Yard and garden

One of the great things about our new house is that is has a nice sized yard. It will be a lot of work to bring it back to good condition. The grass is patchy, and there is a lot of debris scattered around, including shards of tile and glass and rusty nails. Some of the backyard is covered by odd concrete tiles, and to quote a phrase our inspector used for a different oddity "the purpose of which could not be determined." One of the first things we need to do is have the yard properly graded. The ground slopes in such a way that the water drains toward both the house and the garage. We also need to have the drainage system updated - currently the runoff from the yard drains under the house, instead of into the street. Yikes! We also need to have all the trees looked at - they need a good trimming and safety inspection and some of them may need to be removed because they are causing damage to the foundation and walkways.

I got really excited about setting up a garden. There is a perfect, secluded spot right behind the garage for it. I want to try composting as well. I love the idea of taking garbage and turning it into really fertile soil. I've seen pictures comparing plants grown in compost vs. regular soil and the difference is amazing. In a moment of exuberance I purchased my first plant, an organic Thai Basil. I make Thai Curry about once a week, and fresh Basil makes it really good. I often don't buy fresh basil because it is only sold in a large quantity, way more than I could use. Dried basil just isn't as good. (For anyone that hasn't had it, Thai Curry is different than Indian Curry. Thai Curry is made of coconut milk and has veggies and tofu in it. It has a smoky, creamy flavor with a mild hotness that builds gradually as you eat it. I ususally put in pineapple chunks and juice for a little bit of sweetness.)

Here is a picture of my Thai Basil plant. It's grown 1 1/2" since I got it just a few weeks ago. It smells really good when you crush the leaves.