My herb garden update and a Friday smile or two

So many of my internet friends have shown their gardens, and I'm almost ashamed to share mine.  Today I'll focus on the herb garden. 

Back in mid May

I was finally ready to tackle this horrible mess I called an herb garden.

Other than the garden hose, which had been put away for the winter, this is how I left the garden over the winter.   I keep hoping I'll build it up enough to finally have a lasagna garden, but I'm not sure that is going to happen next year, either.  Please go to the link above if you aren't familiar with a lasagna garden, which is sometimes called sheet composting.

Talk about a sad state of affairs.  I spent the first day

removing the weeds from the pots.

It took quite awhile and was not one of my favorite chores.  With the heat and the sun burning down on me, I simply had to call it a day.

The next day

I removed all the pots that had been left in the garden and laid down more cardboard.   When I replaced the pots, I tried to color coordinate them.

I also brought the few plants out that I had overwintered inside.

I planted some seeds, like sweet basil

and parsley.

I thought the mess inside my compost pile had come from some potatoes I threw in there a few weeks before.  Although they were sprouting, the large leaves are from a pumpkin I threw in from last Halloween.   I never realized it would take off like this, and I have decided to leave it, after I removed the potatoes, of course.

Note the two large heavy round cylinders that my neighbor put outside the herb garden.  Thankfully, he removed them a few days ago.

The remainder of the pots were filled or topped off with compost and watered.

I now had enough pots for my seeds and any herbs I decided to purchase.  Of course, I had a lot of cleaning to do, but that would have to wait for another day.  I used to do this all in one day, but since I hurt my back last summer, I don't seem to have the stamina I had even two years ago.

But now it's time to fast forward to Tuesday of this week.

After I mowed my yard, I did a bit of edging and weed pulling.

As I was taking the photos of my herbs, these caught my eye.  Without moving,

I took these photos of the day lilies that bloomed overnight.  They were gone the next day, so I needed to share them.

Although the herb garden is growing, it also looks rather despondent.

In less than a month, much of the cardboard has already broken down.

I purchased five different types of lavender, and two are already dead.  So much for having a green thumb.  My two mints on the far left are doing well, though.  The orange mint in back overwintered, but I had to buy new spearmint this year.  And before you ask, those white things in my pots are egg shells.

I broke down and purchased a tomato, but planted it in a pot.  Not sure how well it will do there, though.

My blackberries (in the far back) already have blossoms.  I expect fruit soon.  Too bad my rosemary that I tried to overwinter indoors, didn't make it.

And if you didn't find a bit of humor in this really ridiculous late May and mid June herb garden, here are a couple of Friday Smiles for week 225, hosted by Annie at A Stitch in Time that might put a smile on your face.

Thanks for joining me today in my herb garden.  And thanks for joining me at Annie's where it's always good to start the weekend with a smile.