my first vegetable garden!

i always plant annuals in my flower gardens and in lots and lots of pots around the house too. this bright purple is definitely the color for me this summer. 

but this is my very first year of planting a vegetable garden. i promised myself a few months ago that this would be the year. i longed to step outside and cut things for the garden for each meal. i admired the slow, thoughtful process of it all. so i've started small and made it easy for myself.

it's always nice to have herbs right outside the patio door, so i added a few more this year...cilantro, mint, chives, thyme, basil and rosemary.

then for the garden, i cleared out a section of greenery and built a raised bed, using cedar fencing boards, wood supports at the corners, and fabric to prevent weeds.

i started a bit late and wanted to be sure i didn't get too discouraged my first year, so i picked up starter plants from our local garden center...orange and green bell peppers, lettuce, a variety of tomatoes, cucumbers, mixed greens and dill.

i also planted a few rows of seeds...

and to help keep critters out, i used wood strips leftover from our bathroom remodel and stapled a mesh netting around the perimeter. 

i was so excited to find my little seedlings are already popping up, 

the edible flowers, nasturtiums, already blooming,

and little bell peppers already growing! 

it's all definitely a fun thing to watch and to care for. i can't wait to share all of the veggies at summer dinner parties and picnics too! we've already been enjoying lots of salads...recipes coming soon!

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ps. i am so excited that the next  HOW TO PAINT A GIRL e-course starts this week! find all of the details and register right here.

there's also a session of HOW TO PAINT AN OWL coming up in July! 

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