Plants

Tonight we planted the first plants in our newly formed flower beds. They're so cute and tiny and completely un-impactful in the huge beds, but I'm almost certain is will be amazing in a few years.

We wanted to do some edible landscaping, so besides our vegetable garden, our flower beds will host the "prettier" edibles like cabbage and basil and rosemary, artichokes and lavender. I'd like to add some chamomile as well.

The perennials we planted are Indian Hawthorn, Peony, Autumn sage, rosemary and lavender. We have an existing bridal veil, and plan on adding a dwarf pink lady apple tree and some ornamental grasses on the east side, as well as more annuals and of course, some sweet potato vine. It feels good to have part of it done. Preparing the beds was no small task.

Now we just need to plant our vegetable garden and...the biggest part, get our grass a growin'. Have I ever mentioned the terrible condition of our lawn? BAD! We're going to reseed as soon as soil temperatures are favorable for Bermuda grass. We're trying to keep everything as native and sustainable as possible.

Speaking of native, I have been missing my homeland: Arizona. I don't know why it started, or why it's such a deep down achy missing, but it is. Someone posted a picture at the Mesa Temple while they were waiting for the Easter Pageant to start. The sky was so big and that scene so familiar, it was insta-tears. The big stages, the rows and rows of chairs, the crowds of people. I can smell the grass, hear the cars on Main street and the wind blowing softly through the palm trees that reach seemingly impossible heights. I want to see the angels lifted with their trumpets and feel the rumble of the thunder right after the crucifixion.

I grew up in a great place. I know that I'm not moving back any time soon, if ever at all, but I've spent hours scouring realtor.com for what house I would live and what city in the valley I would pick, and what schools my kids would go to. I mean, none of the houses are Dot, and she's my favorite, but there's something so familiar about soaring vaulted ceilings, tile roofs, stucco and rock landscaping, attached garages and a certain uniformity. I'm sure peonies wouldn't grow there, and I'm anticipating a long lovely relationship with my new plant. Maybe I need a little cactus garden as well.

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