metamorphosis

Before:

After:

I can't tell if it looks like all that much in the photos, but it is. I spent the whole day Saturday raking and hoeing and hauling and planting in my wee little patch of a back yard... I feel quite satisfied with myself... it was a gloriously warm sunshiny day, free of commitments or travel plans... I went to the farmers market first thing and came back with a flat of herblets and tomatolets and pepperlets, and marigolds... all which seemed to have survived the night, and are just now getting soaked by a fantastic thunderstorm. NICE. I am excited to see how they do over the summer... My only concern is fending off the rats... Unfortunately baltimore allyrats know no boundaries... I'm not sure if they'll bother my plantlings or not... either way I'm not all that keen on sharing my space with them, but since I'm not entirely sure much can be done to keep them out, we might have to learn how to coexist. Anyone know any good tricks-- besides killing them-- that will encourage them to look for greener pastures elsewhere??  

And indoors, we have some luscious african violets... I'd like to claim a royal green thumb here... but really, its just the most ideal indirect sunlit spot. They are absolutely loving it.