green thumb

i should probably preface this post with a little bit of honesty. the flowers about which i'll be bragging today no longer look this good. the past two weeks of crippling temperatures nearly killed/did kill some of them. i'm hoping they'll hang on until mum season, but it's touch and go at this point.

that said, however, i'm remarkably thrilled with the fact that they've lasted this long. and it's not like i can control 100+ degree temperatures (although watering them more might have helped, which i can control). i don't really posses any shade of a green thumb, nor do i particularly enjoy tending plants and flowers. i generally find myself sweaty, dirty, and covered in mosquito bites. but this summer, my flowers have actually been pretty. and green. and leafy. and so naturally i'm fairly proud of myself...

 

window boxes include lantana (middle) and portulaca. i've grown these the past two years, and they generally do really well in the hot sun.  

my proudest achievement. i know it doesn't look like much, but i actually tilled up this area in my backyard, added soil and planted two types of zinnia seeds. and they GREW. (some weeds grew, too, as you can see.) i'm pretty sure that's never happened before. they've been growing taller for quite a while now, but i'm beginning to wonder if they're ever going to bloom. if they do, you'll be the first to know.

 

zinnias and basil, which is currently out. of. control. i can't cut it or cook with it fast enough.

 

more zinnias and cilantro. unfortunately, the cilantro didn't make it. my salsas will never be the same. the cute small pot and bird stand, by the way, are a score from the mighty dollar. 

 

it's possible i may have gotten carried away with the zinnias? 

hopefully, someday i will live somewhere cooler and i can enjoy gardening a bit more than i currently do. until then, i'm glad i only have a small porch, two window boxes and a tiny backyard garden to contend with!