Ode to the Yard

When I started this blog I promised myself it would be all positive... no venting. I'm up on my soap box enough without using this forum as well. I wanted to honor people in my life with cool pictures that I dug out of nooks and crannies. Of course, if I was more organized, I could have just pulled pictures out of neat little boxes, or photo albums, but alas, I shall remain positive.

Magnolia in the back yard

Yesterday I spent over an hour on the phone having a fairly heated conversation with our yard lady. Now, I know some of you may not have much sympathy for me since I have a yard lady to be frustrated with, but we have a huge yard... a yard we literally gutted and then poured blood, sweat, tears and hard earned cash into to get to what it is today. Do you want to know what it is today... full of weeds, that is what it is. Apparently, according to the yard lady (severely edited for the sake of impending carpal tunnel syndrome), it is my job to weed and her job to plant new beautiful things that I have not asked for. I was flabbergasted (in honor of Sammy's science teacher) to find out this fact and am questioning my communication skills (which I do constantly since I seem to be the only person that understands me). I am not sure what will happen with the yard lady, but I have spent part of yesterday and today since getting home from work, embracing my large weed infested yard. Our yard, although too large for any normal, not gardening obsessed person, is beautiful.

Copper bird bath, front stairs

Clematis out front clinging to electrical conduit

Foxglove about to bloom in backyard cutting garden

Kanji bell purchased at school auction when

Joey was in elementary school

Winter pansies in window box outside kitchen

window have survived the heat.

Lilac, original to the back yard, nearly 70 years old

A bumble bee enjoys a rhododendron in full

bloom in the back yard this afternoon

(original to the back yard as I don't think I would

ever knowingly choose to plant a rhododendron... not

that they aren't beautiful--for two weeks of the year)

Blueberry bush just getting its berries

in the back yard

One of Betsy's Wedding Bouquet Hydrangeas

about to bloom

Today's blog is actually not dedicated to our yard lady, but to our yard. Our yard is filled with plum trees, apple trees, blueberry bushes, a vegetable garden and too many plants to name. Joey and I planted two tomatoes (just a start) tomatillos and half a dozen strawberry plants this afternoon, in and around the already planted lettuce, peas and broccoli....

Just a few veggie plants in one of our many garden beds

We plan on planting pumpkins and squash on the hillside for all to share.... Tomorrow Joey and I will plant carrots and cucumber and maybe get in a couple hours of weeding, or not.