My Favorite.. Thing To Do Next To Reading

My Favorite.. is a weekly meme hosted by Maureen’s Books. In this meme we share every week something we love with each other. Because let’s face it.. The world can be a dark place and it’s time to share something positive. For more info and the upcoming subjects visit the My Favorite Meme.. page.

What a neat topic. Very tired and a month shy of 50 (gasp), I should probably say sleeping. LOL! It used to be cross-stitching. Who has time for that anymore? It really should be writing too. I mean, shouldn't writing be my favorite thing other than reading? I've published four books so far.

Alas, it is none of those things.

My all time favorite thing to do next to reading is...gardening. I am so awful at it, you would think it would be a source of frustration. I drive down the street and look at all the pretty, well-manicured landscapes. Then you get to our yard.

• There's the Blue Festuca Grass that is now hiding under some ground cover that took over one of the flower beds.
• There's the mulched ring around the lamppost that one year had tulips and other early spring bloomers. For some reason, only the green leaves appear and then they wither away. Too much sun, maybe? Who knows? Certainly not the girl with the brown thumb.
• On one side of the house are the hostas, which the voles attacked two years ago. They started to come back this year, but there are gaping holes left by those that did not survive.
• On the opposite side is a half dead lilac bush that took a wallop when a large tree fell during a storm (missed the house by about 6 inches). On that same side is the mint that I planted to keep the varmints out of the generator box. It has spread EVERYWHERE! Note to self: never plant mint anywhere other than a container.
• The flower boxes fell off the shed two years ago. Sadly, they remain in pieces. I need to buy new ones.

The one thing I usually have success with is the vegetable garden. Not great success, but I can usually grow potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, and herbs. This year I planted those plus sweet peppers, cucumbers, carrots, lettuce (which I usually kill), blueberry bushes and a blackberry bush. I put the lettuce toward the back of the garden this year so it won't get as much sun. That should help.

Silly me bought strawberry supports and then forgot to buy strawberry plants. I might buy container ones to see how it goes. Potatoes grow great in bags. I'm trying carrots in bags this year too. 

Do you enjoy gardening? What are some of your favorite things to do?