am itching to begin landscaping our backyard.  It is a massive expanse of yard that has been neglected over the years.  Luckily for us, it does have lots of mature trees.  What it doesn’t have are the elements that make a yard “decorated”.  I’ve already imagined all sorts of flora additions, like flowering bushes, pampas grass, of course monkey grass, lots of rosemary, and anything else that suits my fancy. 

First things first, I have to finish the hardscaping.  I’m still working on finishing my steps.  I still need Hubs to help me build my arbor.  I still need to weed, lay paths, and define spaces.  Obviously, I am a long way from being ready to plant!  I can, however, fill all my empty pots with pretty little things.  My mother-in-law was nice enough to give me some iris(?) bulbs that are getting ready to pop, giving me the perfect excuse to add some greenery to the yard.

I already had a fiberglass pot that had seen better days. 

I guess these things crumble over time?  Or perhaps a small animal got to it?

No matter what attacked the pot, I wanted to do something to make it a little more fresh.  I pulled out my reliable old pal, spraypaint, and went to town.  I already had Valspare glossy black on hand from my bench project, hence I was ready and raring to revamp my dilapidated planter.

It really only took one coat for good coverage. 

I filled her up with dirt, planted my bulbs, and placed moss along the top for a more finished feel.  I then nestled her in beside the steps, planting more bulbs on either side of the pot.  I think it adds a little interest to an another wise currently bland yard.   And the cost?  Zero dinero!

ike I said on Monday, the weather this past weekend was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  Hubs and I made the most of it and enjoyed almost a whole day basking in the sunshine.  Not that we were laying about. While I worked on the steps, Aaron toiled away building a pergola between our screened-in porch and side gate.  We had built a pergola for our old house in Charleston and this second time around, Aaron had it up in no time.  Practice makes perfect!  Here is the only picture I had of the space before.

He started by sinking two posts in our raised bed, and attached cross beams directly onto the side of the porch.

We then made a trek out to the family farm to pick up some old beams. The beams we picked up were used in the old tobacco barns, from which tobacco was hung to dry and cure.  We only needed four more than what we already had, so taking them down did not affect the already questionable structural integrity of the barn.  (FYI: I posted more pictures of the barn under the Photography tab)

After a little help getting the beams down from Aaron’s parents, we tied them down on the trailer and pulled them on home.  Aaron had them up in less than an hour. 

After wrapping the original structure with some thicker wood to give the pergola a hardier appearance, Hubs was done.  And what a great job he did! 

Now it’s time to purchase some Carolina Jessamine or Confederate Jasmine and let it grow all around the structure.  I also have to buy 100 or so more pavers to finish the patio and walkway to the gate.  I’m looking forward to all the privacy it will give our little screened-in porch!

“Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische”

arden update!  My tomato seeds have at long last sprouted.  As predicted, I have been checking in on them every day waiting for that first peek of green.  My vigilance paid off the other day when I spotted the first little stalks. 

In the next few weeks, I’ll feed them a regular diet of water and slowly expose them to sunlight and fresh air to “harden” them.    There is something very special about growing one’s own food. I’m so excited simply imagining our harvest. I am no where near an expert gardener, but I truly enjoy the heightened awareness of being part of the growing process.   I’ll post progress pictures in a few weeks!

ow!  What a busy and beautiful weekend!  The weather was amazing this weekend, with clear skies and temperatures reaching nearly 60.  Just amazing.  Hubs and I certainly took advantage of these pretty days to  begin spiffing up our backyard.  Even Little Man enjoyed the days, blissfully blowing bubbles while we dug, sawed, and hammered.

Our yard has a great park-like feel, complete with a tiny stream cutting the backyard in half and trees galore.  It also features some rather steep hills that make going from one end to another a chore.  We are planning on putting our garden in the back left corner, which will require regular trips up and down so we can water and tend to it like it needs.  Obviously, there needed to be an easier way to get to and fro. 

Here are photos of the hill before.  They do not do justice to how steep the yard actually is.

Lucky for us, the previous owners had left a pile of debris and old railroad ties right outside the back fence gate.  Since they were free and readily available, what better use than for making stairs?  I dug and flattened for most of the morning and afternoon getting the hill ready.  Then, Hubs and I cut the ties in half and hauled them into place.  A little bit more scraping and leveling and, wahlah!,  new steps that making going up and down so much easier.

Is it wrong to be impressed with myself?  Because I am.  I put in a lot of hard labor and am very pleased with the result!

Even Huston liked them!

Even though my arms feel like jello today, the work is still not complete.  I need to pick up steel edgers to define the steps and prevent erosion, then I will be ordering a load of  pea gravel to fill in the space.  The last tasks will be getting some solar lights to define the path and planting lots of ground cover to soften the overall look.  I’ll post more photos as the project progresses!