MEGAN CHAMBERLAIN

I have been missing Wendy's beautiful garden. I have a black thumb (I think Wendy used to dread having to leave me in charge of her plants but they did manage to survive) but regardless of this I want a bit of greenery around me and the little balcony is the perfect place...
I thought to start off simple, a couple of herbs that can be used in cooking as well as looking nice. Off I went and brought a mint and a coriander plant, we put them on the kitchen window sill as a start. Yoon-Mi being the tiny Korean girl that she is, got cold so wanted to close the window, the plants got moved onto the bedroom window sill for the night (old sash window with wide sill). This window looks into a central light well down to the basement, all the flats windows get light from here but lower down the windows don't open. A big wind comes along that night and as would happen the poor mint plant fell to its doom, so unless someone abseils down to fetch it (and I cant get any volunteers) we can forget about that plant.

Decide to move the lonely coriander to the balcony for safety. Next morning wake up and it has been attached, just stalks left! You can start to see the picture about me and plants.
Next night lay in wait and see a rat happy munching on the few stalks. Austin thinks this is most amusing and says we now have curried rat.

Undeterred off I go to the nursery and come home with a pretty pink flowered plant, only to have Wendy laugh hysterically, as what have I brought, but an import like me. Nemesia is a hardy South African perennial but the good news is that I most probably can't kill it. The rat doesn't like it and has now taken to digging for coriander roots.
With it looking a bit sad out there, on Sunday Yoon-Mi and I head out to the Columbia Road Flower Market while Austin is at army training. She is not quite sure how to get there so we get out at Moorgate St and end up walking for 1/2 hour, wasn't bad because we went through Spitalfields Market and really had a nice time looking around. When we get there I was overwhelmed, a whole street full of plants and at give away prices (wish Wendy could be here). We brought a fuchsia in a hanging basket, a 1m high flowering plant, some lavender, rosemary and a small ivy all for only £16. But did we think how we were going to get it all home? Oh no, why worry about minor details.
It was an interesting journey, the walk back was bad enough but taking the plants on the underground was bizarre. Had a lot of strange looks but also a lot of smiles, we were totally exhausted after that, especially after I had a proper look on the map and found a much quicker way to get there. Next time definitely check the destination before you head off and take someone to be pack-horse.
Two days on and they are looking good, the balcony looks a bit better and poor rat has now given up even digging for roots, luckily none of the new plants seem to be to his taste.

Found this picture on my digital camera, I think I must have taken it a couple of days before I left. My beautiful Leila kitty. I miss my furry children so much, hopefully it wont be long before I see them again.
The next picture is of the sky last night as it got dark. I miss seeing the vibrancy of an African sunset but this is just as beautiful in a totally different way.