A Walk Around My Yard

Life is busy. Busy busy busy! But it's spring, and that means it's time to set up my garden area and make it an inviting spot where I can relax & unwind. With Jamie's help, I've gotten a whole lot done, and we're already enjoying it each morning & evening. Let me give you the tour. Keep in mind though, there's still more to be done.

I'll start with the view from my chair this evening. Both fountains are up & going, and the sound alone is enough to wash away all the day's stress.

Closer views...I love that fountain. I found him last year at an antique market; he was hidden behind & under some other items. As soon as I uncovered him, I knew he was coming home with me--I didn't care if he worked or not.

To my left...I used burlap cloth to line some hanging baskets. I had extras, so I added color with some portulaca and snapdragons. I've yet to decide where the white stand will go and what will sit on it.

When you pull in my driveway, this is what you see....the half whiskey barrel is waiting for the grass to come back, the pots of mums will bloom in the fall, I'll hang a hummingbird feeder on the shepherd's hook, and that big metal box under the carport is the old Mexico Beach PD evidence box. I brought it home to Jamie last year, and we've decided to use it as our drop box for delivered packages. May paint it, may leave it as is.

Farther under the carport is two baskets of kalanchoe. These are pieces I trimmed off large potted plants that had gotten unruly. They put out roots even above the soil, so I stuck these pieces in the baskets, and we'll see if they live.

Another view so you can see the trellises I've put up. There's five total, and I've planted both flowering hyacinth bean and moonflower seeds to climb them. The hyacinth is the beautiful vine I had last year--it has purple flowers and then purple bean hulls. It's gorgeous, and the hummingbirds love it. The moonflower blooms in the evening and has the sweetest fragrance. I can't wait for them to grow.

Other side of one of the trellises is this lovely Fire-star Orchid. It was a gift from Bonnie & Phil, traveled with me from Florida, and I'm tickled it's doing so well.

First hummingbird feeder is out because I have friends who already have visitors to their feeders. I put it out yesterday but haven't seen anything yet.

Here's a mixed pot I put together and have near the front door. It contains lavender, rosemary, mint, and purple basil.

I picked this lovely up from Lowe's off the clearance shelf for $2.00; I wish I'd gotten several because it's a perennial and should come back each year. Don't ask the name...I threw the tag away before I memorized it. Sigh...

I have this lovely vine in another half whiskey barrel, and again, I don't know the name. I picked it up last year from the Home Depot. I fell in love with it because all new growth comes in a light pink color and turns green as it ages. It's just beautiful, and I'm happy to see new growth this year. It must like its spot.

I moved almost all my irises last year to the end of the house. They thanked me by blooming profusely this summer. Three colors--purple, yellow, and white. I have a few more stragglers I'll get moved by fall.

Okay y'all, I thought the last cold snap had ruined all the buds on Jamie's azalea bushes--I even told him as much--because they were brown & looked pitiful. However, the azalea blooms showed up, and they SHOWED OUT this year! Wowed us and gotten prettier every day! Gorgeous!!!

Lots to look at, and I'm expanding a little this year & adding some new things....

First up: half whiskey barrels hold a lot of dirt, and I have two more to fill. I'm gonna try a container vegetable garden again and hope no monster hail storm comes along to decimate it like it did last year. That may be next weekend's project. The manure ISN'T for the vegetable garden; Jamie put it out on an area of the front yard where he's trying to get grass to grow.

Every garden should have a path, right? This is gonna be my path. Jamie will either sink the stones or add dirt around them, and I'm hoping the little groundcover plants will take hold.

Jamie dug a shallow channel for the rainwater coming off the driveway and carport. When he added gutters to the carport--which look fantastic, btw--he was gonna do away with the channel, but I had an idea. I pulled out all the seashells I've collected through the years and put them in the channel. I'm hoping it will be a pretty little "stream" with a heavy enough rain.

And speaking of rain, I've read that plants do much better when watered with rain water. I decided I'd like to set up a rain barrel to water my little garden. We've been looking around for a barrel or a kit but hadn't been able to find one. I was about to order one online from Tractor Supply, but they added in a $90 freight charge to have it delivered either to the store or my home. Ummmm, no thank you. I was in Lowe's today and came across the authentic wine barrel. Quick phone conference about it with Jamie, and it was agreed. A gentleman helped load it on my cart, I got it in to my car, and off we went. Let me tell you that a wine barrel is big & heavy and rolls around in the back like it could smash something. I've never driven more carefully or taken turns more slowly in my life.

I can't wait to get it set up and then for it to rain.

So that's my garden spot & my yard. I can't tell you how much I've looked forward to setting everything up. It's my zen spot, my happy place.

We originally picked May 1st to start moving plants out of the greenhouse to the front, but I was anxious to get it done and started two weeks early. And now....well, it's supposed to get down to 35 degrees Wednesday night. Not freezing, but too cold for tender succulents. One cold night and then back to the 40's & 50's. I'll be rushing around the next two days moving plants that can be moved and prepping the ones that can't. Stay tuned.