We have a yard!

I don't think I can tell you how absolutely thrilled I am to finally have a yard of our own. We spent the entire last weekend (22 hours for me, 16 hours for Andrew) in the back yard constructing the first and largest of 4 raised beds to grow produce in next year. There was blood and sweat and sunburns, but I am confident that it will all be worth it!

Much to my delight, the yard came with a few little treasures of its own. We have raspberries, strawberries, and rhubarb! The strawberries and rhubarb are fairly pathetic at this point, but I hope to nurse those back to health for next year. The raspberries, on the other hand, are going crazy! I think they're the everbearing type, since we had a good harvest last month on the old canes and are now just starting to harvest the fruit off of the new canes. Don't they look delicious?!

I'm also still enjoying what I planted earlier this spring in my pots - basil, oregano, arugula, spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, and zucchini. Yes, zucchini in a pot! I actually have my tomato and zucchini plant in the same pot which is only about 3-4 gallons, but they both seem to be doing well. I've gotten a good number of cherry tomatoes so far and there are LOTS more still on the plant and then we have two little zucchinis which are ripening.

Two nights ago I had the pleasure of going out into the yard to figure out what was for dinner - a dream come true! We ended up with a salad of cous cous, cucumber, tomato, and basil with a bit of garlic and a lemony greek yogurt dressing and grilled lemon chicken. Yes, the tomato and basil were the only things from our yard for this year but they were wonderful! Bella and I have also shared a few snacks of caprese - fresh tomatoes and basil with some mozzarella and a little balsamic vinegar. Simple but divine.

After 8 years of designing for others, I am so happy to finally be creating my own yard and garden. Our yard is just the right size - big enough to have some fun in but small enough to be manageable. I am looking forward to utilizing every square foot!