In The Yard

Electric Box Woes

A huge bush that was once planted by former owners to hide the electric box had grown 12 feet tall and 12 feet wide.  It was encroaching on the street, not to mention the box!  Paul spent a day cutting it back and you see the result.  It still appears as if he’ll have to remove it completely but we’ll see. Some new sod and a few flowers are disguising the big brown spot that was left after the bush was pruned.

Beauty in the Garden

My orange azalea and white rhododendron outdid themselves this spring. I wish that the azalea were along the front of the house instead of in the back next to the deck.  The rhododendron is on the side of the house so the only people who ever get a good look at it are my neighbors!

Deck Spruce-Up 

Don’t you just hate those stones that hold down your off-set umbrella?  I can’t tell you how many times we have tripped over them!  But until we get an awning, the umbrella stays.  I decided to make the stones more noticeable by placing some potted plants around the umbrella.  They look a bit skimpy now but by the middle of the summer the flowers should really have grown.

Looking Out For the Citizens of the Yard

Last year we had such a time trying to keep the lattice under our deck repaired.  The rabbits chewed a new hole every time that section of lattice was replaced and painted.  Paul finally gave up and fashioned a little door for our furry friends. Voila! No more chewed lattice!

For the Future

The roots of the Japanese maple make it almost impossible to plant anything in the rock garden.  A few potted flowers will take a bit of time to grow but definitely add some color here.  The hydrangea was new last year.  We planted three but one died over the winter.  This one looks healthy so I’m looking forward to some big blossoms soon.  My poor clematis looks as if it’s trying to hide behind the mailbox post.  I’ll have to coax it around to the front a little.  Behind the Japanese maple you can see our shed in the back of the yard. Paul wants to plant wildflowers next to it so that we will have something pretty to look at when we sit on the deck.