Dear 29,
The stoop has served many a purpose: place to eat breakfast once, place to watch me ride a motorcycle, place to get iced, place to witness a girl hit my car with a stick, place a child will fall down a couple steps, (then place where you gasp and feel super awful), place were sparklers are put once they stop sparkling, place to tie balloons too, place to store a shovel, place where people probably sit while I'm not around, etc.
But this summer (the first full summer of stoopin) it is playing host to a bitty garden. It started small- a couple tiny plants spontaneously purchased at the Urbandale* Home Depot. I even popped for a tomato plant. I'm not sure if it was the Cleverley Farms adventure over Memorial Day weekend, or the fresh suburban air, but I felt suddenly blessed with a hopeful green thumb and a tomato plant, some soil and three tiny herb sprouts came home with me in the Honda that day.
And now, this #stoopgarden has grown (pun intended) into an obsession. I've checked out books about container gardens, I've googled herb planters, and have spent hours trying to figure out just why parsley doesn't grow as quickly, or greenly, as basil. Two metal Ikea pots just wasn't enough. I browsed the Earl May the following day, picking up pamphlets on strawberry bushes (I think they are bushes?) and read all the labels on plant foods. Then I splurged on a pre-planted herb garden that included spicy globe basil. (still don't really understand what makes this stuff special)
So the #stoopgarden grew again. I also took a liking to weekend sun-tea blends- seemed very garden-person-like. After a little more research I decided to re-pot (boom. gardener jargon*) my thriving tomato plant. Containers for the #stoopgarden aren't cheap, at least not the pretty ones. But we aren't all about the fancy here in Sherman Hill, so my on-sale-target-plastic thing did the trick and suddenly grit got real. (laugh. it's ok. that was funny.)
I'm still thinking about planting a strawberry bush/vine but better do a little more research on what the strawberries grow on before planting them. I am really trying to figure out just why the pre-potted herb garden is less green, and trying to find a way to keep thyme from standing still, but other than that- we've got a real little garden on our hands.
Don't worry. I'll keep you updated on every bloomin thing.
And yes, gardening jokes are awesome.
xo-LP

*Sometimes I go to Urbandale. At least I think that place is considered to be in Urbandale.