We are on year eight of our ten year plan to transform the yard into something. When we moved here the backyard was nothing but an overgrown with honeysuckle mess. I wish I would have kept track of the number of hours we have already spent working. I am sure I would be blown away! But we have many, many, more hours to spend. That's okay by me...it is great, cheap therapy.
We have been putting off working the big back flower bed for a few years, about three to be exact. I know this because that is how long Mark's bathtub project has been waiting to be completed.
Lots of our 'things' in the yard have been trash picked, given to us, or bargained for. The fencing was from FreeCycle a few years ago. Since putting in the new fence we have had to come up with creative ways to use it. The chickens love all the new roosts around the yard. Lowe's was having a sale on Japanese Maples, Marks favorite, so we got a few. He has always planned on putting one in his bathtub so today we killed ourselves getting it in there. The other plants he found in the front yard and we just transplanted them. The deer are going to soon miss all the hosta in the front yard. But not to worry, they found the ones on the side of the yard. I think they are getting back at us for fencing off all the goodies in the backyard.
The purple Japanese Maple fills the 'hole' in the fence. We had to dig out some double ditch lilies but they will now be blooming in our next door neighbors yard along his fence in a new flower bed. I think they will like it. We had to dig them out because we need a path to the bluebird feeder.
We built the hammock pergola a few summers ago. Planted the wisteria last summer and I have dreamed of a finished project since then. We drove to Evan's to check out the rock for the floor under the hammock. Bought a 'junk' pile of rocks that wouldn't be enough to finish a job and added some sand around it and....
Ta-da, a finished hammock pergola.
Mark had started collecting things ( and he gets on me for my junk!). Things like old lanterns and watering cans. We hung the lanterns on the barn. He is still trying to decide where the watering cans should be hung. I have given him several suggestions but none suit his fancy. I can imagine that they will stay clumped in the garage for a year or two until he decides. He better hurry time is running out.
The front yard is a job we are going to tackle in the fall when it is cooler. The planting around the house and the window boxes look great. But the ivy is filled with so many weeds and poison ivy that we just mow it every other mowing. He wants to take it all out and plant grass. Oh my that will be a big job, we may have to call in help...like maybe a bobcat or maybe even a landscaping firm. Better get that envelope started...going to be an expensive job. But the good thing is that all of us that are allergic to poison ivy will be breathing a sigh of relief when all is said and done. Just a little more yard to cut but I am okay with that.
Lessons that I have learned over the last few weeks...I love digging in the dirt. I love the smell of rain coming. I hate dirt way under my fingernails...the kind you can't get out even with a nailbrush. I hate biting insects. I love my gardening gloves and my buff. I work a little slower, so things take a little longer than I think they should. Mark and don't see the same vision for the backyard. I sweat more. I love the sun baking my bones. My hands get tired easier. The arches in my feet are sore by the end of the day. I take more sit down water breaks. I have very little upper body strength. The weeds grow faster than the plants and multiply quicker...the list goes on and on. But the hot tub is just what I need at the end of the day. And the good thing is it will all still be here tomorrow and hopefully so will I.
We are on year eight of our ten year plan to transform the yard into something. When we moved here the backyard was nothing but an overgrown with honeysuckle mess. I wish I would have kept track of the number of hours we have already spent working. I am sure I would be blown away! But we have many, many, more hours to spend. That's okay by me...it is great, cheap therapy.
We have been putting off working the big back flower bed for a few years, about three to be exact. I know this because that is how long Mark's bathtub project has been waiting to be completed.
Lots of our 'things' in the yard have been trash picked, given to us, or bargained for. The fencing was from FreeCycle a few years ago. Since putting in the new fence we have had to come up with creative ways to use it. The chickens love all the new roosts around the yard. Lowe's was having a sale on Japanese Maples, Marks favorite, so we got a few. He has always planned on putting one in his bathtub so today we killed ourselves getting it in there. The other plants he found in the front yard and we just transplanted them. The deer are going to soon miss all the hosta in the front yard. But not to worry, they found the ones on the side of the yard. I think they are getting back at us for fencing off all the goodies in the backyard.
The purple Japanese Maple fills the 'hole' in the fence. We had to dig out some double ditch lilies but they will now be blooming in our next door neighbors yard along his fence in a new flower bed. I think they will like it. We had to dig them out because we need a path to the bluebird feeder.
We built the hammock pergola a few summers ago. Planted the wisteria last summer and I have dreamed of a finished project since then. We drove to Evan's to check out the rock for the floor under the hammock. Bought a 'junk' pile of rocks that wouldn't be enough to finish a job and added some sand around it and....
Ta-da, a finished hammock pergola.
Mark had started collecting things ( and he gets on me for my junk!). Things like old lanterns and watering cans. We hung the lanterns on the barn. He is still trying to decide where the watering cans should be hung. I have given him several suggestions but none suit his fancy. I can imagine that they will stay clumped in the garage for a year or two until he decides. He better hurry time is running out.
The front yard is a job we are going to tackle in the fall when it is cooler. The planting around the house and the window boxes look great. But the ivy is filled with so many weeds and poison ivy that we just mow it every other mowing. He wants to take it all out and plant grass. Oh my that will be a big job, we may have to call in help...like maybe a bobcat or maybe even a landscaping firm. Better get that envelope started...going to be an expensive job. But the good thing is that all of us that are allergic to poison ivy will be breathing a sigh of relief when all is said and done. Just a little more yard to cut but I am okay with that.
Lessons that I have learned over the last few weeks...I love digging in the dirt. I love the smell of rain coming. I hate dirt way under my fingernails...the kind you can't get out even with a nailbrush. I hate biting insects. I love my gardening gloves and my buff. I work a little slower, so things take a little longer than I think they should. Mark and don't see the same vision for the backyard. I sweat more. I love the sun baking my bones. My hands get tired easier. The arches in my feet are sore by the end of the day. I take more sit down water breaks. I have very little upper body strength. The weeds grow faster than the plants and multiply quicker...the list goes on and on. But the hot tub is just what I need at the end of the day. And the good thing is it will all still be here tomorrow and hopefully so will I.
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