Garden Pretty

The joys of gardening….  I do like to tend to my garden (which has been really hard to even get started this summer), but I admit I can sometimes be very lazy about actually “tending” to it, I just hate weeding and sometimes it gets the best of me to get motivated.  I actually got out the shovel, the rake and bags of earth to start a project that I was supposed to do last year, oh well.  I spent hours at the garden center trying to pick what I envisioned to be my little forest of greenery and flowers, well my mature garden, which in the pictures will look so different in 2-3 years.  I usually stick to planting perennials, only annuals for a few pots here and there.  Digging and turning the earth is hard work!  I am pooped, and my space was only about 20 feet x 3 feet.  I am pretty happy with the results, but I will have to keep my eye on my greenery (Ferns) since I have more sun shinning on them, then what I had thought back at the garden center.  Here’s a few pics to maybe inspire all you gardeners out there!

“BEFORE”

“AFTER”

Garden Work, Yard Word… Lots Of Work!

Been very busy working on the front area of my yard, trying to spruce it up a little.   My bestie helped me out soooo much the past two weeks (he’s a doll!) while he was on vacation to boot (some vacation!)  such a sweetie!  We chopped and pruned trees for a few days, I can’t believe how much comes down and how much you are left with to send to recycle or compost.  Wow!  Was a big job and I know I am glad it’s done…. will only have to bring them to the curb for the chipper. I can’t wait for that to happen, looking at the piles here and there are becoming annoying, Ooops.

Before the “Tree pruning”

After the “Tree Pruning”… I can see my birdhouse now!!

We worked in the hot humid heat,  transplanting my “Greshem” and “Snowmound” bushes to make a more appealing landscape.  

You can actually see that I have a walkway and a porch now.  I think it’s much more welcoming, yet I still have my privacy if I choose to sit out front.

Transplanting 10 of those bushes was grueling work, I still have two more to get moved, but we are taking a break, LOL!  I redid the walkway, I like to do things myself, or at least if I think I can do it, I will most certainly try it.  I researched many “How To” sites, and doing the walkway was pretty much simple, lots of hard work but, when you do the work yourself, it is so much more rewarding.  Plus it’s saving you lots of CASSSSH!

I still have many areas to landscape and well “Make” a more attractive space.  It will take time, next my plan is to install a small simple pond where the bushes used to call home, I think a pond is so tranquil and it would make a lovely addition to the front porch area.  I will post pictures as soon as I can.  

Walkway and where the dirt is, my plan for the new pond 🙂

Bushes have all been moved to opposite side now, I will have a nice private garden area….Can’t wait

Blast Of A Day!

The weather was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G !! today.  Was up early, 5:15am.  Did the usual routine crap and then it was off for a bike ride at 7:00am, woohoo it was the perfect day for it.  Cool temps this morning, just the way I like it for these kinds of activities, not to mention after the bike ride was stopping by the garden centre for bags of composted soil to start my small front yard rejuvenation.  I posted some before pics of what the front area looks like as of now and I will post more pics when I am done doing whatever has to be done, LOL!  

We started transplanting some “Greshem” and “Snowmound” bushes that had been planted about 5 years ago, oh geez they were a lot of work to get out and haul to their newly found places, but I am sure they will be more happy in their new spot.  So after close to 6 hours of work and many scratches and cuts later, we got 5 bushes done out of 10, Oooops.  Oh well guess Friday will be another day.  Right now it’s time for some poolside activities, or should I say some lounging on the lounge chair with a “Hampton Peach Razz Delight” drink on ice.  

“Whatchaaaaa doing?”

Can you spot the REAL Playboy Bunny ??!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BEFORE                                             

Hampton Peach Razz Delight

                    BEFORE                                               

 

 

 

 

 

Copper Peony Stakes

Since I am too lazy to go out and buy some Peony Rings, I have decided to scour the basement for something I can recycle and use to stake my Peonie’s who are in desperate need of leaning on something or someone…  I found some old copper plumbing pipes and thought these would make a great addition to the Peony garden, not only for their use and savings on my wallet,  but just because they will look GREAT and will oxidize to an amazing colour… hopefully.  I used some hemp cord to tie them up, so the only thing I will need come next springtime will be more hemp cord   😀 

here’s how it turned out

Soooo Fluffffy and Pretty 😀

Flowers do a Garden Good

Awww such a delight to see the flowers in bloom, and more buds appearing in the garden pathways.  I don’t know, but I think all this rain has been nice for my garden beds, I sure have been lucky to have gotten away with dragging the hose about so far.  Can’t wait for my peonie’s to show their flowery blooms ( my favorite!).  The phlox, the grasses, the lilies poking their heads getting ready to show off their fiery orange petals.

   Pretty in Pink

We made a mosaic stepping stone a little over a month ago, and we have now added it to Hillary’s Garden.  So pretty  😀

I have a variety of hostas in several of my gardens.  They are more of a shade loving plant, and usually they have long stem like flowers that bloom

later in the summer. 

These guys really enjoy my hostas too….  Oh they can be so annoying nipping at the leaves for their daily snack,  BUT they are so CUTE!!

Chirp, Chirp… Tweet, Tweet…

I was so happy I FINALLY had some visitors to my new “Birdhouses”.  Purchased last week, I was beginning to think none of the birdies liked my new homes  😦

 So this morning I was surprised to see both of the homes were happily feeding some new visitors .

                                                  

If only these guys would learn to share…

Back In The Garden

I was back in the garden doing a bit more work… I have noticed many plants growing quickly from just a few weeks ago.  New growth is so nice to see.  I     think with all this rain we have been getting may be just what the plants need.  I only got one day of work this week as the weather has just been  horrible once again.  I am not big fan of  working in the rain, I will if I have to, but most times I have other things to get done rather than being pelting on.  I am almost done the backyard, I worked on the side gardens trimming away the old so the new can pop up.  I already have flowers showing themselves, which was enjoyable.  I can’t wait for the rest to bloom.  The pool is coming along and I see swimming and pool games in the forecast, woohoo!

 In my midst of cleaning, I had a wooden cottage like birdhouse that looked like it had been hit by a tornado, chewed to bits, and the door hanging off, oh those darn squirrels.  This time I purchased 2 metal ones, lets see those squirrels try to chew that.  I hung my new birdhouses proudly and wait to see birds flock to them.  I scattered some seed on the ground so the squirrels may enjoy nibbling there rather than try to hog the feed in the houses. 

I am still trying to decide what I should do with an area in the yard, lay some new sod with a  water feature?  maybe a fountain?  a vegetable garden?  I am kind of liking that idea, some cherry tomatoes, shallots, garlic, ohhh so many good things to plant, hmmm the possibilites are endless.  If I am planning a veggie gardenI think I better hurry before the season is over, I know how time can suddenly get the best of you!

Victoria’s Garden

               

Hillary’s Garden with Mosaic Birdhouse

Weather please cooperate!

This weather is JUST NOT cooperating.  Two days of rain and cold damp weather, and unfortunately I am just not in the mood for a raincoat and rain boots.  April is looking like a pretty bleak month here with just a little over a week to go.  

As I look out the window viewing all the work that needs to get done, I hope for tomorrow to shine brightly.  If I am going to go out and work in the yard all day I may as well at least get a tan doing it for pete’s sake!

RAIN RAIN GO AWAY…  I NEED TO DO YARD WORK SO PLEASE COME BACK ANOTHER DAY

Will this ever end???

I worked another day in the yard and gardens.  It seems it is never going to get done (what a winter can do to your gardens).   I still have half the yard to finish and then the front and sides Hunh!!??  As the bags line the driveway in zillions I am beginning to wonder if I should get a smaller place!  Hahahaha   Looking at the bare gardens now only brings hope to the blooming plants and flowers that will soon emerge from the perennials I have planted over the years.  I think I am going to get creative and make a stepping stone for this corner garden…  I am also going to have to purchase a new birdhouse as the one that use to hang under the pine tree has taken many more a beating from those pesky but oh so cute squirrels with their fluffy tails, how can something       so adorable be so destructive just to get some seeds and nuts?!  They do not like to share…

I did have some help, or NOT, seems this helper was more interested in frockling in the flowers (good grief).

I took a few shots.  Not that there is much yet, a few sprouting plants.  Will post new pics as the weather gets warmer and more things start to pop up.  I will soon start to do some of my flower pots as well and will post some pics of those as well.  Would love to see pics of other peoples floral creativity, maybe I can get some ideas.  Have a lovely day!  😀

Visitors

I had some visitors this morning …  went out to start day number 2 of clearing out the garden beds and low and behold there they were, basking in the morning sun enjoying their bath.  Canada Goose and a Loon.  Better get the pool going soon or I may wake up to a swarm of them tomorrow, LOL.  They are sooooo cute!  I tried to get a closer shot until my poochie came out and disrupted them, they flew off   😦

Oh well next time…