Out is In

So my catatonia with redecorating continues. In fact, it has intensified. I have more DIY projects than there are weekends that I will be in town since it's promising to be a rather hectic summer. It's 10PM and I just finished repotting 95% of the plants that will go in my new and improved backyard, which is shaping up to be more of a sanctuary and retreat, as it should be. It is now almost unrecognizable and a total departure from its old self which was really just a straight-up patio comprised of a table and chairs on concrete. It's tempting to post before and after pictures here but I'm holding off until all the elements are complete.

Which brings me to my planting spaz tonight.

Here's a couple of pictures of what has kept me busy and what is keeping me up:

I know it resembles sushi, but these are pods where succulent basil awesomeness will sprout in a week. I hope. These babies are incubating as we speak in this adorable mini-greenhouse from Ikea which we got last weekend for a smashing $19.

I believe these are called "Snapdragons" but what attracted me to them other than their sheer beauty is that it was also labeled "Sonnet". Can't help it. I'm a romantic.

Presenting... the herb garden I've been jones-ing for for a very long time now. I have managed to keep some basil and oregano alive (well, it's just been a week for the basil and a day for the oregano) so I had a burst of chutzpah to also plant rosemary, Italian parsley, spearmint and thyme. Oh my goodness, do they smell good.

I have never tried my hand at full-on gardening before and I am a bit anxious and a little afraid of failure. But I must admit that I am liking the nurturing, tenderness, and most of all, patience that comes with cultivating little dependent living things.

Last night, as I was cleaning out an old BBQ grill which I have gutted and will convert into a planter (and which will be its own blog post), a couple of strangely big birds flew over me. One landed on a pole outside my fence and the other on my neighbor's chimney. They were making loud hooting noises at each other and that made it click. These were owls - in the wild - in my own backyard. It is a tangible and fascinating confirmation that out is definitely the place to be.

P.S. The nesting dove's egg hatched on Saturday. I checked tonight when I got home and no, it did not get swooped up by the owls. Its Momma is doing a fantastic job.