Spring Yard Work

Last Saturday Mom and I went to the huge plant sale at Leu Gardens. Seriously huge - as in it took us four hours to walk through and select our plants. I didn't go too terribly overboard, though, mostly buying plants that met a need I had already identified in my garden. I bought bright, cheerful geraniums for out front where Alex has commented repeatedly that we could use some color. Variegated geraniums for the back, where I need to break up the green when things aren't blooming. And a deep burgundy hibiscus that has red in the leaves and will bloom all summer came home for the same reason. A black-eyed susan vine for the front, since going up works well in a tiny yard where space is at a premium. My only real 'just for me even though it meets no actual need' splurge was the orchid at the top of this post. Only it will bloom for months and the long, long (long) roots are an interesting talking point, and I put it out by the front door where it will jazz up the entry. So, it met a need too... Though mostly my unexplainable need for orchids, if I'm being honest.


Needless to say, after all the plant shopping Saturday, I came home from church Sunday and almost immediately got out in the yard - plotting and planting. Alex was inspired to help, and he decided to prune the crepe myrtles out front while I was in the back. (We aren't discussing the big to prune or not to prune debate. Or what our trees look like now. So, don't even bother to ask.) This left wood all over the driveway, so we spent the next two nights cleaning it up. Lots and lots of cleaning. This picture is only about half the cleaned up debris.


But once it was finally done, there was lots of sitting in the front yard to enjoy the fact that we could use it again. This was Monday night, when we didn't even change out of the clothes we'd worn for the yardwork before grabbing a bottle of wine and sitting down at our front table to enjoy the view. (Don't worry, we drank lots of water while cutting and carting all the limbs.) We've actually been sitting in the front yard alot in the early evening. Gwen loves to watch the tennis players across the street, intently following the ball back and forth. And we like to be able to meet/visit with the neighbors as they walk their dogs, come home, stop by to say hello. And we're starting to have a fairly respectable yard out front, since I tend to only garden where I see it. (I apparently don't see our front yard each and every time I come or go from the house.)