I was going to quit....

So I decided yesterday that I'd go on a blogging sabbatical...considering I only write every now and then, it really wouldn't be that big of a change. But then I started messing around with our recent photos as seeing that I'm not getting to scrapbooking anytime soon...back to blogging I go!

The following pix are from around our home the last few weeks. Everything continues to be green and lush and there are still many blooms around! It won't be too long, I'm afraid, before the humid heat gets to me enough to curb my forays into the outdoors realm and things may get a little out of hand in the flower beds!

These are new this year...three baskets hung on our deck shade panel to be my herb garden! So far I've only used a bit of thyme and rosemary, but hope to enjoy the whole variety this summer. We had another robin nest in the lattice this spring. Only one baby made it to fly on it's own...we're not sure what happened to the other one :(


Year two for the square foot gardening experiment. The strawberries are gung-ho and we've enjoyed several little snacks with many more to come this week! First thing every morning Elena is out the door to check on the berries. Kai is excited that his peas have sprouted...not that he LIKES peas, mind you. But when he saw the package of seeds in the store it immediately became very urgent that he grow them!


Here's a great sampler bouquet that me and the kiddos plucked yesterday. My iris are about done, but the dark purple ruffled one is just awesome!


Here's a close up of that regal purple beauty:



This isn't our yard...but one of the gardens from the Johnson Co. Master Gardener's tour that we took my mom on for Mother's Day! The kids loved all the ornaments like this huge frog. I think we'll have to get some more around here.

Weeeelll, not exactly a flower, but this IS in our yard. This is our disc golf goal that I got Eric for his birthday. We love having it in the back yard to practice putting...and a great way for E to decompress after work by tossing a few discs. BTW, I made one from the deck on one of my first tries...it took him 3 weeks. Who's the woman?




Elena & Eric gave me this clematis on my first Mother's Day. It's fab and is right at our front entrance. I need a taller trellis as it is barely hanging on to some nylon netting I tacked up above the metal trellis currently there.


Peony, sweet peony! Wow, they are just beautiful. I transplanted this from Mom's yard when we first moved in. This one is out front and there is a just-as-gorgeous white one on the west.


Ah, my poor North-side shady bed. I really hate it and considered ripping it out in favor of turf (yes, more grass...gasp! I can't believe I thought that) this spring. BUT instead, I ripped out all the vinca and lots of the overrun ground cover, thinned the hostas and bought some evergreen bushes to lend year-round structure to the view. Much better. Actually almost pleasing when I step out back now! Yay.

This is the view from my kitchen sink window. I love it for more than one reason...white iris, my new berm bed and best of all...that little munchkin in view! (Now do you see why I don't need more grass?)