Free Garden

Well, i love to weed.
It is therapeutic, even when it is hot.  There is a special way to pull out different types of weeds.  Some require a slow tug and then a pop.  Others are slow all the way.  Anyone that feels the same way doesn't need any explanations.
I also love to dig.  (My Iowa farm roots perhaps?)  And i have been know to impulsively dig new flower beds in an afternoon.  So, months ago, when things were warming up, i promised Justin that he wouldn't come home to a dirty mess in the front yard.  We don't have a loan yet, and the funds are not available for gardens.

But then he told me it was good for me.  And he is right.

Poison Ivy

This is all over our yard.  Some of the plants have thick stems that twist and turn around objects like it owns them.  Others are tiny little things you might not recognize if poison ivy wasn't on your mind.  I have cut, pulled, and sprayed these monsters, yet they keep coming up.  The house was vacant for some time.  So, for some time, we might need to deal with this pesky plant.

St. Louis City has free annual plugs available to residents for planting in the strip between the street and sidewalk.  My current garden consists of these and seeds i saved from our Dogtown house.  So glad i did.
And there is free compost available in various locations.  There is a big pile one block down and the kids have helped me shovel before it gets too hot.  There might be quite a few unsavory items in the compost, but it is free.

Moss Rose

Moss rose is so great because it survives anything.  You can break a piece off and plop it in the ground and it will look fabulous.  The flowers are as if made of tissue paper.  I also have a similar native succulent called Fame flower.  I think they are in the same family.  

Globe Amaranth

 I love this plant and it loves hot summers.  I took many pictures and is a wonderful model.

Celosia

There are many types of this flower, and many look like brains.  This one is fuchsia and orange.  

Marigold

The old garden stand-by that i grew up disliking.  But it is pest resistant, colorful, heat-tolerant, and easily propagated with seeds.  We pluck off the dead flowers and spread their seeds.  After i grew up, i mended my relationship with the marigold.

Black Eyed Susan

Another summer favorite. And it is happy to be in our new yard.  Oh how i love seeds!

Pineapple

We buy Aldi pineapples and twist the tops off.  We put them on top of the fridge for a few days and pull the bottom leaves off.  Then we put them in a vase of water until a few roots have grown out.  

We might not ever receive a pineapple, but the plant is beautiful.