My beginner's effort to go GREEN.

This year I planted a few things in my backyard. It's my beginner's effort to live a more self-sustaining lifestyle. My goal is to grow much of my own food, as well as enough to preserve for over the weekend...eventually. But for now...this is a good start!

Here we have a dwarf Meyer lemon. I love Meyer lemons...a LOT. I got a dwarf so that I could grow it as a patio plant...and take it with me when we move.

Here we have some beans we grew from seed. So far they seem pretty happy and comfortable.

This is my little melon patch. Apparently, the words "little" and "melon patch" don't really go together as these vining plants really like some room to spread out. But, this is where they are...hopefully they'll "bloom where they're planted"!This is a close up of one of my squash plants and more beans in the forefront. I love how the sun shines through the leaves...so pretty.
This is a view of my raised beds along my deck. You can see the melon patch in the distance back near the shed. The pots on the steps to the deck are full of herbs...basil, thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley, cilantro, marjoram...beautiful.
You may have also noticed the dead grass in the background. Soon, soon, soon this will be replaced with beautiful green sod.

There are some things I will do differently next year...like plant the beans near the cucumbers rather than by the squash. I grow the cukes on upside down tomato cages so that they'll climb. Doing it this way will leave just enough room for some bean plants in the same raised bed. This way I can grow the squash in the other raised bed, plant two plants right in the middle and let them sprawl to their hearts content!