Front garden: Before and After!

You asked for it, so I'm back with more amazing before and after garden shots!

Okay, you didn't really ask for it but I am just having lots of fun with this. So bear with me! If I was really organized, I would have evolving photos from each area of my yard from each year. How cool would that be?

I'll get right on that.

Here is the "before", taken in early May. Notice the green maiden grass that we moved down by the pond (hmm...should check on that is doing) and all the scraggly dead fountain grass we removed to make way for the new.



Yes, I swear those salvia were that bright!

Here is a "during" which was taken on my iphone in June. Notice the teeny tiny petunias and purple fountain grass.



Here is is today:



The salvia is getting pretty scraggly although it is still blooming a little bit and I try to keep it pruned up a bit. The petunias have exploded and this photo does not do them justice! I love them!

Sunshine Day!

Wow, it is sunny out today. Lots of sunshine. So much that it is over 100 degrees today!

Michael left for daycare earlier than usual this morning so I had some time this morning when it was "cooler" to get outside for some exercise. First of all, we did not do well with the early pick up time! I was really scrambling, especially since Michael hasn't been waking up until 7:30 most mornings. By the time we did breakfast and got all dressed, it was time to go! How do you moms do it? I need to get my act together!

The run outside was terrible. I thought I would actually be proactive this morning about using sunscreen since it was so sunny. I was feeling great about myself and only when I got home to look in the mirror I realized I didn't rub it in all the way. Yep, I ran around my entire neighborhood and pranced down the road with my face totally white. Lovely. It was so hot and humid out; I think I will be staying inside for the rest of the day!



Remember when I was complaining about my sweet potato vine not growing well? I think something was eating it, so I put out lots of poison and now it is doing great! The hot sun really causes it to grow like a weed.

The Zinnias are doing well also- my first plant I've ever grown from seed! It was super easy and I can't wait to do it again next year. They are so bright and cheery. I originally wanted to grow some so I could have them for cut flower arrangements, but they are so pretty outside I can't bear to cut them!

Before and Afters

I love this time of year!

Everything in my garden is really peaking right now. We've had lots of hot sun and rain the last few weeks and while usually things are dying in August, my little plants are going strong.

I've also discovered a love of Roundup this season and despite a couple of bare patches in the grass where I sprayed and some lost petunias, my weed destroying has been successful. My husband even bought me a huge 3 gallon pressure sprayer to get the job done! It has really cut down on the amount of hours I spent pulling weeds, especially the pesky ones like dandelions that don't pull up easily. So...secret's out!



My front pots are doing great! I love this sweet potato vine with the multi-color leaves because it goes well with the brick. It has kind of taken over the petunias, but I like it anyway.



Remember the big landscaping project we did this spring? (here and here are some refreshers!) Here is the before and after of all the new plants I planted in May. Everything has done so well here, mostly because it gets watered frequently by the lawn system. I'm pretty sure I only watered it with the hose a handful of times, if even that many! It is the ultimate way to be a lazy gardener! I really like the black eyed susans because they are so bright and cheery and you can see them well from the road. I still have some filling in to do in some spots but we'll see how things come up in the spring. I'm totally done with planting for this year! Now it is time to enjoy the fruits of my (minimal) labor!

Living in the dark ages...

Hello, readers! We have had quite the issue at our house the past few days...our internet has been down. Yeah, I know. So I am updating from Panera Bread, eating a big salad and enjoy a diet Pepsi. How did I earn such a treat, you ask? Well, I ran 2 miles in 92 degree heat with lots of humidity this morning! I was going to get out of the house as soon as I dropped Michael off at daycare, but then I decided I needed a little midmorning nap instead. My 10 minute catnap during Jersey Shore reruns turned into a two hour snoozefest instead and I had to run outside at noon. Ugh, I was sweaty to say the least!

Next week I start school again so I am trying to enjoy one of my last days off to myself. I have been helping a friend with his summer lesson program so that has been getting me excited to get back to teaching, but still-I feel like summer just started! My garden is just finally starting to look good! The state fair starts this week!

So hopefully we'll get our internet fixed soon so I can update you with all the fun things that have been going on lately! Have a good one and stay cool!

Weekend at the Lake

Earlier this month we went on a little last minute camping/boating trip down to a lake a couple hours south. It was lots of fun! Beautiful weather and great friends...what more could you ask for?

Michael had a great time on his first tent camping trip. We were a little worried about how he would do, but he did great!

Scott hauled the boat down and we had a fun afternoon getting some sun and doing some wakeboarding. It was awesome! Michael even had a great time-he napped lots on the boat!

The next morning we woke up early and packed up because of an impending storm. We decided to hit up the hotel at the park to check it out and it was beautiful! I took this cool photo of the massive fireplace in the lobby using my favorite program, yes-you guessed it- autostitch!

It was a great weekend and hopefully it becomes an annual trip!

Michael's 9 Month Portrait Proofs

We had Michael's 9 month portraits taken a few weeks ago on one of the hottest evenings of the year!

Luckily, they turned out great and we love them! Our photographer emailed me some web-res photos to share. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

My Giraffe and Me

Watching Michael play is so much fun. I could spend hours a day watching him....oh wait, I already do!

His little hands love to explore and his little mouth loves to taste everything. He is growing so much every day-I wish time would hit the brakes!