Modern Moroccan Patio

So the rain has cleared and the spring time allergens were supposedly suppressed because of it, but let me tell you, I've never had such a horrible allergy season in my life. As someone who is around plants and flowers constantly, it comes with the territory, but this is ridiculous. I'll be lucky if I don't end up back in bed before nightfall. Because of my lack of energy, I put together this idea board for a modern Moroccan patio...

modern moroccan patio by leah-mathews on Polyvore

Happy Earth Day!

Today is Earth Day...and according to The Today Show, we now have "Earth Week." Since I've been getting my garden ready and buying and planting flowers and plants the past 2 weeks or so, I've come to a stand-still with my progress. I'm basically watching grass grow right now. Literally. Or more literally, watching it not grow. It's only been a week since I actually planted the grass, but I have no patience. 

I'm also watching my veggies not grow. I understand it's still early in the season, but like I said, no patience. I like instant gratification. And of course, I know I could buy my veggies already started, but even instant gratification isn't as gratifying as growing from seeds. 

So in the meantime, Chuck and I are trying to figure out some plans for all those bricks we dug up as well as the deck. This is a rental so we don't want to invest a lot or put anything permanent so it's presenting a bit of a challenge. However, I am going to be painting a "rug" on the deck...the only thing I need to nail down is the shape, colors, pattern, etc...pretty much all the details, but I'm definitely doing it. If any of you have done this, let me know if you have any words of wisdom. 

That's it for now, but this week I'm going to talk about vertical gardens, climbing plants and maybe an upcycle project or two. 

What are you doing to get your garden ready?

Spring Cleaning

I'm back from my blogger break. It's been gorgeous in NJ the past week, so I've been prepping for the upcoming Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market as well as starting seeds and doing yard work.

Yesterday Chuck and I prepped the ground out back and laid down some grass seed. Apparently, the people that lived here before didn't really know what they were doing and there were bricks, slate, and paving stones all over the yard just under the surface. My arms are killing me today, btw. I feel like I have Popeye forearms. 

who buried all these bricks?

will have a border and creeping thyme between the stones

So we have a huge pile of bricks now, even after setting a little walkway to the back gate, that I'm not really sure what to do with just yet. But, we still have a long way to go. The grass seed is going to be a challenge though with 3 dogs...even if it is that special doggie-proof formula. I'm probably going to look into some ground covering. I'll be posting pictures as things start to take root, but here's a "before" picture; curious pit bull included. 

And I started my vegetables this morning. What I have so far: tomatoes, red bell pepper, and cucumber, plus cilantro, basil, oregano, and chives. I'm still going to get some dill for pickles and yummy tzatsiki too. I'm also going to try onions for the first time. I picked up some sets on my last trip to Home Depot. 

Oh! I almost forgot! We started a compost too! There were already some piles of decaying stuff so we kind of just consolidated it and as I was finding worms, added some of those too. Nothing fancy like some of the things I see on Pinterest, but it'll do. 

So there it is. I'll post a couple more pics this week once the stone path settles a bit more and the grass begins to sprout. but here's some more before shots...and a dog. 

free fire pit from our awesome neighbor. 

grass seed

The yard has doubled in size now. 

Are you doing any yard work yet? Growing your own food or flowers? Do you have any idea what I should do with all those bricks? How about that back gate? Let me know!