful to look at, and smells wonderful. It's been fun to clip roses to bring inside, and I can't wait to eat the fruits of my labor.