August 16, 2012

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary...


I tried to think up a clever title that would rhyme with my name instead of using the typical "Mary".

But after several unsuccessful attempts to come up with anything that rhymes with "Serene" other than "latrine" or "green bean", I decided to give up on trying to be clever.

It just wasn't working for me.

Anyhow, you may remember my post "Life on the Home Front" in which I gave a very long-winded and over-worded account of how we've been tackling putting in a yard and flowerbeds since we bought this house as a new construction over three years ago.

Well, we've been working on it slowly all summer long and I am proud to announce that the flower beds in the front, side, and back of the house have been outlined, drip lined, weed-tarped, and bark-ed.

Because I couldn't think of a smart way to say we've put in the bark without messing the flow of the sentence or having you look at me weird as you try to figure out what a dog has to do with any of this.

So "bark-ed" it is.

We also manged to get flowers in most of the front beds, yea!


We only planted perennials this year with the rather ingenious plan that we wouldn't have to keep buying loads and loads of flowers every year.

You call is logical, I call it ingenious.

Let's not mess with my ego.


Although I do plan on adding a few bright annuals next year.


I'm lovin' my rose bushes. Yes indeed, love me some roses!


I have four rose bushes so far and all of them are different.

This one's a climbing rose and I can't wait for it to get huge! I think it's called... Candy Land? Candy Cane... Candy, something or other.


But I also love all my other flowers too.


I'll take pretty flowers over boring bushes any day.

But land sakes why didn't anyone just say, "Serene, before you plant flowers around your house, sell a kidney first so you can afford it"

If I was supremely intelligent I would have just started everything myself from seeds and saved my kidney.

But unfortunately, I missed the "Supremely Intelligent" bus and hopped on the "Weirdly Average" one instead.

Dang.


Our garden is a whole other story. It's practically a bloomin' jungle!

The raspberries have taken over the entire right side of the garden space and are threatening invasion into the rest of it. Our three rows of peas are making a slight come back for a final round after a HUGE outpouring of produce during mid-summer. Our zucchinis are massive again, the tomatoes are struggling, and the fifteen cucumbers hanging out in our fridge are just the start.The strawberries are in an eternal struggle against the dang grass and the peppers are starting to come in droves.

But it's these giant sunflowers that are the most awesome. Even the ones that popped up in random places throughout the middle of the garden from last years plants. I didn't have the heart to pull those so I left them, and I think they're so cool.

I've decided I need whole other garden plot, just to plant giant sunflowers around all four sides. Like a fort.

And you'd have to know the password before you could enter.

Or bribe me with chocolate, either way is fine.

Because that would be cool.

14 super cool people speak:

Neisha said...

your landscaping looks very nice and I'm very impressed with your garden! It was so dry this summer that ours looks terrible

Madame Coin said...

People totally do make sunflower forts, Serene! I've wanted to make one for my kids for years, but we don't have the land.

Just google "sunflower house" or "sunflower fort" and you'll see all kinds of great pictures.

Amy said...

Your flowers are gorgeous! And I knew what you meant with bark-ed.
Good job on the words.

Lalani said...

All that hard work and it's gorgeous! And so rewarding to have your own-grown food. :-) LOVE the fort idea. Giant sunflowers make me smile.

Angel Day said...

A garden fort would. Be. AWESOME!!!! You should TOTALLY DO IT!!!

Doran & Jody said...

Great job Mary!!

You could have used Little Miss Moon Beam, Garden Queen, Jimmy Dean...

Serene is my name, not my life! said...

Dang Jody, You're a genius!! Totally should have gone with Garden Queen...

Sarah said...

I hear you on the cost of landscaping, but WOW, it turned out AWESOME!
I LOVE those sunflowers too! I'll come bribing with chocolate to get in that awesome fort! :)
Now that you've put in all that work, want to come move down here and hang out?:) Because who cares about all those pretty flowers and raspberry bushes anyway? :)
I loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooove you!!!!!!!!!!!
And seriously, your yard looks beautiful! Makes me want to plant some pretty flowers right now:)
Love You!
Sarah

Sarah said...

I wish I could really come hang out! :( :)
Love you!

Seth said...

Serene, Serene, needs a limousine... to transport all those greens...

Darn it, your right, "Mary mary quite contrary" is better.

Nice flower beds! From me and Kira. You're smart to put in drip lines, Kira says.

Is that a tree in the background?!!

Welcome to the Garden of Egan said...

That is an awesome garden!
Mine looks like it's been on steroids too!

Susan Anderson said...

Serene, Serene, landscaping machine!

=)

Mama Smith said...

Oh...my goodness...darling daughter! Absolutely LOVE IT!!!!!!!! I can hardly wait...to walk around your yard and take a personal look for myself...YOU KNOW...how much I LOVE GARDENS and FLOWERS!!!!!!!!!! (smile) GREAT GREAT JOB! (not "random" like another flower garden I know...or knew) (smile)

Seth said...

Queen of green.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...