Green Thumb/ Black Thumb

I love a beautiful garden. And in my fantasies, I have a lot of money and a lot of time and a lot of professional help to have a beautiful garden in my back yard. Kind of like Oprah. But I don't have any of those things: money, time or help. So I make due with what I've got.

This is my backyard. And truthfully, I am really lucky. It is beautiful. But none of the beauty of it was created by me, so I am basking in the hard work of others. That trumpet blossom vine that grows up through the railing on the deck is about my favorite thing in the world, but could never have been created by me. 

Every year of my home-owning life, I have tried to plant a garden. We've lived in 4 homes and each has had a slightly different set up. Some had garden spots already. Some did not. In our house in Oregon we had no garden so I actually built a garden box, bought a bunch of stuff to mix together to make my own soil and planted tomatoes. 

The fact that my daughter is so tiny in this photo makes me want to cry. 

I think the whole thing cost me about $200. And I think we got one tomato. And one the next year. Yeah! Really expensive tomatoes!

My family has some amazing gardeners in it. My Dad's tomato set up is unreal. It involves drip systems, water tents, heating elements. He usually has ripe tomatoes on the vine by early June. My younger brother has the most amazing yard I've ever seen. This is his vegetable garden:

I mean, COME ON! And this is another shot of his garden that I stole from his Facebook page:

I planted those same flowers (Lupine) in my garden last year and they never bloomed. And didn't come back this year.

I wish I had more pictures. It's amazing. There are also Chickens. And Honey Bees. (And ladies, he's single! Email me and I'll set you up. Seriously. Email me. I'm not kidding.) 

So every year I do a bunch of research and spend too much money on perennials and vegetables, and every year, they do moderately well, but I seem to be missing that magic touch. This is my garden that I just planted. I've got tomatoes, zucchini (not pictured) and some flowers that I have high hopes for (Lupine, Poppies and Black-Eyed Susans.) Please note, I didn't plant the gorgeous irises you see in the background. 

Sure. It's new. It was literally planted yesterday. So maybe there is hope, but if history is any indication, there will be a lot of unhealthy looking plants in about 2 months. If anyone out there is a master gardener, I would love to hear your quick tips. Again, remember: I have very little money, not a lot of time and no help. But I want a garden like Oprah's. Or my brothers. That's not too much to ask, is it?