So the gardening bug hit me pretty hard in the last week, I’ve been pruning perennials and planting annuals and tomatoes too.  I also planted something I’ve never planted before and that’s two varieties of lettuce.  I don’t know why I’ve never planted lettuce before, perhaps its because I usually grab greens in the summer at the farmer’s market or grocery store but this year I began an experiment to see if I could successfully manage to grow a few heads of lettuce to make my own salad.

I reused one of my old half barrels (we have a bunch) that I typically grow tomatoes in but dedicated it to lettuce and herbs this year.  My local nursery sells them in six packs, so I bought the lettuce there instead of growing it from seed.  I mixed in some thyme and basil too, because I can’t get enough of those for in summertime, hello caprese and pesto and fresh herbs on grilled chicken!

As for the planter, I found a smaller redwood barrel at Home Depot but its reddish tones didn’t work for me, so I whitewashed it instead. The birdhouse is just for whimsy, I like tiers in threes so I thought it was a cute addition.  I weathered the roof using this vinegar trick then whitewashed the birdhouse just like the middle half barrel.  (Basic whitewashing technique explained here.)

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