By Request

Betty, you've been asking for this post, so this one's for you...

I'm pretty sure y'all know what I got for Mother's Day this year.

A truckload of dirt, another one of mulch, money for flowers, and the time to plant them.

I have looked forward to landscaping our patio since we had it poured last summer. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the man behind the hard labor:


Yep, Joe is the one who mows the lawn, unloads the dirt/mulch from his truck, sets the fenceposts in concrete, offers opinions on flower types (and doesn't get angry when I don't heed said advice...sorry, honey). Generally, he does the hard work, and I get to design and plant and admire the end result. I'm so lucky :)

Here's the grand tour:

The front door, with potted geraniums, morning glory, osteospurnum, spikes, verbena and vinca...


The front flower bed, still in need of the second truckload of mulch...

A view of the back, taken from the side of the house. The fence panels Joe had saved from a previous Lowe's job served their purpose, giving us some privacy for our patio and a great canvas for some clematis and more morning glory...

There is nothing like sitting on the patio after the sun has gone down (and the kids have gone to bed), admiring the view of the creek, listening to the chirping of the crickets, and inhaling the fresh scent of my favorite plant...honeysuckle. Here's a closeup; can you smell it?

Hopefully by next year, the lattice on the side of the deck will be covered with sweet pea, clematis, and more morning glory. I planted dark purple wave petunias, ornamental grass, purple pincushions, a bleeding heart plant. Some colorful annuals fill in the empty spots for now, until the perennials grow a bit.

And there you have it. Now all that's left is the weeding, the watering, and the wonderment that comes from admiring the vast array of flowers that God has provided us.

Now it's your turn. Got some great outdoor photos to share? You know we'd love to see and learn about different plants! Let's have our own Home and Garden show here in Blogland!