The best part of the event was definitely the panels.  The event included a full day of panels and presentations on everything from gardening in small spaces to raising goats, bees and chickens (I wasn’t allowed to go to this one – we don’t need any more furry family members!).  One presentation was especially exciting for me, since I got to be a blogger fangirl for the first time ever!

Two of my favorite bloggers were there, giving a presentation on small space and container gardening.  And what a topic for them!  In case you are not familiar with them – and you should be! – the Shibaguyz are a pair of guys with a pair of dogs who are doing some amazing things with urban and community gardening in Seattle.  Once you take a look at their Jungle, you realize that you have no excuse to not grow things.

I came out of the day’s presentations reinvigorated and inspired to come home and take on My Project.  Time to stop writing about everyone growing their own food and actually put my shovel where my keyboard is.  But then we pulled into the driveway and my excuses sounded more like reasons again.

You see, while we are not technically “small space” gardeners, we are rental gardeners.  I can’t put a big square bed in the back.  I can’t build raised beds because it will kill the grass.  And we don’t know how long we are going to be here.

But what is most relevant at the moment is that our house has stood vacant for a year.

We inherited this.

And this.

And also this bed over there (notice the neighbor’s pretty beds in the background).

I know there’s a juniper in there.  I think that other thing may be a very unhappy rose bush.  That third thing – who knows?  Plus lots of clover, grass, dandelions, and those big tall spiky weeds.

We’re not short on space.  I just somehow have to take it back from the weeds.