growing :: the first planter box

Last Saturday I drove up to Napa to spend the day wine tasting with girl friends.  I had the car all day and Lukas told me explicitly that he would be spending the day watching TV and napping and doing fantasy baseball and not doing homework.  In other words, a day off for both of us.  My day in Napa was a blast and I didn't get home till after midnight.  A quick shower and then I crawled into bed.

The next morning after some tasty cornmeal, buttermilk pancakes Lukas said, "When you're done cleaning up there's something for you in the garage."  Ooooo, what could it be, I wondered.  And I didn't have a clue.  And there sitting in {the cleaned up} garage was this beautiful raised planter bed.  

How was it possible?  I had the car all day.  Did Lukas just see it on the side of the street when he walked to the market?  There wasn't any mess or sign of work... could he have made it?  I scurried back into the house.  "Where did it come from?" I squealed.  And when Lukas confirmed that he made it, I could only respond with... "But, how?  I had the car all day."  

Turns out, he borrowed a friend's car to pick up the lumber.  And he's very good at cleaning up.  My socks = completely knocked off.  Everything looked so perfect and professional to me.  Back out to the garage I went to look at my surprise a bit more.  

We spent the rest of the day spending a $20 gift card at REI {Sierra North: Backcountry Trips in California Sierra Nevada} and getting dirt and plants to fill the box.  I still can't get over how beautiful the planter is.  Now I've got the start of a backyard garden.  It was a perfect surprise.

:: planted ::

     {2} basil

     chives

     oregano

     sage

     {6} strawberries