We have lots of good things going on in the garden this week – we’ve made it through a nice chunk of the backyard weed jungle (although still a long way to go…) and we’ve planted an herb garden and veggie garden! Our roses bushes are also starting to bloom! Scroll down for pictures.

I wanted to start with the good news. Because, there is bad news too. Sigh: the basement. What started out as a simple wall removal back in February has turned in to a deep excavation of our basement. The latest twist this week was a water pipe that was busted under the tile and foundation. While we are glad that it was caught now, as opposed to at a later time when there was much more damage done, it is still going to be costly to repair. And, it’s taking forever! Every time a new problem comes up we have to have the inspector come back out, the engineer re-draw the plans, and apply for a new permit from the city. It’s a nightmare! It also means the other projects we want to do (a new shed, and a backyard fence) will have to be put off for the time being.

My grandma is coming out to spend Memorial Day weekend with us, and I was really hoping the basement would be completed. However, at this point I’ve resigned to the fact that it will still be in progress.

Here is a breakdown of what’s happened:

1. Knock down of the partial wall
2. Clarifying to the contractor that we wanted the whole wall taken down (still unsure how that got miscommunicated)
3. Discovery of a cement support beam in the middle of the room
4. New permits, approvals, blueprints
5.Discovery of busted pipe leaking rain water into the foundation
6. Pumping water out of basement
7. Inspector realizes that contractor blueprints have an error
8. Time to freak out a little
9. Pump for water, call to engineer
10. Back to new permits, approvals, and blueprints stage

So, that’s what we have going on over here. Hope this is it. We have both been really calm and positive throughout the whole process – but I think that might end soon if we come across one more unanticipated issue.

And, that’s the beauty of home ownership.

As promised, here are some garden pics:

Herb garden: thyme, rosemary, mint, basil, cilantro (and evidence of why we need a backyard fence!)

Veggie garden: squash, various peppers, broccoli, brussel sprouts, okra, tomatoes, and lettuce

As a final note, we spent Sunday afternoon in Annapolis. It’s a really cute city on the Chesapeake, and also the capital of Mayland. We did learn however, that a sunny Mother’s Day afternoon is not the best time to visit. After lunch, we pushed our way back through the crowds to our car and spent the rest of the day gardening.