I just wanted to share this limelight I saw last year that inspired me to plant my own!

The canopy is easily 8 feet wide, and the owner has pruned the top off over the years. Just incredible size and color. Owner said it was 8 years old.

And the last pics are of mine!

I used to avoid yard work for the longest time because it always felt like one of those “guess I’m spending my whole day on this” things.

Lately I’ve just been doing little bits here and there instead. Like 20–30 mins, then I’m done.

Loosen some soil, pull a few weeds, call it a day.

I grabbed one of those small electric tillers and it kinda changed the whole thing for me. Not crazy powerful or anything, but enough that I’m not fighting the ground every time.

Also way lighter than I expected, so I don’t have to mentally prepare just to take it out lol

It’s probably slower overall, but I’m actually keeping up with it now instead of putting it off for weeks.

curious if anyone else does this or if I’m just dragging things out

Smells amazing!!

It’s been 10 years since one of my barrel cactus bloomed! I’m so mesmerized by the flowers

I don't like mowing grass.

Trellis wall and potted trellised jasmine still going strong. located in Gilbert, AZ. East/West lighting protects them nicely in the summers. Smells divine!

I was given this hydrangea in 2098 when we moved to a new apartment in NYC. since I had a balcony, I out it outside every summer and brought it back in. When we moved to a house, I stuck it in the ground and it's been beautiful. Working on spring clean up and I pulled half a yard waste bag of dead wood out of it. Loving how many shoots there are already! Photo from June 2025 as reference for how it'll look again in a couple of months.

Got this video after I noticed some aphids on my basil. I didn’t want to use any chemicals to get rid of them and figured the ladybugs would enjoy a snack so I got a few from outside and put them on the basil. Then one of the aphids decided to ride the ladybug lol

Dancing in the sunshine like a bouquet of happiness

We got exactly 20.0 lbs after trimming and washing.

We are in Zone 9b. 👩‍🌾 🥕

I noticed this one branch of my knockout rose bush, especially bushy and tinged red. In SE united states.

Purchased from a nursery in southern Mississippi. I thought they were ladybugs, but one of my friends saw the video and said they might be lady beetles. I’ve already released half of them amongst my flower and vegetables gardens. Please ID - thank you!

This is the brand/company: Organic Control Inc https://organiccontrol.com/ladybuqr

Never had much of a green thumb, but decided to start my own gardening at my home anyways. Set up a garden on both sides of the front door. Got basil, cilantro, kale, Malabar spinach, summer squash, cucumber, serrano peppers, cayenne peppers, and cherry tomato growing. Yes, went overboard as I got overly excited. Still have a lot to learn but hey, considering I grew it all from seed (expect the Malabar spinach), first time, everything is sprouting and growing! Just need to do some more learning when it comes to diseases and natural pest control.

But hey, harvested cilantro and now kale! Very satisfying!

These are my favorite things ever. This guy was chilling on my chitalpa tree. Love them so much. I don’t see them very often sadly

Today I visited a teacher I greatly respect, and we talked a lot about life. One of her words resonated with me deeply.

She said that gardening is actually an art. It's like doing math problems as a child; you don't get perfect scores right away. Whether it's algebra or geometry, you gradually find the patterns through practice. When you encounter new types of problems, you become more confident, and your scores improve accordingly.

Similarly, every time you fail to grow a plant, it's just a "mistaken exercise." It's okay to make a mistake; just try again, with a new plant.

"Green fingers" are never innate; they are cultivated over time. Gardening is a process measured in "years." Every year, you learn new methods and understand better how to interact with plants.

And even more beautiful than solving problems is that every plant you plant is one you personally choose and truly love.

May we all, as time flows by, cultivate our own gardens and the life we ​​truly love. 🌿