May Garden Update!

When I posted my March Garden Update,

I mentioned that I was starting something new,  

where I post a Garden Update the last day of every month!

So since today is the last day of the month,

I have the May Garden Update for you!!!

My jalapeno plant is growing and producing like crazy!

I cannot believe how many peppers and buds are on it.

I'm still shocked that it survived the winter,

and now it's amazing me once again!

Six buds/blooms and four peppers!

This pine tree really needs to be transplanted.

But then I'm scared it will just get way too big!

It's amazing that it started out less than a foot.

I always think I'm going to lose these geraniums.

But even if I trim them back like crazy,

they always end up coming back and surprising me.

Last month, I mentioned my gardenia bloomed

and that I had a few more waiting to bloom.

I couldn't help but clip one off of them off

and put it on my bathroom counter!!!

It looks pretty, but smelled even better!!!

Sadly, the last bud fell off before blooming.

Womp womp!

And lastly - look at all those lemons!

Lemons, lemons, lemons!!!

I have a bunch in many different stages.

Keep coming lemons!!!

Which bring me to this...

I'm worried that I may not keep getting lemons!

Look above at the damage to the leaves!

Something is eating them and I'm not happy.

I looked and didn't see a caterpillar.

And do they even eat lemon tree leaves?

Anyone out there on the www got any ideas?

PLEASE HELP!!!

As a reminder -

I will be blogging about garden updates 

every last day of each month.

It may not be a complete update each month,

but it will be about something in the garden.

So keep coming back to see what I have growing!

April Garden Update

When I posted my March Garden Update last month,

I mentioned that I was starting something new,  

where I post a Garden Update the last day of every month!

So since today is the last day of the month,

I have the April Garden Update for you!!!

Let me start off by saying how much I dislike caterpillars.

Yes -I know they turn into moths and beautiful butterflies,

but they also make gardening much more frustrating!

Need past proof?

Check here, here, here, here AND here.

To say I'm not a fan would be an understatement.

So you can bet I was super upset when I saw one eating my Thyme!

See that lil sucker towards the top left of the picture?

GRRRRRRR!

And shortly after I noticed another one eating my Oregano!

No, no, no.

Just no!!!

My poor, sad Oregano was done for.

Hope those leaves were tasty - 

since that was your last meal Mister Caterpillar!

Luckily they haven't found the jalapeno plant yet,

because it's still thriving and growing!

And look new pepper buds!

I thought there were only two at first...

But from another angle I noticed there were FIVE!!!

And then just a few days later,

a few of the buds had become flowers!

In last month's garden update, 

I thought for sure I'd have picked my first lemon.

Well sadly I was wrong!

They're so close - but still a little too green!

I was still hoping I'd get to pick the first one real soon!

Except to my surprise, there wasn't much picking!

Nope - just a few days after snapping the two previous photos,

I was outside watering and hardly touched the lemon when it fell off!

Not a giant lemon by any means,

but it's still my first homegrown lemon 

and one could say that I'm proud!!!

I was shocked again this past weekend.

 I found a second one that had fallen off as well.

C'mon lemonssssssssss!

Not only have I been able to pick some lemons, 

but the mums I bought in the Fall are blooming again too!

They've had buds for awhile, but only recently bloomed again!

While the mums are doing great, that's not the case for all my flowers.

I ripped out the dying flowers and their coconut liners

and hope to redo that area of my garden soon!!!

And last, but certainly not least - my gardenia bloomed!!!!

I've had this plant for over a year and it never flowered.

Not once. It'd get buds, but never any flowers!

I was in shock and couldn't get over how amazing it smells!

There are currently four other buds on the plant

and I hope they all become flowers too.

As a reminder -

I will be blogging about garden updates 

every last day of each month.

It may not be a complete update each month,

but it will be about something in the garden.

So keep coming back to see what I have growing!

DIY: Herb Garden Chalkboard Pots

In the most recent post about my garden, 

I said I'd blog about my DIY Chalkboard Pots soon.

Well folks, soon is now here!

This project was pretty simple to complete,

and honestly didn't cost much because I owned all the pots.

Check out how I spent little time transforming my herb garden!

The Goods:

Ceramic Pots

Painters Tape

Chalkboard Spray Paint

Colored Spray Paint

Paper Drop Cloth

Chalk (Not Pictured)

Tape a thick line saperating the top portion of the pot from the bottom.

Using Chalkboard Spray Paint cover the top portion and the pot saucers.

Let it dry then remove the tape.

Once dry, completely cover the chalkboard areas with painters tape.

Then spray paint the rest of the pot whatever color you would like.

I personally love this shade and thought it was great for Spring!

Let dry and then remove tape.

Touch up with paintbrush where necessary.

Replant the herbs you have growing.

And using chalk label each pot.

That's it!

Super easy.

Super cute.

March Garden Update

When I originally started this blog,

it was mainly about documenting my garden.

I wanted to be able to look back to see how things grew.

I've only posted about my garden a few times recently.

You can read the most recent post here.

Or one from last Fall (yes that long ago!!) here.

Over time, my blog has evolved quite a bit.

Sadly, the garden posts got less and less frequent.

But that's hopefully changing starting today!!!

I recently decided to implement something new on my blog.

I will be posting about certain topics at specific times each month.

And every LAST DAY of the month will be about the garden.

So without saying much more - here is March's Garden Update!!

Let me start of with my AWESOME herb garden!

I recently did a DIY project and am so happy with the outcome.

Check back very soon for a complete post all about the chalkboard pots.

This jalapeno plant is going strong.

It survived the little winter that Southern California had

and already has a bunch of new growth!

My lemon tree!

I'm SO excited for the first one.

And I think I'm going to get to pick it any day now.

And can we talk about all the new growth?

C'monnnnnnnnnnnnn lemon!!!!

Oh hello GIANT Christmas tree!

Flowers that currently only have buds, no actual flowers.

More flowers with just buds.

Exciting update, I know!

Oh yay - actual flowers finally!!!

Poppies, Snap Dragons and Marigolds.

Oh and even MORE flowers!!!

Like I said at the beginning of this post, 

I will be blogging about garden updates 

every last day of each month.

It may not be a complete update each month,

but it will be about something in the garden.

So keep coming back to see what I have growing.

Sours and Flowers

Remember a few months ago when I posted this?

I'd hoped to post about my garden again before now,

but sadly time has just kinda slipped away from me.

And if I'm being honest, there wasn't anything exciting to share.

But now...now there is!

What's that you ask?

Well let me tell you.

My lemons are starting to change color!

I'm SO excited!!!!

I noticed a little yellow spot not too long ago.

And wouldn't you know, the spot kept growing!

I still haven't picked my first lemon, but hopefully soon.

My last garden post was only about my lemon tree,

so I decided I couldn't leave my flowers out again.
While it's been beautiful in Southern California,
it is still winter so I only have a select few!

As I said last time,
I hope to post about my garden more often.
And with the temps getting warming I hope to add more too.
So please keep checking back often for more garden updates. 

Lemons, Lemons, Lemonsssss

Taking a quick break from my usual food or holiday posts,
so I can talk about how AWESOME my lemon tree is doing!
This isn't a full on garden post, but I had to post about the lemons!!!

I mean, I seriously cannot believe it.
I had a lime tree before, but it didn't do nearly this well.

Look at how BIG it is!

Again, I can't believe it!

Not only does it have FIVE good sized lemons growing,

but it has LOTS and LOTS more blooms and baby lemons!

I can't wait until I can pick the first one!!!

Hopefully soon, so keep checking back.

My Poor Forgotten Garden

When I was talking to my mom recently, she said to me, 

"You haven't posted about your garden in awhile".

I know, it's been a long time - almost five months in fact,

but if I'm being honest there hasn't been THAT much to share.

Yes, I still have a garden growing on my balcony, 

but it's not what it used to be.

I'm pretty sure I'll always have fresh herbs

and I do enjoy the beauty of fresh flowers,

but I don't think I'll ever have "crops" growing

like I did when I first started this blog 

over FOUR YEARS ago!

So without rambling and saying much more,

let me show you what I do have growing  in my garden these days. 

Four different views of the balcony.

And of course a little appearance by Kahn!

My two balcony trees!

A lemon tree with FIVE lemons growing.

And my Christmas Tree from a few years ago.

It started off less than a foot tall,

and is now HUGE!

Can't wait to decorate it this Christmas!

A mixture of flowers.

And another mixture of flowers.

LOVE the dark purple pansies!

Some red geraniums with a cute little harvest sign.

And pink geraniums in hanging baskets.

My collection of Fresh Herbs!

I currently have the following in my garden:

Basil, Rosemary, Dill, Chives, Parsley, Oregano and Sage.

My jalapeno plant!

I thought I lost this one earlier in the year,

but then it came back and is doing so much better!

And I currently have a handful of peppers growing too!

A recent addition to the garden.

A Thai Chili Pepper plant.

I have yet to use the peppers,

but I'm betting they're HOT!!!

A mixture of other plants between the two trees.

I have two little mum plants (that aren't currently blooming),

two little gardenia plants that are very fickle and 

another that used to have flowers in in with some ground cover,

but I lost the flowers when the ground cover took over!

Oh and I can't forget!!!

One last thing before I go...

I MUST introduce you to someone!

With Halloween being just around the corner,

there's a little visitor in my garden!

Keep on reading to see who it is!

I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Ahhhhhhh!

Got'cha!!!

My hope is to return to posting about my garden more often,

at least more often than every five months that is!