The Garden Blog

Why write a garden blog?  To track changes in my own garden; to share knowledge with others; to have something to do during the cold months when nothing is growing; to bring the garden to people who think they can't have one; and to share photos of my garden and brag a bit.
I've lived many places in my life including cities, suburbs, and rural areas. In small apartments, big houses, and currently a mobile home.  When I was young we never had a garden of any kind, my mom grew a few houseplants that always seemed a bit pointless to me.  Later, I lived with my dad and stepmother in the country.  They grew a large vegetable garden in the hills of the Cascade Range.  It was always overflowing with tomatoes and zucchini (my least favorite vegetable), but little else.  They grew traditional style rectangular beds with rows of veggies in the garden a short walk from the house.  Every now and then they would plant a new fruit tree or berry bush, for the most part these new additions survived but they never really prospered.  When I moved into my first apartment i lived with pot smokers who tossed the seed they found out the window, surprisingly we had quite a lush marijuana patch behind the house by springtime.  That was when it struck me just how resilient a plant can be.  Leaving the stoners behind I moved again, into an apartment all by myself.  Springtime came along and having a front stoop and small patch of bark mulch of my own got me itching to do something with it.  So I bought a few pots, Dad built me planter box and as soon as the nurseries started stocking up I planted tulips, a tomato, rosemary, tarragon, thyme, and lavender. That was the beginning of my gardening experience and I haven't stopped since.  Each year I expand my repertoire a bit more, each year i find some plants that do well no matter what, and some that I cannot grow despite my best attempts.  Writing this blog is my way of sharing my experiences.