this is what summertime looks like around here, at least on weekends. during the week, there's still construction in our neighbor's yard, so all the cushions get put away and it's pretty dusty out. let's start with the patch of fake grass...

looks good, doesn't it? hhh had a lot of doubts, but he's a convert now. :)

this is the shady part of the yard. there are ferns, hydrangea, a rubber plant, and some ivy.

a tall planter with coleus and korean feather grass.

all the furniture is from ikea. it's pretty beat-up but is definitely good value.

the climbing hydrangea is fighting a scale infestation in the corner. scale is really gross. :(

this is how the yard was arranged for hhh's birthday bbq a few weeks back. there some small pots of thyme and polka dots on the table.

willa enjoys the fake grass too. she loves how warm it gets.

it's an incredible fortune to have outdoor space in new york city. the yard, which is roughly the same size as my last studio apartment in astoria, really sold us on the place. even though i knew i'd be leaving soon for china - and be gone an entire year - i couldn't help but dig in (ha!). my obsession with plants grew quickly, now that i had all this square footage to work with.

previously, i channeled my energies into much smaller gardens.

that first summer, i planted a butterfly japanese maple, a profusion of ferns, a few hydrangeas, clusters of coleus, some ivy, a few herbs, and called it a day. i had no idea which plants would grow back the next year and which wouldn't. if there are plants in the photos i haven't mentioned, it's because i no longer remember their names. i didn't know what i was doing, but i still had a good time.

this is what the yard looked like our first summer here.

i also had a 2x2 patch of herbs (citronella, parsley, mint, basil, and rosemary) right by the door.

and then, i went to beijing and winter came. while i was away, i did a lot of pinning in lieu of planting. and now, it's almost spring again. i am so excited. technically, it's already spring. but there are no leaves on any trees along my street, so i'm pretty sure spring has not yet come to my part of brooklyn. in the next few weeks, i'm going to be taking it to a whole new level. stay tuned.

now, it looks like this. no snow, but still pretty barren.

okay, so it wasn't as if i did no gardening at all while in china. an old instagram from my beijing sill.