My Favorite Part of Spring!

My favorite part of spring is landscaping & yard work!! I think it's fun! I love getting our water garden cleaned out and prepped for warmer weather...saying hello to Bobby & Chloe and seeing their happy little sun-loving bodies swim around in the pond, excitedly awaiting all the new water plants, duck weed, and snails that we bring them (hmmm...yea, I don't really think they're that sophisticated, but it's cute to imagine :). The fact that they survive through the winter with the freezing over of the pond is incredible (oh, in case you didn't know...Bobby & Chloe are our koi & goldfish--our little outside pets). How in the world do they live through it!? Actually, my absolute favorite uber-intelligent high school biology teacher taught me how that phenomenon works, but it still shocks me every year. This year is going to be even more exciting though because I'm making it an absolute must...an immediate priority...to do something fantastic with our dispicable landscaping as soon as the weather perks up long enough to do so (like hopefully real soon!)

Ok, the area between these two pine trees has been bare since we moved here...and every year I have been "determined" to throw some shade perennials in there to sauce it up a little bit...and every year I have fallen short !! There is an actual bed of soil between those trees that we manage to mulch every year, for some strange reason, but have never thrown anything as simple as a couple hostas, some ferns,  or bleeding hearts in that quaint boring space. Well, I won't fall short this year--and you're all going to hold me accountable, right!? A simple, "hey liz, how's the shady perennial garden coming?" should keep my motor rolling. ;o)

And what the heck is going on here???!!! A big, ugly, empty, blaaah side of a house is what's going on here! This side of the house is our biggest problem child--and again, we've said for, oooh 3 years now, that we are going to spruce this barren, blah, lifeless 'area' (for lack of a better word) up with some fancy landscaping somehow....seriously, it's gonna happen this spring! :)

And last but not least...this area right here. It's a lovely area, I think. With a little oomph and tender loving care it will look marvelous. The only flowers that bloom under this cute apple tree (at least I think it's a crab apple tree?) are tulips in the spring...and they bloom and die off with a blink of the eye. So, I've got some exciting plans for this area too! By the way, isn't that hosta a beauty right there? :) She's our "old faithful"...comes back every year & looks stupendous with hardly any work on our part--that's my kind of flowers!!! :) Oh & look--there's a boo-bear sitting outside enjoying the sunshine! hehe.

So, let me tell you where I plan on getting some great perennials & annuals--a place called Springhill Nursery. It's Ohio based...in Tipp City, southwest-ish Ohio, I think...which doesn't really matter because the best part is you can order online and they deliver to you!! Perfect!! I like this place for many reasons...one, their prices are great (always a bonus--landscaping can get pricey!)....two, you can order online (that's always nice!)...three, they do most of the work for you by selling pre-planned gardens (ah! how perfect is that!? dummy-proof! love it!)...and four, my mom has bought from them and says the quality of the flowers & such are great! Sooo....check out their website and see what you think--I might've just given you the landscaping bug! :)

Now...if I can just get my lawn & garden savvy mom to squeeze in a day trip to my house to help me... ;~)