Flower Beds- Beginnings

We've been working a little bit here and there to make some improvements in the yard where we rent and live. This weekend, the boys, Rob & I put in a lot of work all helping out. Here are some photos of what we did. We've never done this much anywhere we've lived, but thanks to some unexpected money for being a cooperating teacher, I was able to buy some pretty plants, and we "went to town." Here are some beginning photos of our house and flower beds. I'll put some more up later.


And one other MAJOR accomplishment for me- I only feel slightly guilty spending my money on this and not something else we could have used or more practical. It was so nice to do this! I don't think I've ever spoiled myself like that before! :)



The front of the house has hanging baskets with one of my favorites- fuchsia! I made the window boxes I found at Walmart for $6 each just porch boxes and planted impatiens in them. Then in the flower bed in front of the house there are: hostas, false indigo in purple & yellow, more impatiens, a single fern that we planted last fall which survived the winter and the squirrels, Irish moss, blue star creeper, Aztec grass, and a few petunias. I painted my rusted plant stand and put my houseplants back out for the summer too now that the colder night air is definitely gone!


Matthew wanted an herb garden, so here is his patch. He planted basil, thyme, peppermint, and two lambs ear that I gave him too. I LOVE lambs ear. Plus in the center is the lavender I planted last year. In the extreme drought we've been under it died off, and I thought it was just money I'd wasted, but to my surprise last week, I went back and found it had survived after all and was growing again! :) Oh, and we aren't sure, but we think the stuff in the back is the chives I planted last year too. ??? We're waiting to see.

Okay, I'm turning into Pop. But that's okay. I had the boys help me split/move some hostas. We put hostas and impatiens by the shed in back in the small flower beds. Should be pretty this summer!

After close to three years here, I finally noticed that one of the big trees in the back yard is a tulip tree. In my defense, the branches are not down low enough to see and the blooms rest up on top of the leaves so they are hard to find. My kids had not seen these before. I was so excited to discover this bloom. It was on the only branch even close to my reach. Robert and I had to stretch a bit to get this photo.

I have a few more hostas to split and move. Robert, Matthew, and I will start a row of hostas and caladiums behind the house by the basement windows next. Then I've still got a flat of marigolds and petunias to plant out back. Plus Rob tilled up two patches for me to plant all my TONS of sunflower seeds. We're going to have a pretty yard this summer!