This year I decided to take my “green-ness” to the next level in a way that utilized this extreme southern exposure my balcony has… since installing a solar panel isn’t feasible at the moment (plus I am just renting) I decided to start an urban garden on my balcony!! Here is a pic of the plants when I brought them home after a trip with my great friend Sandi to Johansen Farms in Bolingbrook, IL.
I bought a few pots and I have some “long planter thingies that hang from the balcony” (I have no idea what the proper term is). The fashionista in me had to get the Pink Breast Cancer Awareness gardening gloves and matching shovel trowel by Bond. I really wanted to buy the whole set but my “Gardening Trainer”, Sandi, reminded me (repeatedly) that I am on a balcony, not in a yard, so the hose and rake were not likely to be needed.
While I decided to take on some Sweet 100’s (tomatoes) most of the items are herbs. I love to cook using natural herbs so this seemed like a great place to start. I didn’t research the Sweet 100s until after I bought them and apparently they grow very tall…. up to 8 feet tall… LOL… this will be interesting! This is what they are supposed to look like once they start to grow:
The herbs I’m growing include three types of Mint: Pineapple, Chocolate and Orange… (they all smell wonderful)
Golden thyme and silver thyme…
Fernleaf dill and rosemary…
Plain parsley and large leaf basil…
and lastly, strawberries and romaine lettuce (which does not look anywhere close to the photo just yet)!
I am so excited about this venture… I just wish the Chicago weather would cooperate. Lately its been so cold at night I’ve had to bring the plants inside so they are still in their tiny pots and I am ready to plant them! Maybe this weekend we can do that and get these things outdoors! On that note, my item of the day is another “green” (kinda) object… a bike! I have a bike my dad gave me last year but its pretty beat up and “manly” so I want a new one… something girly and kinda vintage looking… On one hand, a bike is a bike… but on the other hand… I’ve got a reputation to uphold! I’ve got two vastly different choices that are on my mind now… on the used end, I found this great vintage Sears bike at a shop on the Northside. I was going to drive up there to look at when I came home and discovered that someone had hit my car while I was at work and left a nice dent in it. So the bike purchase has been put on hold for now…
While I love that bike, I’ve heard tons of stories (some good and some bad) about buying used bikes so I’ve also been looking into newer bikes. This Classic Cruiser on at Trekbikes.com would be PERFECT! Lets see how the rest of the year goes… time to go grab a few lottery tickets! LOL
