Although hydroponic plants aren't supposed to do well transplanted into soil, last spring I tried anyway and plunked a batch of Aerogarden-grown French herbs in a bowl for the patio. I threw in a few spare cell-pack impatiens and a sweet potato vine for color. To my delight, the combo thrived. This is what it looked like right after planting:
As summer went on and the plants got taller and fuller, the bowl became a nice addition to the patio garden. It got only morning sun, and that was enough. It smelled wonderful, and looked pretty with the surrounding pots. The parsley, savory, chervil, thyme, and sweet potato vine trailed out and covered the cheap plastic bowl, and I harvested fresh herbs from it all summer. Hmmm. . . that worked out pretty well. . . I just might have to try it again this year.
An Award! Meems at Hoe and Shovel has honored me with this:
Thank you Meems! It means a lot coming from you, whose writing and photography I so enjoy and admire. Meems lives, gardens and blogs in central Florida. Her garden is a gorgeous tropical feast for the senses.
The rules for passing along the E award are simple and straightforward: By accepting this Excellent Blog Award, you agree to award it to 10 more people whose blogs you find Excellent Blog Award worthy.
Although I'm still a wet-behind-the-ears blogger and blog reader, it's easy to think of ten award-worthy blog writers:
Hinsley Ford of The Oxygen Chronicles: Hinsley is a gifted writer and poet dedicated to giving a voice to millions of chronic pain and illness sufferers whom our culture often turns away from. Her blog provides a compassionate, sobering, unblinking inside look at what it's like living with severe, life-threatening chronic illness and pain. Born prematurely, Hinsley has suffered a host of chronic illnesses since infancy. Her very survival is testament to the strength of her beautiful spirit. She shares her life with candor, wit, and self-deprecating humor. Currently she's working on a book form of her blog that encourages readers to persevere in the face of serious illness while not losing track of their lifelong dreams.
Esther Montgomery of Esther in the Garden: Esther is a new garden blogger living in England. A newlywed, married a Martian, she blogs about the twists and turns of interplanetary marriage, the challenges and surprises of interplantetary children, curious neighbors, and her passion for gardening in a most imaginative and wryly humorous way.
Abraham Lincoln of My Birds Blog: Mr. Lincoln, married for 52 years (he deserves an award just for that,) specializes in wildlife photography, and captures beautiful images of the wild things that visit his bird-friendly back yard.
The next seven, whether new to gardening or lifelong gardeners or somewhere in-between, are all garden bloggers I enjoy reading:
Crafty Gardener is one busy lady! I sometimes find keeping up my one measly blog challenging. Crafty has three, and they're all wonderful: The Gardener Side, Sow Then Grow, and The Crafty Side. Mr. McGregor's Garden - a garden blogging 'neighbor' who also hails from the Chicago area - excellent writing, great sense of humor, nice photos, what's not to love? Melanthia at Garden Muse blogs about the challenges of bringing up baby while gardening and trying to maintain sanity (ah, I remember those days so well!) Garden Fairie's Musings - I love her sense of humor and creativity!
Blue Fox Garden - she is one artistic, creative gardener whose resourcefulness I admire. Les's Garden - My yard is too shady for a vegetable garden, so I enjoy veggie gardening vicariously now! And last, but certainly not least, is Lady Greenthumb's Garden. Living and gardening in Croatia, this very cool young woman writes well, takes great photos, makes me laugh, and I love her travel blogs. She stirs up my wanderlust and makes me want to visit the wonderful places she writes about.
And now, just because, here's another photo from a recent trip to Chicago's Garfield Park Conservatory.
