Yard Work Day

Today I spent the better part of 3 hours mowing, weed whacking and pulling weeds. It’s amazing how fast weeds can creep up in flower beds and gardens, even when you think you’re keeping up with them. I thought I had things under control and then last week’s 90 degree weather hit, the weeds took off, and I didn’t keep up. A few other things also took off. My kiddie pool garden finally started to look like it was growing!

Kiddie pool garden – Beefsteak Tomato, Zucchini, Yellow & Butternut Squash, Vining Cucumber, & Pickling Cucumber.

I planted it almost a month ago, and I was to the point where I had given up hope that it was ever going to grow. I thought possibly that the kiddie pool suggestion which I found online somewhere (probably Pinterest or Stumble Upon) was doomed to failure. I also thought that perhaps my backyard just did not get enough light to grow my own veggies. That would have made me sad. To me, nothing is better then being, at least, somewhat self-relient and growing your own vegetables. It’s a good feeling to sit down at the dinner table and give thanks for what you provided with your own hands.

Not the best picture, but this is the pumpkin plant that I mentioned in an earlier post. It’s currently taking over the back flower bed. What you cannot see from the picture is that he’s starting to grown around the lilies and has a tendril through the fence into the back alleyway.

Bonus photo – This is my new garden decoration. I found him at Lowes discounted last week because he has an imperfection. What suprised me is the size of the imperfection, on his face there is a tiny mark of red paint that shouldn’t be there, because of that he was marked down to $10. Oh well, I still love him.

What’s your favorite lawn or garden ornament.  Share a picture in the comments below.

Playing in the dirt

A few weeks ago marked the beginning of the summer planting season. I patiently (or not so patiently) waited over the past two months, while the weather got warmer and all my favorite home stores started to sell flowers and plants. It took all the self-control that I had not to run to the store back in March when our first wave of 80 degree days hit and buy flowers. I love color and seeing my yard bathed in a sea of colorful flowers makes me smile. There is something about seeing flowers, that no matter how rotten my day has been can cheer me up in a jiffy. We mowed the lawn, mulched, pulled weeds, planted plants and over all just shook off all the cobwebs of winter. It’s amazing how even though we didn’t really have a winter this year the beating that our yard took and the energy we had to put into getting it back into shape. One of the things that I’m most proud of is our small garden that we started. It consists of a pepper plant, a few squash plants (green, yellow and winter squash), two different kinds of cucumbers and tomato plants. I also bought what I thought was a cooking pumpkin plant, but when I got home from the plant farm I noticed that it is a Giant Pumpkin plant, meaning possibly by the end of summer I may be able to do an out-door play of “James and the Giant Peach” called James and the Giant Pumpkin. Show times will be posted later, haha.

I think my favorite part of this time of year is the fact that everything starts all over again. It feels like a new beginning  and a rebirth not just for my garden but also for me. A chance to sweep off my own cobwebs and start afresh. Right now in my life I’m trying to figure out where I’m supposed to be and where I’m supposed to be going. I’m still searching to figuring out my purpose in life and for my new direction. Until I get all of that figured out, I’m just going to be outside playing in the dirt.