Problem Solver

In years past I have had a garden in the backyard.  I have always have grand plans for this garden, dreaming it would be full of lush, colorful vegetables that I would pick and use in my delicious dinners every night.  There would be cool, wrought iron trellises with vines growing up them.  The rows would be straight with no weeds and my kids would be out there with me, happily planting, picking, and weeding.

Like I said, a dream.

This year, I didn’t even kid myself.  I became a little leery of the dirt last year when my next door neighbor was trimming his bushes and a snake came slithering out.  A gardener snake, but a snake nonetheless.  Then, late last summer I encountered this little darling in my yard, as you may remember here.  So the garden thing wasn’t looking so good.  Most of my neighbors have gardens and are usually begging us to take copious amounts of tomatoes, lettuce, and beans off their hands, but I still wanted my herbs.  I found the solution:

The Aerogarden

They had me at fool-proof.  But seriously, I totally love this thing!  I received it for mother’s day after a few subtle  hints.  There is no dirt, no mess.  Plus they use a growing bulb, so can you say BASIL ALL YEAR 'ROUND!  Even in the dead of winter.  There are little pods that drop right into the base, and you just keep filling it up with water and these little nutrient packets, and waa-laa!

Mine started out like this:

I have been picking basil like crazy, and I passed on tons of dill to a friend for some pickles.  My thyme didn't work out so well, I think that I didn't use it enough.  I am going to to try 2 new herbs, but check out the basil now:

Love it!!

You can order all different kinds of herbs, and some vegetables, as well as flowers.  Mine has 3 spots for  herbs, but there is also one with 7 spots.  I received that one first, but the whole contraption was way too big for my counter, so I returned it for this beauty.  It is a perfect, snake-free way to garden.  Problem Solved.