Despite the fact that I am still working on telling the (many) stories of my first cold, dark, and unimaginably wet Kanazawa winter, time has passed. Seasons have changed, and we have arrived into glorious summer weather made all the more deliciously extravagant by my not-so-fleeting memories of months past. In celebration of the season, I have planted a garden.
A few weeks ago I was mentally bemoaning my lack of a lawn, garden, patio, or even a balcony. I mean, really, is a balcony sooooo much to ask for? I just want a little space of my own to sit outside, soak up some sunshine and maybe grow some basil in a bucket? Come on Japan, everyone and their grandmother has a balcony or two, and I get a laundry room? Lame. And that is when the genius struck. My parking space.
My parking space! I could plant a garden in
my parking space! The only cars that ever hang out there are Katy's or Karen's, and neither of those take up more than half of the space. Brilliant!
It took awhile before I could bring my dreams to fruition, but as of two weeks ago, I have a garden. After some consultation with my mother and gardener extraordinaire, I got two window boxes and planted two pretty sizable tomato plants in one and three green pepper plants in the other. I threw a lemon balm into a bucket I got at the 100 yen (~ $1) store and sprinkled an entire packet of basil speeds in another (unappreciated) cleaning bucket from under my sink. The lemon balm (despite an aphid infestation, gross) is growing by leaps and bounds, and the basil seedlings are as cute as can be. Wonder how long I have to wait until I can eat them...
In the afterglow of planting things and with hands still dirty, I grabbed a grape chu-hai left over from the weekend and sat back to admire my handiwork. It is remarkable what a little sunshine and some plants can do to a space. It felt welcoming. I wanted to go out and buy a deck chair and just sit there looking at my plants and listening to the kids playing down the block. And Charlie, I wished that you lived in the neighborhood. I would get out the Scrabble board, make a couple of G&Ts, and we could sit around bickering about word validity and scaring small children.
You know, you still owe me a visit. :-D
The spearmint that I am keeping hostage on my living room window is threatening to take over by force, but I have plans to show it who's boss. Anyone for mojitos and homemade mint ice cream?
Next on my list of parking space garden experiments are two more pots of herbs, one of cilantro and another of parsley.
p.s. assuming I get this aphid thing under control (dish soap???) does anyone know what you can actually do
with lemon balm? Sticking my face in it on my way to school every morning has been pretty satisfying thus far, but there have got to be some other (less awkward) ways to enjoy it.
3 comments:
Crush a few leaves of lemon balm in a pitcher of water in your refrigerator.
Definitely lemon tea. With less honey :)
I need to try another batch this weekend. The humidity and the temperature are hovering in the 80s. In Minnesota everyone is all like, "It's not the heat. It's the humidity!" Bull Shit. I am swimming and will resort to a rain dance if that's what it takes to get a proper thunderstorm. Apocalyptic thunderstorms in January and none in the summer? That is just cruel and unusual.
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