I'm now on my official week off from work to try to get some gardening done. I take off this week every year since I'm off from school as well. So I've been working on cleaning up the front beds and yard, and I'm starting to get the backyard ready as well.

In the front, I planted some more pots with English daisies, marigolds, and alyssum. I'm also trying some seeds on the porch. I know it is probably too early but I just threw some seeds in pots to see if they will make it. I planted a pot each of snapdragons, zinnias, nasturtiums, and cat nip (in a hanging pot of course!). I also just finished cleaning out the front bed by the sidewalk. Whew.

In the back yard, I've started to cut down some weeds that I let get way too large last year. I'm also starting to lay down more of the weed block paper for the paths. I've bought 10 bags of rocks so far over the last few days and still need tons (probably literally) more. I picked up some cool galvanized steel planters from Ikea and I've planted three of them now all with lettuce. One has a mesclun mix, one is the "Drunken Frizzy Headed Woman" lettuce, and the other is a head type that my friend Bernie gave me last year to try. It has been grown in his family for generations and it is very tasty.

I picked up a PH meeter at Home Depot so I can test the beds in the back. I had a mix-it-yourself type kit last year but I could not find it. Hopefully this thing works well - it would be a lot easer to use that dissolving those pills in containers and mixing it up with dirt.

Finally, some of my seeds are starting to sprout (Check out the pics below!). They are mostly my tomatoes and tomatillos, but I have a photo of my cabbage that is starting as well.