It's amazing what living in one place for several years does for the garden... This year we have garlic and winter onions in place. Small shoots of green poke through the soil toward the warming sun.
On other fronts, I've discovered plants in pots are big sellers. After a recent chastising from a 93- year old lady for not knowing the exact name of the succulents that live in my pots, I vow to know exactly what it is I am selling... Though I lacked the proper names for my cacti, she bought them all, loaded them on her stroller and made off into the evening.
And I am working on a project that has been years in the making. Several years ago, I decorated the front foundation of my studio with a mosaic made from broken pots. I planned to wrap my whole studio, but other tasks took precedence. The mosaic groove has hit and I was hard at work all weekend. Because I was working on the street side of my studio, I had many curious passersby stop and offer comments and encouragement. Neighbor Tim stopped to let me know that I do the "best work" and neighbor, Lori, who I had yet to meet, stopped with son, Toby. She let me know I have the coolest house on the west side and that she and her son often drive by to see what's new at the purple house.
In the morning, as I packed pots in the car for a sale, local kids were already at the wall, full of questions and comments... "These stars under the window are really cool. How did you do this?" I think I'll recruit them for the grouting phase. I have officially ceased needing to be in total control and invite friends and neighbors to get in on the action, though I feel a bit like Huck Finn. "Come paint my fence!"
