GARDEN NEWS, OUTDOOR DECORATING & A REFRESHING SUMMER RECIPE

Helloooooooo!  It's just me.  I know I've abandoned all of you.  But...I think I may have a touch of spring fever.  In between the rain, heat and cold, I've been out in the backyard doing clean up and hesitant planting.  It's a small start since we have been in the low 50's or less most mornings.  It was, however, sort of exciting to work on my little backdoor herb garden.  The abundant oregano comes back every year and I actually have to pull some out or it would eat up the whole bed.  The chives also come back so hardy. 

I made a very conservative trip to my favorite nursery Friday.  I decided the best way to work this early in the spring would be to do things in segments.  So I worked on the area around my patio.  I added basil, thyme, parsley and dill to the herb bed and then some mulch to the beds around my patio.  I've been wanting to add solar lights for some time and Emily found some on Amazon for a great price and simply loves them.  Let me know if you want more info.  I'm going to keep working as I'm between the rain.

Some pretty happenings in a bed along the back of my house.  Things are filling in.  I was really surprised that these little annual pink flowers came back, probably due to our mild weather.  Can anyone remind me of their name?  More space to fill in though.

I found this cute little planter at Antique Farmhouse.  They really have some neat stuff and you have to use restraint!!  ;-D  It's hard to tell in this photo but it has a chicken wire cover that is cute but absolutely useless now that I've added little pots of herbs.  I like that I have a nice compact place to snip herbs while I'm cooking and the scent is so sweet.  I don't grow sage so I have tiny bit of rosemary there...you might remember how much The Husband abhors rosemary.

That little plant wasn't going to do me much good when I like to make rosemary infused olive oil and vinegar, so I have a much larger plant to pot for the patio.  Poor guy hasn't noticed it yet.  He will if he tastes it on his food.

  

The plants I brought in last fall made it wonderfully over the winter.  This is a perfect window in my family room that faces northwest.  The sun is blinding from about 2:00 p.m. until dusk.  Even my poinsettia is still blooming.  I hope I can move these out soon and reclaim this table!

I mentioned The Husband cleaned out the shed a few weeks ago and my oh my, most of my stuff was looking very shabby, and not in a decorative shabby 'chic' way.  Simple beat up.  I decided to take a trip to Marshall's to get some decorative things for the baker's rack I have on the patio.  I found a cute lantern and some little galvanized buckets that will make cute planters (I'll share later when it's all together.)  I also found these colorful citronella candles.  I thought they were so darn cute.  I really detest the smell but will use them on a really buggy nights.  I also have a small tabletop fan I like to use on the top of the baker's rack~~mosquitoes don't hang around where it's windy.

Spider mums.  So pretty and they last forever like all mums.  I received some gorgeous roses and carnations in a sweet bouquet from Jeff and Deirdre for Mother's Day.  I hope all of you ladies enjoyed yourselves this past Sunday.  For me it is not all about me, although I'm darn proud of carrying those babies around for nine months and then raising them forever, as it goes.  I also honor my mother and grandmothers and aunts and friends, well...anyone who is or knows a mother.  Remarkable people.  My kids know me well and also gifted me with gift card to my favorite nursery and Home Depot.  :-D

I'm moving slowly lately.  If you've read my blog long enough you know I have back issues and on occasion the old back 'gives out'.  I've thought of seeing a specialist but I always shrink away, I blame my weight and think the problem will magically disappear if I lose the weight.  Finally, The Husband asked how long I was going to sit on a bag of ice on my lower back every evening without knowing what real problem was.

I bit the bullet and met with a specialist last week.  I really liked him.  After a detailed history, a physical exam which put me through rigors I would expect in boot camp, and finally a look at x-rays, he told me very seriously that my back was really messed up.  Scoliosis and  spondylothesis.  Big words and yet I bet many of you have one or both of these conditions.  The thing that worries me is the latter, my second to last vertebrae in my lower back slides in and out.  That's why I'm in the most pain.  Without more whining, I have home exercises, they've killed me.  I start physical therapy in a week.  Yeah, it's always something.  But as I sit here, with my ice pack behind my back and a nice little dose of Tylenol every 4 hours (yes, Advil is better but a no no with my meds for my skin), I'm hanging by a thread.  Better days ahead.  It's not life threatening.  And Yay!  I'm doing something about it finally after ten long years!   

This is a recipe that is beyond delicious, perfect for summer and so easy it's disgusting.  Let me ramble.  I buy a Mango Salsa at our Fancy Nancy grocery store at $6.99 for 6 oz.  I stumbled on a recipe that made me much happier and brought it to a Mother's day event.  Abby brought the remains to work and her co~workers loved it.  It's a summer staple.  Please try.

Watermelon Salsa

1 small seedless watermelon, diced small

1 red pepper, diced small

1 yellow, diced small

1/2 red onion, diced small

1 jalapeno, seeded, diced small

1 handful cilantro, chopped

1 lime, juiced

Salt and pepper to taste

Chop, chop, chop away.  Depending on the size of your watermelon you may not need all of it.  Look for about 6 cups in ratio to the rest of the ingredients.  Mix everything well and refrigerate for about an hour before serving so flavors meld.  Serve with tortilla chips.  

See all of you soon!

Jane