Shayla Maddox

We needed to do some re-potting this weekend in order to give our beloved plumeria and orange trees a chance to cope with the trauma of fresh soil and bigger containers before the big move in a couple of weeks, so I took the opportunity to plant a few herbs as well.

For the first time in my life, I will have an actual kitchen window to set herbs on. Well, I mean, I've had windows in the kitchen before, but I'm talking about the kind of window that has a shelf sticking out towards the outside, a garden window of sorts. ::squeal::

I love herbs, and I love growing herbs. I first started when I was about 16 or 17, when I became obsessed with making my own herbal products, which I was pretty good at I'll have you know. But, anyway, I planted some herbs, and it was wonderful. Apparently the seaside clay soil in my mom's backyard was perfect for lavender and rosemary, because those things took off like a crazed herbal science project and became glorious smelling plant monsters in no time. There was no way I could possibly use so much, and we certainly didn't trim it back enough to keep it from being humongous. Then, when the bees and spiders and faeries took up residence in the 2 gigantic bushes, I was too afraid to cut anything from it, so we just sort of gave it to them.

The previous containers of herbs on my soon-to-be-ex patio are all dead now (my patio gets an awe inspiring amount of direct sunlight in the summer) and I didn't bother to plant new ones, because nothing small can survive there.

But now, it's a brave new world of herb growing. I'm so excited. I've never grown chives before, but I think we eat them even more than basil (gasp) so I'm super eager to see what happens.

yay!

I also just started a fuchsia painting, because even with all the boxes I'm tripping over, I couldn't help but do some art. FUCHSIA. I don't know if it will stay that way, but that's what color it is now.