My Garden

I am not sure what it is about gardening that makes me so happy... maybe the new life that I get to watch grow and mature, the ability to have fresh herbs and veggies, or just being out in the sun light tending it. Maybe it is the memories of my parents planting their summer garden in spring and knowing that my mom's beefsteak tomatoes would be a plenty just around the corner, or that summer is almost here.

Yes, I live in Hawaii and many people claim that it is always summer in Hawaii. But now going on my 6th year out here I have become extremely acclimated. 70 degree weather is cold especially when it is raining almost every day! I am ready to get back to my 82 degree days with not a cloud in the sky and only a bikini on.

I am so excited for everything to ripen. In my garden I have:
2 different kinds of tomatoes, Romain lettuce, kale, eggplant, green onion, cilantro, parsley, basil, a whole bunch of marigolds to hopefully keep all the bad bugs away. I have 2 strawberry plants, the start of a blueberry bush, and pineapple in their own pots. 

It feels so good to finally do something with our little patio.

How We Built Our Planter Box

Tools you will need:

• wood
• nails/screws
• landscape fabric
• rocks
• soil
• handy husband

I am not going to take any credit for building the actual box, except for all the nagging so that it would finally get done. Dane built my veggie planter after looking at simple examples like this.  Now once he built the frame- I will take the credit from there! At the gardening store I bought some landscaping fabric which is just really thin plastic with a bunch of holes so that water can drain through. Oh I forgot, I did make Dane go to the other side of the island to pick up bags of rocks on the side of the road... thanks Baby! It is so helpful to have someone strong to manhandle 3 huge bags of rocks!

On Oahu there is this awesome place called Hawaii Earth Products and they sell this great composted soil they call "Menehune Magic." They sell it by the cubic yard, which is a lot! We only got a half cubic yard and it filled this planter and then some.

After that I was able to do my favorite part, shop for plants!