Yard work

So we have done quite a bit in the yard this week.

Here is how it looked last week

BEFORE

The wishing well needs a coat of paint. Or three                                                                            

Because the person that "edged" this wouldn't listen to me about how to do it

I have this to contend with.

All. Summer. Long.

I think I have a solution this year.

This one is not as bad, but it suffers from the same edging issue.

See that bird bath with the big hole in the side?

I made it about 10 years ago and it used to sit over by the fence

but I moved it when I put the pond in and I saw the hole.

I have been thinking about what to do with it for the last couple of years.

I have an idea.

The fairy garden.

It is starting to take shape, it is just taking a couple of years

because I have to work within a budget.

But again, I have some ideas.

I got these tomatoes from the Horticulture class at school.

They are behind the swing in the fairy garden because they grow great there

I planted 3 lilac bushes against the fence last year

but the boys "weeded" two of them.

You can see the small left over one in the top right of the picture.

Eventually I will have to find a different spot for the tomatoes

because I have different plans for this spot

This chair needs a new coat of paint

In fact I have a lot of things that need a new

coat of paint this year,

Like that bench, that stool, that little rocker..

I love chairs.

I got these chairs from my sister a couple of years ago.

They have been sitting in my garage waiting for me to get to them.

This year I promised them they would have to wait no more.

Now I just have to decide what they want to look like.

I had a gift certificate for my favorite nursery

I was going to get some Wisteria to go over the arch

But Brandi said,

"Get this Hummingbird vine. The wisteria says it blooms in the spring and

spring is almost over and this blooms all summer, so we would

have flowers all summer if we get this."

Hard to argue with that logic.

We got a butterfly bush as well.

She named the hummingbird vine "Fern".

I have no idea.

Here they are waiting for their new home.

She also talked me into some ladybugs to go on the tomatoes.

Looking from my porch toward the pond.

I woke up yesterday and that small green pot was busted.

I was not happy.

I made that pot a few years ago to use in a different fountain that didn't work like I envisioned

so I put it here.

The water goes up to a hand pump and out into the pot and over some

flagstone back into the pond.

Now I have to figure something else out because if I let it just flow

from the hand pump I loose water and drain the pond.

A FEW AFTERS

Matthew's cat, Scoop, supervising the weeding process

The wishing well wearing new color

It probably needs a couple more coats of paint

because the wood was so dry

but this is probably all she'll get this year

And I still want to put some flowers in her bucket

Irises

I really need to divide these this year and give some away

I have them in too many places

They and the lilies are taking over this flower bed

Remember that broken bird bath?

I painted it

Put some fairy houses in the top

because it no longer held water

Got a little ladder from the pet bird section at Wal-Mart

Painted the ladder...

And made another place for the fairies to live

If you look at the top middle of the picture

You will see where the butterfly bush now lives.

I started on the stool but when I went to Home Depot to get a new seat,

they don't carry them anymore.

At least not at the Home Depot I was at.

They do carry them at the other one, but I was tired of shopping

so I will get it next time I am out that way

Then I will paint it red and put a pot of white flowers on it

and put it in the fairy garden to add height

Also first coat of paint

This bench is too wobbley to sit on anymore. I really need to repalce the wood because the

arms and legs are still good, but not this year.

This year it will get a coat of paint and then

sit next to the path under the second tree

and hold 3 pots of herbs.

It started raining so everything is waiting for the finishing coat of paint and sealer

I thought I had a picture of the hummingbird vine, but I guess I don't. It is now residing

on the other side of the path from the pond so that it can climb up the arch.

I still want to get some Wisteria, but I think I will put it over by the wishing well.

And that is what we did this week so far.

---

Indeed.

It's hot

I used to live in Southern New Mexico, where it gets hot on a regular basis in the summer. 110*. In the shade. On a cool day.

But then I moved to Utah. When you think of Utah, besides the Mormon temples and BYU, you think of snow. Isn't that a motto here- Greatest Snow on Earth. And we had the Winter Olympics here in 2002. It was cold then. Below 0*. I know. I stood out in the parking lot with my son so he could play with the marching band at 4:00 in the morning as the torch went by. It was bitter cold.

Well, it's not cold now. No sireee- bob. It is

I think I hate hot worse than I hate cold. At least with cold, you can add layers and sip raspberry coco and curl up under a blanket by the fire and read a book and have a pretty good excuse for not doing anything outside. But with hot? No. People look at you as if you were off your rocker when you say you can't go outside in the heat because you will get sick. (why do you think I read so much?) But it is true. The sun makes me sick. Really, really sick. I started out the summer getting my yard in order. Pulling weeds, planning the fairy garden, adding plants to the pond. But now, it is hot until midnight or later and so I don't sleep and then when I do fall asleep, I don't wake up until after 7 and it is already getting hot again.

Ahh well, good enough reason to curl up on the floor in the hall (where you can actually feel the swamp cooler) with a good book.