My Green Thumb

I am spending a lot of time this spring redoing my patio: transforming it from the graveyard of dead plants to a nice place to sit and have tea or lemonade. I mentioned previously that I planted lavender and rosemary. Since then I have added more flowers and plants.






This is my lemon balm. It was donated my friend Ellen. In exchange, I will give her a cutting from my chocolate mint plant. Yes, I am growing plants that smell like food.







These are gladiolus.




I don’t know what these are. My mother brought them and refuses to tell me what they are. I have been documenting their growth and will let you know what they turn out to be.
















I found these little grow kits in Target for a dollar: oregano (more food smell) and a sensitive plant. The sensitive plant has leaves that close up when you touch them, and then reopen after a little while. I remember playing with these plants in Puerto Rico when I went to visit my grandmother. They grow wild there, but I haven’t seen them in the States until now. The oregano is starting to show its face. The sensitive plant is a little farther behind.



Another addition is this little fountain. I added some smooth beach rocks, some air plants and a green scarab. Scarabs bring good luck and symbolize growth and rebirth. If you look in the rosemary bush, you can see a statue of the Nile river goddess, another Egyptian symbol of rebirth. She holds a candle in her lap which is always burning (thanks to little button batteries – I don’t want to burn my house down, like my neighbor did).

There are also wind chimes, a hummingbird feeder and a terra cotta candle holder. My little garden is already attracting ladybugs and hummingbirds. My patio is longer a wasteland of the dead and the dying. It is shaping up to be a very pleasant place to be.