<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0mNacsCO8PI/S-TaEEbVh-I/AAAAAAAAAOk/a6wnoxp-aiU/s1600/the+farm+013.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0mNacsCO8PI/S-TaEEbVh-I/AAAAAAAAAOk/a6wnoxp-aiU/s320/the+farm+013.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468735610977355746" /></a><br />In Chicago, we lived in an itsy-bitsy studio. It was the bargain of the year at only $585 per month; divide that by two, and you've got the deal of the decade! (In case you were wondering, I also walked uphill both ways in the snow to get to work.)  Boston gave us a garden apartment - which is just the fancy real estate term for the cramped space next to the boiler, laundry facilities, and trash.  They throw in a bunch of steaming, clanging pipes and very little sunlight for no additional charge.  But, now, we live in sunny CA, and for the first time in our married lives, we have an outdoor space!  Hooray!  We've taken total advantage of the situation and covered every square inch with potted plants.  The babies (no, we don't have pets, and we don't have human offspring) are leafy greans including mesclun, watercress, thyme, oregano, basil, lavender, rosemary, sage, mint, cilantro, parsley, hot peppers, tomatoes, marigolds, and nasturtiums.  Our green thumbs are not yet tried and true, but we're jumping in with both feet!  The cool San Francisco seabreeze might provide obstacles to a bumper tomato crop, but we're hoping that the Mission sunshine will move things along in the right direction.  It's difficult to remember not to water desert natives like sage and the succulents while the poor, dehydrated mint wilts in the other corner.  Chives sprouted from seeds, but <em>Golden Gate Gardening</em> informed us that it could take up to two years for a substantial crop.  No worries, though, we already have one embryonic tomato!  I'm looking forward to regular herb harvesting and the day to come when I can slice into a homegrown tomato.  Even if nothing else comes of it, the daily nurturing is soothing; peeking through the window at our crops puts a smile on my face every time.