We're done!

I can't believe it! We are finally finished the last of the big jobs for this season! Only a month late but at least it's done. We just have a couple of small jobs left and we'll be ready for the party! It looks like we might be able to get the rest of the work done tomorrow (Canada Day!) It looks like tomorrow's supposed to be decent and the weekend is supposed to be great! I'm looking forward to spending some time on the deck tomorrow and Sunday.

I'm really looking forward to Saturday. B's family will be together for the first time in about 11 years. I can't beleive it. And we have 2 new additions to the family. H's man and S's girl. It should be a blast. The siblings will be together again next Sat. too at the deck party. This is shaping up to be a great summer!

The flowers have gone apeshit. Most of them are about 3-4 feet high, whether they should be or not. I've got planting and weeding and weeding and weeding to do. I really hope July 12th is really nice out. It would be so great to just sit and chill on the deck for a day. Woo hoo!

almost there....

I can't believe we're almost there. Weather permitting (as always) we should be done Saturday. Only a total of about 60 feet of edging left to fix. And then add some mulch, fix the solar lights, and then it's weeding, weeding and more weeding.

Only 2 1/2 weeks until the party ... gotta go get some more grasses for around the deck. Should look good.

I can't believe how good the gardens look. We bought an OFF lamp and used it last night ... works well. Gotta get a few more for the party. Eventually we'll get a proper machine but in the meantime, they'll have to do.

sorry folks, I'm falling asleep. See you tomorrow!

and rain it did ....

The gardens have actually taken quite a beating, especially the bearded irises and the ladies mantle. But that's part of the process. It looks so lush outside. Now we just need lots of sunshine, which we're supposed to get as of Sunday.

Woo hoo!

I can't believe I actually want it to rain!

Tomorrow, thursday, don't care. Friday ... preferably not. Saturday ... NOOOOOOOO. Sunday ... not even an option. gotta be a great day!

I actually had to do some watering tonight. Planters, window boxes, hanging baskets, roses, delphiniums, hollyhocks ... they like water. They get kinda ornery when they don't get enough.

I actually had to take the bus home, thanks to hubby piano lesson starting at 5:45. But that's ok, I got home, got changed, and got out in the garden. I actually really enjoy watering the garden. It's kinda up close and personal with the plant material. Noticed aphids on one of the new roses. Safer soap to the rescue! Had to re-apply it on a couple of other plants too. And I've got these black bugs that are taking over my vines. Gotta check into those. Never had issues with aphids before. Or much of anything really except for earwigs, which by the way, should be obliterated off the face of the earth!

I also discovered the joy of the most concentrated setting on the garden wand. Good way to clean the bird poop off the deck and chairs and stuff. WOO HOO.

Gotta get the work finished on Saturday so we can make it all pretty for Sunday for our guests.

Gotta run ... see ya tomorrow!

I think summer's finally here!

It was a gorgeous wedding anniversary weekend! Did some socializing on Friday, worked on Saturday, chilled at night, worked again on Sunday and then wrapped at 4pm, suntanned for about an hour on the deck then had a nice dinner, wine and then DQ for dessert.

The gardens are looking amazing! Had to cut my purple sandcherry right back ... it kinda looks like post-modern sculptural artwork or something.... aphids was the problem.

Tomorrow I MUST water the container planters. It's supposed to rain on Wednesday which would really be wonderful 'cause we need it desperately and then I can dig up a TON of violets that are invading my shade garden on the north side of the house! I must apologize, I keep meaning to create a photo gallery. I will get there. We've got about 4 more hours of work outside. I don't care so much if it rains Friday or Saturday night, just so long as the daytime is good, I'll be happy. Along with a WHOLE lotta other people LOL.

I should run before my battery dies. Chat tomorrow!

It's Friday!

I am so glad it's Friday! What a day. Started out great then went downhill steadily all day. But then got a call from a good friend, got home to my hunny, went to wish our neighbour a happy birthday and ended up hanging out all evening with them. We were actually able to sit one our deck with friends, have a drink, we had our dinner, sat and chatted and then the mosquitos kept at us (big ones too) so we moved it indoors.

I can't believe I'm actually sitting here watching the last 3 minutes of the final Stanley Cup game. Penguins are up 2-1 for the moment. I actually hope they keep the lead. Only 2:20 to go! PENGUINS WON THE STANLEY CUP!!!!!!

Anyway, big day tomorrow.....

almost there

unfortunately there's not much to report tonight but I didn't want to ignore my fans LOL
yes, I'm in a very silly mood. It looks like it's gonna rain so I'm gonna go have a shower, do some ironing and watch SYTYCD. Barry's out tonight so I'm on my own. George was busy..... Sorry, inside joke with hubby.

Keep smiling!

fresh herbs on the way

so we finally got some fresh herbs and tomatoes. And nasturtiums to ward off the aphids. which have invaded my gardens. 2 roses (in 2 different beds) and my purple sandcherry, which was gorgeous about 3 weeks ago but now needs to be drastically pruned. I'm hoping it'll come back ok. it sucks, 'cause the party's in 4 weeks and we'll have this big gap. but it'll be back for next year's par-tay! I actually bought some Safer (insecticidal) soap.

and I talked to my neighbour about the sumach. she's always digging them out too. so I suggested root pruning. I'm hoping that'll help. Plus I'll have to go sumach hunting more often and just keep pulling out the roots. Oh joy. But they are beautiful trees and it's nice to have the benefit without too much hassle.

Barry's away to his model builders' meeting tomorrow night so I'll be watering....

Did I mention the hops lately? They're about a foot off the top of the pergola. We'll have them up along the rafters by the party. Everything is growing like crazy. Maybe too much ... I'm not sure. It's coming together like I envisioned. So exciting! Can't wait for the party ... should be so much fun!

Until tomorrow!

sumach trees are a pain in my rear!

My neighbour had this crazy idea of bringing a sumach tree from the cottage. she was told if she put it in a pot in the ground it should contain it. got news for them .... I've probably pulled 12-15 out of my garden this spring alone! I just pulled a root that was about 4 feet long!

Anyway ... I managed to get about 45 minutes in the back garden, just cleaning up sumachs, weeds and deadheading a TON of anemones. It's looking good ... I can't wait for the working to be finished. I just want to stop doing and just enjoy. We've been told by many of our friends that we work too much. I'm starting to agree with them. So we'll see how things go. Hopefully I can get some more weeding done tomorrow night.

Until then ....

This weekend ... I hope ....

to be the last weekend of work outside. It was supposed to be the last weekend of May. But we went to see Elton and Billy. and I got sick. Last weekend was going to be the last weekend. But we hit a snag (BIG SURPRISE) and the edging along the driveway took WAY longer than anticipated. Barry had to chisel away the asphalt. We still have the other side of the south garden to fix. Yeesh. We managed to get the spacing more or less figured out for the stepping stones ... now we have to "plant" them. Dig about 3 inches down, add limestone screening, tamp it into place, add stone. There's probably 60 stones to do. Plus the eding along one last side of the path. And weeding. OMG the weeding! Weather permitting, I'm going to try to get about 30 minutes or so of weeding in tomorrow night while Barry's at piano. If I can get 30 minutes each night of weeding, I should be caught up by the weekend. And that's weather permitting. And we know how co-operative the weather's been. But we're getting great tans! So if I could ask you all to wish, pray, hope, beg, whatever for a great weekend weather-wize, I'd really appreciate it. LOL

Hopefully I'll have good news tomorrow night.....

growing veggies

So I was reading a food magazine the other day and realized that I really need to get a tomato plant and some herbs planted asap. So we're off to Vandermeer on Sunday. Next year I want to grow blueberries, strawberries (although I just might get strawberries this year) and raspberries and peas as well as the tomatos and herbs.

I am determined to make some fabulous meals on the grill with my man.

I don't seem to be able to keep a train of thought going so I will bid you all adieu for now and check back in tomorrow.

Have a fabulous day tomorrow and enjoy the sunshine!

I'm back! Look out world!

WOW what a week! Not really in a good way but I won't bore you with the details ... just getting over a stomach bug. Yuck!

So between all the rain, sun and despite the cooler than normal temperatures, the gardens are looking FREEKING AMAZING!!!! We gotta take pictures soon and post them. I am so excited! The vines are growing like crazy (especially the hops), the hostas look amazing, I put mulch in the front gardens and part of the back gardens. I've got to replace a few of the ornamental grasses 'cause the one we picked last year doesn't seem to be doing much of anything. Although there is some growth. Speaking of growth, I've got a serious case of aphids on a couple of my roses. YEESH! Apparently nasturtiums repel aphids. In the meantime, insecticidal soap is about to be my friend!

The containers (baskets, boxes, planters) are all going crazy! They look so good! Of course last year I used the cheaper container soil and everything dried out like crazy despite all the rain we had and we never did install the rain barrel. This year, moderate rain, full barrel and great container soil ... haven't had to water much. I bought 3 water globes for the 3 baskets under the carport 'cause they're in a difficult location to water and they're doing a bang-up job! We'll see how they do in the hot weather ... I'm only filling the globes once a week right now.

I am totally in heaven. Got home, had a quick bite, got out in the gardens and just wandered around, figuring what I needed to water and then my neighbour arrived to check out a sick rose (aphids ... blast them) and we got talking and touring and then I went down to her house and next thing I new it was 7:45 and we still had dishes, showers, and I wanted to update my blogs tonight 'cause I've been neglecting you guys terribly.. I know, life just hasn't been the same without my rambling LOL.

Another passion of mine ... cooking ... bought the latest issue of Fine Cooking and realized how much I miss actually preparing a meal. We've been throwing food together for far too long (hasn't helped my figure any). It'll take this weekend to finish the outside projects and then we'll have our time back. And we've committed to coming straight home after work (no errands if we can help it ... that's Saturday or Sunday mornings after latte ... or maybe before latte and then we can come home from errands and have LOOOONG latte on deck ... ooooo .... might be on to something there) and actually prepare a real meal, complete with a glass of wine. that's another thing I miss ... trying new wines. So much to catch up on.

Well ... I hate to disappoint you, but SYTYCD is starting shortly and I still have a couple of things to do before 9 (7 minutes to go!) 'cause then I have to get to bed at 10 so I can get up at 4:30 and do an upper body workout before going to work. YEESH!

I'm baaaaack!