Saturday, March 14, 2009

Spring Yard Work

When the yards in your neighborhood are 1/3 of an acre, it's a good idea to recruit friends to assist with yard work. Below is a picture of my yard last spring before I had the stone patio installed (more about that on another post). The picture is taken from the deck outside my dining room. The building on the left is the garage and attached to the back of the garage is the game room (aka known as the Martini Lounge). In the very back is my cute little storage shed. A single girl needs help with the big yard work so I've lured some friends (and their hubby's) over to help with the MANLY things! My friend Susan A is a Master Gardener (just look at her lush yard behind us) and she loves to share plants. WOOHOO....!! She's holding cuttings from her 10 foot tall Angel Trumpets. We ALL got to take some home.
Jeff got the job of dividing the huge ginger plants. They smell divine when you cut the stalks...just like Ginger Root . We all got a huge trash bag of ginger to plant at home.
After all the digging, we brought the Mother Lode back to my house to plant. Since I'm not a very good digger or planter (however, I'm the best darn water-er around)...I decided to take pictures of pretty flowers in my yard and the next door neighbors yards. I just LOVE the pretty passion flower that grows on my deck railing. It looks fuchsia in the pic but its really a deep red.
Don't you love the view of my next door neighbors yard? A lot of this flower bed got ruined when IKE blew threw. Many of those big trees in the easement behind the fence fell over into the yards. Neither of our houses, garages or sheds were damaged by trees so we feel very blessed. We can ALWAYS plant more flowers, right!?!?!?
Back in MY yard, the Bougainvillea is beginning to bloom. This is a pretty pinkish/orange bloom and it gets beaten down by 100 degree sunshine in the summer.
On the other side of this fence is my other next door neighbors pool. We have a gate between the two back yards and it's nice to be able to wander over for a dip after hot yard work! This neighbor, (Tyra--from a previous post regarding the Yaya Chique) is also a VERY good gardener and helps me with my yard work. We trade off and she helps in my yard and I help her decorate her house....great trade off, huh?!?! The bird of paradise is planted near a beautiful rock waterfall.
Hibiscus do really well here in South Texas and I particularly like this red and white one. It looks so happy and fresh.
Morning glories are very prolific here too. They climb up the fences and are 75 feet up in the pine trees in the backyard. They grow like pretty weeds.
I WAS planning on doing more yard work today...but the weather had different plans. We are having a cold and rainy day here so my plans are thwarted. I think Ms. Riley has the right idea. She got back in bed and got under the covers.
I hope YOU are HAVING SOME FUN this weekend even though Mother Nature might not be cooperating in your neck of the woods!!!!

28 comments:

  1. Now that is some spring inspiration! Have a great weekend.

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  2. Hi Susan! What a beautiful yard you have and looks like you had lots of help to spring it up! Love your plants too. Oh, the passion flower is beautiful. I'll bet I could grow one here in Galveston, do you think?
    Shoot, now it's cold again, but it won't last long.
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

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  3. What great yards!

    You live where I would like to live here in this city we live in.

    It is supposed to warm up this week...we had to cancel camping plans for this weekend...but I guess that is March for ya!

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  4. Very pretty and I love all the flowers.

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  5. You are blessed to have good neighbors who also enjoy gardening. Everything is so lush and pretty. Ms. Riley has the right idea though. It's a cold, rainy day in GA today too!

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  6. You are really making me want to go dig in the dirt. As soon as it quits raining, I plan to do just that. Great pictures! It looks like a tropical paradise down there.

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  7. Wow - your pictures are so beautiful Susan! What a wonderful yard you have. Everything is so pretty!

    You are making me long for Spring and it's 30 degrees here. I don't think it's ever going to get warm!

    Have fun working in your yard this weekend!

    XOXO
    Jen

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  8. Beautiful yard everyone have...great to have a neighbor like yours to help you...Have a wonderful weekends....Kathy

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  9. Please come enter Project Create a Homes Giveaway!

    xoxo,
    Cathleen

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  10. Susan, thanks for stopping by. How nice to have a neighbor with a pool! I've got so much yardwork to get started on this spring.

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  11. you are so lucky to have such wonderful friends and weather to match! happy planting!

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  12. What a blessing to have help like that. It makes the work even more fun.
    Debbie

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  13. Hi Susan.. I am glad you got some help!!! The yard looks so pretty! I need to have a clean up the yard party! Good idea!

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  14. Wow, beautiful blooming flowers, I'm so jealous! We are excited to finally have buds on the trees!

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  15. Hi Hun sorry I havent been good at blogging just recently with all thats going on, just to let you know I have an easter giveaway on my blog, but I will be blogging back to normal soon xxxx t

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  16. Okay, you've got me just itching to get cleaning, digging and planting. Luckily our "lots" are no where near 1/3 of an acre, lol! How great that you have that help and get cuttings too!
    Oh, pretty kitty. I think maybe later (way later) i'll find some time to burrow my way down into a warm fuzzy blanket.
    Enjoy your day!

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  17. Thanks for visiting our blog and your comment on my hooked on doors post :-) I think it's awesome that you're planning to paint your front door purple!! I can't wait till it warms up here so I can paint mine purple too :-)

    Love all the garden pics. They give me hope that spring isn't too far away :-) Especially love the morning glories :-)

    Kelly @ DesignTies

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  18. Gorgeous! The flowers are amazing and you captured their beauty well. .... now I need to go. There's yardwork to be done. lol ;0

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  19. What beautiful gardens!!! And a lovely pool, too!

    I'm just tickled pink that the high here today is supposed to reach 66 degrees!!! That's like a heat wave for us in southeast Michigan!!! LOL!! Then, it's back to reality and the 40's and 50's. Oh well...it will be here soon!!

    Thanks for the visit!

    ;-)

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  20. Hi Susan, I love all the flowers especially the passion flower.
    I remember the first time I saw one growing wild in the woods, I was just so amazed at how unique they are. I'm planning on planting one this spring(if I can find one). Thanks for stopping by, I hope you checked out "the man blog". At first when he started leaving me comments I never drempt he was a man.LOL! He really is a great guy.

    Your yard is going to be beautiful, your lucky to get all that help! Kristen

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  21. I think I should come live in your neighborhood! That's a lot of sharing and caring I must say. Lucky you!

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  22. What great neighbors! I love the idea of a martini lounge. If you come to Warrenton for the spring show, drop by our tent at Zapp Hall and I'll shake you a cold, dirty one! Debbie

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  23. the flowers are so so lovely! wish i had a garden!

    cute kitty too :)

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  24. ...so I took a look around my yard, assessed the current situation and shamelessly came back into the house to call in the professionals. Maybe I'll do some before and after shots though. lol ;)

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  25. Hi Susan~

    I just love yard work~ the last few days have been very agreeable in our neck of the woods ( but last weekend w/the cold & rain was rediculous...lol. ) I love passion vine, I don't have any yet but I so want some. You have some great friends and neighbors!

    Hope you have a great weekend!

    Hugs~ J

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  26. You have some beautiful stuff! I love bouganvilla and hibiscus, but never have much success w/ either. My mother in law has some gorgeous mandevilla that never seems to be bothered by the frost. I'm sure if it were mine, it'd be dead in a matter of weeks!

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  27. Girlfriend, I need to come see you and your neighbor's yards...they are gorgeous. Mine looks bad after Ike, I seriously need to do LOTS! Ya'll did a fabulous job!!

    Suzanne

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