The melon diaries #2 - living in a cave.

If you would have asked me 5years ago where I see myself in 5years, I would have said Canada, or Sweden. Definitely a cold country.
But here I am in France - the SOUTH of France. 28°C (~90°F) at 8am in the summer months.
When you come here on vacation it is probably in some place with a pool or at the seaside.... perfect hot weather almost guaranteed. You will invite the warmth and sun in and you probably think  my home looks a bit like this:

the Mediterranean sea

Doors, windows and shutters wide open.....

windows and shutters wide open

 Yeah, well.... It does look like this more or less 9months out of 12. But right now, when it is that hot and you are not on vacation but have to work....
The windows, doors AND shutters stay closed - keep the heat out!!!! All day until at least 8pm. At night we open everything to cool the apartment down.
So right now it feels a bit like living in a cave.

Next year we might try to swap flats for the summer... find some nice Swedish family that would like to come here and in return we get to stay at their house for a few weeks....oh, I could daydream about that all day!

>>> But hey! If I'd live in Sweden I wouldn't have watermelons growing on my balcony. 

The little ones does not seem to grow - still grape sized. 

But the big one grew 2.5inch in 2days - yaaay!

The melon diaries #1

A garden is a beautiful thing to have.
I would love to have a garden. I would have a fruit and veggie part...

would be a neat veggie patch idea

and since I am a 'foody' I'd have a wall of herbs

...and then, of cause a part to play and relax. A green area for the kids and a patio part for the adults.

oh, and heat resistant driveway greenery like this

Unfortunately, I am a bit a lost case when it comes to tending to plants. So I know I would need some serious help. So that is the reason I am so excited about the latest development on my balcony. A melon plant appeared and I have now TWO watermelons growing. This plant must have come from the small compost I cultivated last year and used on my plants this year. If they make it to an eatable stage, I'd be so thrilled.

P.S.: find all links and sources of the pictures shown here: http://pinterest.com/LaNiqueHOME/plants-gardening-outdoor-spaces/

No1 is just a few days old but already on  a good way

7" or 17.5cm

No2 has appreared yeseterday and is just grape sized - for now!