June 21 - Around the Yard . . . Again

Only one of our six rose bushes that is blooming.  One other tried to but something devoured it, flowers and leaves, leaving a pathetic looking rose 'skeleton' behind.

Clematis is blooming as it climbs the tripod.  A couple more years and this will look so cool, all covered.

Our peonies finally bloomed this year!  For some reason, they had stopped blooming many years ago.  We'd almost given up on them but this year they redeemed themselves.

The first of our lilies.  We have some pink/white ones about to open too.

Anyone know what this is?  We planted it last year and now can't recall what the heck it is.

Strawberries are coming along nicely but something keeps nibbling on them.  *grrr*

Squash!  I'm sad we aren't doing pumpkins this year but excited we'll still have squash.

I think this is cucumber.  We also have tomatoes, peas, beans, peppers, and a few other things growing.

Hope you've enjoyed this second stroll around my yard.

June 14 - Flowerbox

I'm impressed.  This picture was posted yesterday and I mentioned we were going to build a big flowerbox around the base of the tree.  Usually we have big ideas and big plans but nothing ever gets done.  Or we'll start but never finish.  Or we'll buy the supplies but never start and therefore never finish.  OR maybe we'll start and eventually finish way way waaaay later.  But not this time!

It's very hard to mow around this tree because the roots have raised the ground so much in spots, and there are deep pockets in other spots.  We decided it would be nice to build a big wooden octagon ring, wide enough to enclose the troubled areas.  We decided it would be nice and low maintenance to fill that wooden frame with dirt and plant hostas in there.  We decided it would be nice to put one or both of the big gnomes in there.

We decided all this.  And then we did it.

Hubby had enough wood here already so after he and his dad figured some measurments, he built the frame.  He'd already picked up a load of dirt earlier when he'd been running some errands.  After my mom and sister left from their short visit yesterday, hubby and I shoveled that dirt into the frame.  And then the project stalled.  I figured this would be the usual, big talk but little action.

Not this time!  Since hubby was going to town this morning anyway for an oil change on his truck, we headed over to the garden center and found enough small hostas for what we wanted to do.  I had been thinking we'd just buy the ones in the bag that need to be planted.  Hubby preferred to have something that was already growing.  We could have gotten some fair sized ones, but we went the smaller, cheaper route and got some babies.

As soon as we got home we went to work planting them.  So this dirt filled ring that I thought would sit this way forever . . .

. . . actually got finished off the way we'd talked about, the way we'd intended!  And the pickaxe gnome looks SO cute in one of the indents of the tree.  It's going to look so cool in a couple years when those little bitty hostas are getting big enough to start filling the space.  We had some extra solar lights laying around so we placed those in the corners of the frame.  I can't wait to see how it looks tonight.  I'm pretty sure they'll still gather enough light during the day, even being under a tree.

Ok, well, this project isn't *totally* finished.  We had wanted to get a load of mulch in here, but I think we're just tired of all the running around we've done the last several days.  We decided to do it tomorrow, or at least before our vacation is done.  I think I might add one of those mini garden flag posts in there too.

Maybe I'll try taking a picture of this tonight when (if) the lights are on.  I'll edit this post later if I do.  Yay!

June 13 - Gnomes

It all started with this little guy.  He's several years old now, looking a bit rough, even lost his sticker logo, but he's our Minnesota Vikings gnome and we love him.

He used to hover around our back door but he's moved out to the front porch now, and lives very happily among the wooden tulips and cheap petunias.

Then came this guy.  He joined us a few summers ago and has secured his spot between the rose bushes by the back porch.

Then the invasion began.  I don't know if they called their friends and family back in Gnomergan (ha, Warcraft joke) or what but earlier this spring these little fellows took up residence on the other side of our house.  And brought mushrooms with them no less!

We're pretty sure this is the entrance to their secret gnome lair.  It's the most heavily guarded spot.  And that one dude looks kinda standoffish.

They even have a lookout . . . or a guide . . . 

. . . to help those weary travelers who are still coming.

And look what showed up yesterday!

Gnomes on steroids!!

These two newest additions are knee high and our favorites so far.  This second one is my personal fave.  He has a pickaxe and a glow in the dark lantern, which reminds me of my gamer days when I always had a crafter/gatherer character.  Woot!

The two big gnomes are on the back porch steps for now but they will be relocated to the front yard later today.  You see this tree . . . ?

You can't really tell from this picture but it's really hard to mow around this tree because the roots are lumpy, bumpy, and raised up at the bottom.  Today we are building a wooden octagon frame around the base and filling it with dirt.  We will then plant hostas in there, and those two large gnomes will find a home among them.

Hubby has gone to get dirt and do some prep work, so I thought I'd take a moment to TRY getting back into a blogging habit.  We'll probably head to our beloved Menards store later to adopt more gnomes, or toadstools.  We have tons of places to liven up, and several more project ideas in the works.  Gnomes would never have been my choice for lawn/garden decoration . . . no, that was totally hubby's idea . . . but now that we've started playing around with them I have to admit it really is kind of fun.

Oh how silly we are.