Plants

Lately I've been thinking about the way I want my balcony garden to be this year. I need to get my herbs started really soon here...probably should have done that already, but you know how things go. For now I've been gathering inspiration photos and also deciding what I'd like to plant.

[all images found on flickr]

I really like this photo.
It's really nice palate...I'm sure the slate colored backdrop has something to do with why I'm attracted to it. Slate has always been one of my favorite colors.
I like the idea of white pottery and terra cotta planters.
For budget's sake, I'd probably get a bunch of terra cotta ones and spray paint them a glossy bone-white color.
[by ossan]

Although my balcony is not nearly this spacious, I do like the set up.
I am going to have a worm farm this year (excited!) and it would be great to put it under a table with plants on top.
[by katiedL.]

Woah.
Forget the plants for a second...check out the view!
This is on the 42nd floor in the city.
Kind of neat.
Anyway, I like how they have their plants lining the balcony's perimeter.
[by 42ndfloor]

And then there's this lovely succulent garden...
Which is actually on a window sill, not a balcony, but I might steal the gutter idea for part of my garden.
[by kalani kordus]

I haven't quite decided what I'm going to grow yet, but I know there will be tomatoes and hot peppers for sure. Last year we were out of town SO often that there was no way I'd be able to stay on top of a garden...hopefully this summer will be a little different.
+++++++++++++++++++
Wow it's really windy outside.
Speaking of wind, Joe is in the Windy City right now doing some inventory stuff for work.
He has to drive all the way to podunk Trevor, WI (no offense Trevor...but seriously) afterward to sleep (probably around 1:30 AM) and then drive BACK to Chicago tomorrow morning. And then home from there.
He might as well just sleep in the back room there, you know?
Companies are really cracking down on their budgets.
It's scary.
I used to travel with him whenever he went to Chicago or Madison or Minneapolis.
They have put him up in some great hotels.
Now we live in Madison, so that's not a thing anymore.
Chicago wont have any more hotel stays since his parents are only 62.5 miles away.
But I still have hope for Minneapolis.
I really love Minneapolis...they have a West Elm and a Room & Board.
IKEA, too.
You know, materialistic things that I try to convince myself are just bad news for so many reasons...but always seem to make me happiest. Dumb.
You can probably tell that I'm just sitting here by myself because it's 10:40 PM and I'm going on and on.
When I should be in bed resting up for Canoecopia.
(more on that later...)