I abandoned my three flower children in Chicago. I left Rosemary, Hibiscus and Basil behind when I moved to Houston last year. I didn’t think they would survive the trip, but I didn’t think about how much I would miss them.
After mourning my loss over the cold winter months, I’ve found renewed strength with the rising mercury. I’ve hit the Internet and literature aisles in full force to research and plan my next family. I’m craving some fresh herbs and a lot more color in my life!
In terms of Houston real estate, my apartment patio is the size of a modest walk-in closet. There is just enough room for a few planters and a few (hopefully drip and mess free) window boxes.
My east-facing balcony means shade will be a driving factor is my design. I want my greens to be both functional and pretty so this will be okay for the herbs and a few shade friendly flowering plants I’m going to raise. My glorious garden will have flora of pink and green and the fragrance of heaven!
I took my friend Martha’s advice and sketched a design of what I wanted the garden to look like. The key is height in the back and "spill over" from a filler plant in front. Texture is good.
With this tangible visual aid in hand, my first stop was Home Depot for planters and seedlings. Here is my shopping list:
My herbal babies: Basil, Cilantro, Chives, Mint, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage
My flower children: Coleus, Impatients, Begonias
My wild child: Strawberry
As you may know, life rarely turns out as Martha suggests. I came home with a few un-named flower children and a few more wild childs. Add Cherry Tomato and Cucumber to the latter list.
Sunday was full of messy planting, followed by immediate use of the mint for frozen mint martinis and cilantro for enchiladas verdes.
Cheers to my new green space in the sky! Can't wait to see these babies grow so I can eat them up.
Cheers to my new green space in the sky!
The new EDC showroom features a demonstration area for cooking classes and product training. Photo courtesy of BSH
