Sunday, June 19, 2005

Gardening 101 (edited )

I edited this in July adding pictures to the "body" of the post. I'll try to add some more later, then I can delete the other "picture-only" entries.

(I wrote the first part 11 days ago 6/7/05)

I have been spending quite some time taking care of my very first garden, and I'm so excited!!

In our first 4 years here in the U.S. we lived in rental apartments, then, we bought a condo (townhouse), but I could only "garden" in the patio, in containers, and I don't like container gardening too much. In that first house, even though we weren't supposed to, I planted tulip bulbs in the bare mulched space between our condo and the next (we had a corner unit), and a shasta daisy plant by the back patio wall. But I longed to plant vegetables, and more flowers, etc... I finally had the chance when we moved to the Philadelphia area last year and bought one side of a "twin" house, with a small front lawn, and a pretty big backyard.

The funny thing with me and gardening is that I'm TERRIBLE at taking care of house plants. My potted plants get neglected and end up dying, and, upon the birth of our first son, I figured he'd try to eat them anyway, so I gave up on them. Gardening outdoors, though, is a whole different story. I can easily water using a hose, I can enjoy being outside while I garden, I can be creative in using the space that I have, etc, etc...

I started small last year, planting a few perennial shrubs under our front bay window with the help of my mom and dad who were still here (see picture). Then, in (very) late fall, I planted tulip and crocus bulbs in front of the shrubs. They bloomed beautifully this spring, as you can see below.

(from now on I'm writing as I go)

Tulips are my favorite flowers, we don't have them in Brazil, it's too hot there for them, so you can imagine my excitement to see them bloom every year! I posted 2 pictures, even though I took a ton...

Well, just to explaing the last pictures. After the tulips wilted, it took me a while to work in the garden again, but I did, and I planted pretty petunias, and another flower I don't know the name of... So, I will be back here writing about gardening. I don't want to forget to mention that I also planted herbs by the kitchen back steps, and in the back of the yard, tomato plants and zuchinni. But I haven't photographed them yet!

P.S. I have to say that I am an avid photographer (mostly of my kids :) and it's surprising I hadn't tried to post pictures earlier here. I guess seeing the pictures in one of chicagomama's latest entries, got me going. (I'll try to add link later)

4 comments:

DUSIE said...

btw, there are a couple of ways to add pics in line with text... either, insert them as you type message...there should be an upload image button which sort of explains it, but get a free flickr or photbucket account and thern upload photos, when you do that you will be given several options for picture code/links...OR, photobucket is cool because once you upload the pics you have the option to blog from there directly....

this is what your code for blogger should look like, sans the outside parenth & spaces......
(< img src= " http://www.example.com/mypicture.jpg " > )

and once inserted into message, voila!

hope that helps, let me know if i should qualify further... susana, btw, what is your dissertation about?

L said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Alice said...

ooohhh how interesting!! I've read Clarice Lispector's _Hour of the Star_ & found it very interesting! (Have also seen the movie) ;)

DUSIE said...

Your dissertation sounds very interesting indeed! Wow, perhaps I'll check them out. I have an MFA in poetics and have a penchant for all & everything Victorian! (in lit, my poetry pref. tend to be more modern/avante garde. But I read ALOT and am always op for new reads, etc... btw, have you seen the new image button? We no longer have to go thru an image hoster, like photobucket.