...how does your garden grow?

As promised, here are current pictures of my garden.  Please excuse the dried grass in the garden (my landlord mowed the lawn and left me to clean up...thanks?), that will be this weekend's project.  I learned a few things.
1. Rose bushes like to be cut before spring season, I did this and It BLOOMED there are tons of gorgeous playboy roses. Compared them to last year here.
2. Don't expect your bulbs all come up, my ranunculus did, but not my tricyrtis, I'm still hoping for next year.
3. Learn what poison ivy, oak, and sumac look like, this year (thus far) I've managed to rip it up, and not get it... last year over the course of a summer I was lucky enough to get it 3 times.
4. Weed your garden a little bit every 2 weeks, it keeps it looking fresh and doesn't make it confusing when bulbs are coming up.
5. PLAN your space, I read this in Martha Stewart's Living (one of my favorites), I didn't do this and before I knew it I was planting two many conflicting plants.  Rule of thumb, high growers in back, to low in front, this year I have a hodgepodge because of my travels and randomly picking plants I see and like.  From the garden store to (admittedly) pulling over on the side of the highway for wildflowers that I MUST have.  Really, I did this 3 weekends ago and love my purple flowers  that I dug up and transplanted in my garden.  Word to the wise: Don't be greedy ( I only took 2 plants), and don't transplant flowers that aren't native- you don't want an invasive species in your backyard.  To put it lightly I am going to have to transplant and replant next year to get things in order...at least I'm learning right? RIGHT!
 6. LOOK FOR GREEN OPTIONS... I know it is frustrating when you have a garden being eaten away by something... just ask my sunflowers.  I was going to spray pesticides but if I am going to harvest and eat the seeds later, I don't want to.
I am going to brew a Garlic Pepper tea to spray on my plants, I got the recipe here.  I can't wait to try it this weekend!

Tending to your garden.

Most who live in this area are spatially challenged.  Take our house for instance.  We share a 3 family house with my fiance and I on the 3rd floor (yes we got engaged, but as I'm reminded frequently not everyone cares/wants to hear wedding talk so I will try to refrain... for now), our neighbours with one toddler on the 2nd, and newly weds on the first. 

Our yard needs the have the ability to accomidate

• BBQs with respective eating and hanging room
• small bonfires (we have a fire pit yes)
• a toddler who likes to play outside
• a garden

....in a very limited space.

Last weekend I began the task of transforming our backyard into a garden.  The obstacles are...

• over coming the ivy/vines that plague but complement at the same time
• not monopolizing too much space in the yard.
• planting hardy plants that can stand to be investigated by a toddler.
• that are sweet smelling but not over powering to draw bees during our gatherings.
• did i mention we have a very small yard... if i had to guess the entire yard is 25x25.

Last year I undertook the task of digging a bed, weeding, pruning/training a wild rose bush that grows on our old iron fence, uprooted invasive saplings, and planted wild flower seedlings that disappointed me by barely growing.  Looking back I will never put seeds directly in ground (even if that's what the package recommended)  I am going to try my thumb at growing, then harvesting sunflowers, but first let me begin. 

The pictures below are from last year. 

This year I have a better idea of what I'm working with and a new goal... 1.To have fresh cuttings fragrant our (and friends') home.  2. To grow my entire bridal bouquet for our summer 2012 wedding.  This weekend I will update this post with new pictures of the yard after I plant (weather permitting, they say rain)... but here is some inspiration.  On our fire escape/porch like last year...I am going to plant herbs (lavender, basil, mint) and tomatoes. Because of the critters hiding in the bushes it's impossible to have anything grow in the yard, my eggplant flowers last year kept disappearing.

Any suggestions out there?

I am going to give seeds one last shot this year by growing Magnificent Sunflowers...

These beauties can reach 12' and be harvested at the end of the season. 

Word to the wise: Last year I grew these in egg crates on the fire escape and everytime I had one sprout there was a respective bird ready to eat it... Out of 30 I ended up having n0 sunflowers... This year, I will protect them with glass or a cage until they are big enough to fend for themselves.