Currently in my Better Homes and Gardens Era

Lately, the only thing I’ve been interested in is expanding my flower and vegetable garden, redecorating my home to be more reflective of my current aura, and trying recipes that are nutritious, flavorful, and efficient. And just like that, I realize that I’m in my BHG, a.ka. Better Homes and Gardens era. Last week I was outside taking pictures of my hosta plants. Hostas that were transplanted from the backyard of my childhood home in Detroit decades ago. Only to be scrolling later that day on IG and see Martha Stewart flossing the hundreds of hostas she planted years ago in her garden. I even came across a self-parody of Martha drawing out her extensive garden plans and calling them simple, joking about getting a “pole for the pole beans.” Well knock me down and call me Martha because I had literally unrolled some of Ash’s easel art paper and drew up plans for my garden expansion this year–where I would stagger the cabbage and hoist the indeterminate tomatoes with my string trellis. Peggy Martin roses? I ordered a few because who doesn’t want pink roses draped across their landscape somewhere? And yes, I indeed grew a hearty harvest of pole beans last summer!

As for home decor, I finally opted against wallpapering my foyer powder room and painted it black instead– which turned out to be the best decision ever. Now that it is black, it is the perfect backdrop for floral arrangements tucked into the sink’s corner. And because it is black, white flowers really make me swoon. And since the breaking of spring, I’ve been on a flower frenzy — regularly keeping them in the house for ambiance and also because they really just make me happy. I’ve been making it my business to indulge in a variety of flowers. Tulips, though, are literally the flower of the year. I feel like I’ve bought more tulips this year than I’ve ever in my life. I’ve learned so much about them: how to place them in cold water, how they keep growing taller in the water.

I have learned that anemones do the same thing. I walked into the bathroom and saw them stretched above the ranunculus, petals sprawled, their dark eyes providing a lovely contrast. They were definitely taller than the day before. A quick Google search confirmed—yes, just like tulips, the stems keep growing in the water.

So if you are looking for me, just know that I’m probably somewhere taking solace in admiring the health of my cabbage leaves. Or I’m hauling garden soil so I can plant something new, like celery and garlic chives and borage! Or I’m trying to figure out who can help me with a twenty-foot stepping stone path from one side of my garden to the next. Or I’m trying to figure out how to rotate my crops for next year.

Or I’m somewhere planning my dining room transformation. Or I’m looking for the perfect artwork to hang in the corner of my living room.

Last week, Ash and I made steaks; what a joy it was to run out to the garden and snip some fresh thyme and peel garlic that we had harvested weeks before. Yesterday we made tacos, and shredded (parasite-free) lettuce from our garden. It’s the little things, always.