So, if you are wondering where I’ve been…well the answer is Chicago, Michigan, Colorado and Chicago again. Partially vacation, but also for a specific big event that happened for a certain blogger (hints: Not me, blogs on this blog, name sounds like the event). But I’ve also been in the backyard. A lot. Basically, every minute I haven’t been traveling.

And here’s how things are looking now:

Original garden box, with tomato and pepper seedlings, herbs, lettuce and violas. Tomato and pepper pots along the garage. And a happy dog in a her favorite sunny spot.

New garden beds, with mulch surrounding them, and a row of vining melons and squashes along the side. You can see where we’re already having squirrel problems in the front.

And, as a bonus, I tackled the front of the house too, filling the numerous flower boxes and pulling out weeds. We had so many weeds and vines (including poison ivy and belladonna, which is poisonous) I had to call a service to come do a pick up. And beg my landlord to take the cost off my rent.

So, now that the vast amounts of physical labor are done (seriously: building the boxes, making all the trips to get dirt, mulch and plants in my little car, lining everything with paper and filling with dirt and mulch, planting, weeding, weeding and more weeding — It took for ever. Probably about 60 hours between my time and the upstairs tenant’s), I’ll hopefully be back to blogging with less emphasis on gardening, and more of what this blog was supposed to be about — Homemade food and crafts!