The Current Season

Updated: July 2026.

The Focus: Settling into retirement. Experimenting with various loose structures for my day (it’s a need). Trying to stay cool.

The Project: Building this little site, and cataloging our Blockbuster Nights. Designing our stockroom/apothecary space in our backyard shed.

The Dirt: Finishing up the front garden. Starting ever-so-many plants from seed for one last summer blast.

In the garden

Pretty much since we moved in, we’ve been making some basic adjustments to the front yard. Currently, we’re adding landscape timbers to the edge of the north part of the yard (delineating it from the shared gravel driveway and sidewalk) and the treeline on the south.

We have two raised beds: one front bed (between the sidewalk and the street) and one in the back yard. We also have some terracotta pots going, mostly with herbs. We’re growing vegetables, melons, and herbs.

Currently growing (vegetables & melons)

Only the banana peppers are currently productive. Squash and okra look hopeful. Melons are doing surprisingly well. Beans probably aren’t going to produce anything. We’re worried about the tomatoes.

• Peppers (banana, sweet red, pimento, green)

• Yellow squash

• Zucchini

• Okra

• Beans (snap, lima)

• Cucumber

• Tomatoes (grape, Cherokee purple, Missouri pink love apple)

• Cantaloupe

• Watermelon

Currently growing (herbs)

The herb garden is probably our best decision. We harvest a bit almost daily for cooking.

• Rosemary

• English thyme

• Sweet basil

• Greek oregano

• Marjoram

• French tarragon

• Spearmint

Starts

In the past couple of weeks, I’ve also started some seeds. I’m working on more herbs and some pretty, flowering stuff. The herbs will likely join the front raised bed. Most of the flowers will make their way to pots.

• French thyme

• Garlic chives

• Garden sage

• Rama tulsi

• Echinacea

• Giant moonflower

• Tobacco jasmine

• Anise hyssop