April Showers, and Some Flowers!

 (new sign for the front door)

Okay okay-so the title is a little cheesy.  Its just not may yet, so it has to just be flowers. ;)  I've spent all day playing in dirt!  I love planting flowers.  Its awesome to put something in the ground and watch it flourish (if you remember to water it).  Last year we had all of the landscaping ripped out.  It took a small backhoe thing and about 8 guys to do it.  At somepoint, someone who owned this house decided it would be a fantastic idea to plant holly bushes and then put red lava rock on top of the ground.  Fast forward twenty years later-lava rock was NOT the best plan folks!  I digress.  I took some pictures to show what I have been up to in the yard.

First let me show you my planters.  I had hubby hang these last year and I love them.  This year I actually bought real planters and planted things myself.  Here's why:

Pre-Planted Planters: $7 (WalMart) - $12 (Lowes)...just for petunias!  Really??

Planters: $5 each (liners included)
Plants: $3 for 6....4 in each pot = $12
AND the planters get reused next year. :)

So, here they are:

And here they are hung up on the upper deck and lower deck:

I should probably explain what else I have planted back here.  After we the landscaping crew removed all of the lava rock and installed some nice top soil, I planted two yellow climbing rose bushes.  They were just roots last year, so they are doing well I think-hopefully they will bloom this year.  In the planter closest to where I'm standing I planted this creepy plant (the plant isn't creepy, but that's what it does-it creeps) with these BRIGHT blue flowers.  Its not come in all the way yet.  I think of it as a creeping phlox, but for the shade.  On the other side of the stairs, I have 2 Moose (Big Moosie and Little Moosie) 3 creeping phlox and another climbing rose bush.  The whiskey barrels have a bleeding heart and a trumpet vine.  Here's a better look (I guess I could have put the hose away-sorry):

Aside from the hanging baskets, and the trumpet vine, I planted everything else last year as little baby plants and this is what I got this year.  Next, the side of the deck, there isn't much sun except for really early in the morning.  I planted 8 hosta last year.  7 have started coming back.

Can you see where our boys run my little fence line there?  Its driving poor hubby nuts.  We also have a shed in the back, and again, once the lava rock was removed, I went to planting.  Originally I had a honeysuckle in this spot, but honestly, its too invasive (its native to KY sooooo I guess it thinks it can just rule the roost).  This spring I ripped it up, and planted a clematis instead.  A nice pink one.  Right now, its just a root, but hopefully soon it will grow.  I also have planted a Hydrangea root x2 (but I think I'll only get one) and my daylilly I planted last year.

The flamingos were a gift from my sweet Mother-In-Law.  What does that yellow extension cord go to you ask...let me show you...

That's right.  A bug zapper.  This is our source of entertainment in the summer.  I LOVE this thing.  Okay-so back to the tour.  Our yard is fenced in and in the corner I have planted a dwarf lilac, 2 peonies, and 3 roses.  There were 4 roses, but one didn't make it...twice.  I just gave up planting anything else there.  Oh yeah, and I moved a daylilly over here too-I'm think the one next to the shed will join it soon.

That one needs a little love...and mulch.  Well, I gotta have something to do this weekend.  These are some more daylillies I planted last year.

I can't wait for this stuff to start blooming!!!  Okay, so now to the front of the house.  The front of the house is where all the holly bushes were, so I pretty much got to start with a blank slate up front.

This is now.  I'm moving some decorations around in front, so please don't mind the flag and welcome flag and how they don't match.  I'm changing over to a patriotic theme for the summer.  When the holly bushes were in, you couldn't see the bottom windows at all, which meant no light inside.  The windows on the right are the garage so that doesn't matter, but the windows on the left are the family room, that needs some light! I'll start on the left side though, it gets 8+ hours of sunlight per day.  ALL of these plants are sun loving plants.

There are two rosebushes and those are dwarf daylillies.  Unlike regular ones, the flowers don't get any taller than the greenery.  I added the white and pink geraniums today, the rest I planted last year.

These are the new daylillies I planted today to complete the boarder.  In the middle is a purple clematis (it was just a root last year).

I have a confession.  I do not like hate "knock out" roses.  I may have just hurt someone's feelings, but I have a deep dislike for these flowers.  Don't get me wrong, they are great for most people.  They are disease resistant, come in standard colors, and they are hybrids etc.  I just don't don't like the way the blooms look AND they don't smell.  It defeats the purpose in my mind.  So all of the roses I have shown you to this point have been the real deal.  I have to prune them, treat them with chemicals, and baby them.  BUT they make the BEST flowers.  When Hubby and I were shopping for two more flower bushes, I considered getting some nice hybrid tea roses in orange or yellow or something.  Instead what I found was this:

This is a "double bloom knock out" rose.  It looks more like a "real" rose, but it still doesn't smell.  I can live with that.  I bought two.  That's right. Two.  They were the most expensive plants I bought-$20 each.  BUT they are really pretty.  :)  hehehe.  Okay-so back to my list o' flowers.  I also have a peony, bleeding heart, and two blue salvia.

My idea is, this flower bed should bloom from spring to first frost.  Its awesome.  On my stoop I planted a gerbera daisies and wave petunias in two planters.

I also have a little gnome that likes to welcome people.  He was a gift from my mother.

The other side of the stoop.  I start my shade garden.  Here's my problem.  This side of my house gets very little direct sunlight, mostly indirect (8+ hours a day).  So I begin with mostly sun/partial shade plants and move to shade plants.  I added 4 new columbine.  Some species like sun, some like shade.  These liked sun.  I also have two white azaleas (I just planted), 1 peony (from last year), and some dianthus (begin shade plants). 

Here is a close up of my new columbine.

If you notice, I have plants not planted yet.  Let me show you why.

That is a yucca.  Or what is left of a yucca.  This is a full-size version:

Yucca Resource

Well.  We had those and holly bushes.  I don't know if you've ever tried to remove a yucca-you can't.  Its impossible.  I cut them back ALL SUMMER LONG and they kept growing.  I dug them up, and they kept growing.  Its like nothing I have ever seen.  This spring, I got the idea to cut them back and spray round up on them.  It seems to be working so far.  We will see.  So the reason I don't have the flowers planted is because of roundup.  

This is what is in the containers still.  I don't remember what they are called, but I LOVE them.  They creep along and make a NICE boarder plant for shady areas. 

The rest of the flower bed is shade loving plants.  I did manage to not plant any hosta here though-

I have a all-summer-long hydrangea, a rhododendron-bought on clearance last year because they forgot to water it, half of it didn't make the winter, but its doing better now-, dianthus and columbine.  Oh yes, and froggy.  Here is a close up of my shade loving columbine. 

This is where I keep all my gardening stuff.  It was built by Hubby's Father and Grandfather for my Mother-In-Law.  She gave it to me when Hubby and I got married.  I LOVE it.

If you don't have a potting bench, you really should consider it, especially if you are outside in the garden a lot.  Also, that bag there on the floor-that's my secret to successful gardening.  I always dig a hole for my plant, and put the plant in, then instead of just pushing the dirt back around it, I add new dirt from this bag.  It feeds my flowers for 3 months or something, but it really does make a HUGE difference in my flowers.  I also water everything with one of the miracle grow hose attachment things.  Its wonderful.  The other thing you need, is a friend to help you pass the time, I think I wore mine out-what would you say?

Brinkley

So that's what I've been doing today-what should I have been doing?  Working on my careplan, but that's no fun.  Thanks for stopping by, and I'll be more than happy to help with any questions you have have about planting flowers.  I sort of design flowerbeds as a hobby.  :) 

Thanks,

p.s.
I'm linking up to:

Transformation Thursday @TheShabbyChicCottage

Spring Wreath

So-I love LOVE spring.  I love the flowers, warm weather, how green everything is...I even love...the rain!  I currently have green things growing in my garden...with buds...so I am hoping that this weekend sometime I will end up with pretty flowers.  After all, my neighbor already has daffodils in her yard.  Which actually brings me to my project today.  My husband's favorite color is yellow.  It is a bright and cheery color actually.  My mother gave me an old grapevine wreath.  I needed a wreath for my front door.  So I went to DT and purchased a few (like 6-7) stems of daffodils.

I cut each bloom off and hot glued it to the wreath...

Once I had finished this and had it on the door, I wanted to do something for the inside too.  I had a couple sprigs of daffodil, some green hydrangea from my topiary project.  I had seen some Easter lilies at DT-so I went back.  I bought the white Easter lilies and a new wreath-about 12" so its not front door worthy.

At first I wasn't sure what to do-if I should just use the lilies, or what.  So I played.

I am a HUGE fan of symmetry.  I may have OCD (I'll find out this semester in psych-haha).  Plus I knew I wanted to add the color of the other flowers and not just have white.  So I tried this:

I wasn't exactly a fan.  So I scraped it and started over AGAIN.  This time, I ended up with:

Much better-but I still had that green hydrangea...

Ah-that's better.  It just sort of fills it out a little better-not really there for looks as much as volume.  I love it.  It is now hanging at the end of our hallway to the bedrooms.  Sorry, I don't have a picture of that yet.

My spring break is almost over.  :( I am sad, it doesn't seem like it has been nearly long enough.  AND I am not ready to go back to school yet.  I enjoy the break and getting to craft and decorate.  Our house has been sparse for far too long.

I hope you have enjoyed my wreaths!

-Jess

p.s. I'm linking up to:

More Spring...

I love food.  I love baked food, fried food, candy, cakes, soups, and even salads!  I simply love food.  One of my favorite places to eat is cracker barrel, mostly for the biscuits.  A few weeks ago, Hubby and I had gone in for dinner.  After we had finished I was browsing the "store" for things I wanted.  I stumbled upon this beauty:

Okay, so it was only $20 each-but I wasn't crazy about the really green moss-but I hold a special place in my heart for blue hydrangeas.  I had seen a few tutorials on topiaries, and figured I could do one as a hydrangea instead of greenery.  It would be the perfect size for a centerpiece, or to place on an end-table or something.  I'll figure that part out later.  The first thing is... pots. 

At first I thought a tarra-cotta.  I happen to have two of them.  I painted them brown and stenciled on flourish.  

Next I used two styrofoam  balls from the DT. 

A

Awesome.  Next I added some pretty hydrangeas...ONE BLOOM AT A TIME...I mean, I guess I could have just stuck the whole lot on there in bunches, but that wasn't what I wanted.  Its important to use glue as well-this can be a painful process, but I discovered, if you cover in a pattern-start at the hemisphere, and work your way out to both ends, your coverage is better and its a little more organized.  Unfortunately I did not discover this until after I had covered the first ball.  

I

I picked up these silks at the DT as well.  It took 4 or 5 to cover a 2" and 1" ball.  Very worth it.  I stuck the balls on my dowel rod, and stuck the rod in the pot.  I wasn't satisfied with the pot.  So I went to HL.  I LOVE this store.  This week they had all wooden pots 50% off.  SCORE!  So I found this adorable set.  Re-inserted the dowel and got:

Please do not mind Brinks...he wanted his picture taken.  I covered the base with spanish moss and added some glitter eggs for Easter.  I think I am going to cut the height of this just a bit...

So-what do you think? My first topiary!

Tomorrow I'll be adding something else...here's a hint. 

-Jess

p.s. I'm linking up to:

Market Yourself Monday @SumosSweetStuff

Modivate Me Monday @KeepItSimple

DIY Project Parade @TheDIYShowoff 

Something I Just Whipped Up @TheGirlCreative 

Making The World Cuter 

Make It For Monday @CottageInstincts 

Metamorphosis Monday @BetweenNapsOnThePorch 

Talented Tuesday @MyFrugalFamily

Whatever Goes Wednesday @SomedayCrafts

Spring is FINALLY here!

Its about 50 degrees outside today-and its cloudy.  BUT-that has not stopped me from opening the back door and letting the nice spring air into my house!  I have flowers coming up, and I anxiously await their blooms.  It was like magic.  One day there was dirt, and the next day there were green leaves and stems-with buds (can you tell I'm excited?).

Since I finished my chairs I've been working on decorating our living room.  Its this lovely shade of green-I believe it is called sweet mint.  We are hopefully going to replace the windows soon, so I haven't painted them, but I have painted the baseboards white and hung off white linen-esque curtains.  My Husband brought into this marriage a lamp (well, more than a lamp, but specifically a lamp).  It is a dark maple colored wood.  It has a little table on it.  It isn't my favorite lamp.  I painted the lamp the same way I did the kitchen chairs.

Sorry I don't have any "before" pictures-just trust me, this is an improvement.  I have been looking for a shade for this lamp-I wanted a barrel-type shade, and I particularly was smitten with the ones at pottery barn:

However, with me being a student (professionally) and living on Hubby's salary, there isn't a whole lot of left over money for splurges on $59 lamp shades.  So being inspired by several ladies out here in blog land I decided to make my own.  This happens to be problem #1.  I'm not nearly as crafty as I think I am.  At first I just thought I would recover the old shade.  This was a bad idea because the plastic was old and just cracked when you touched it-

Lampshde: 1
Jess: 0

So Then I went to the peddler's mall thinking I could find what I was looking for.  Of course I didn't, but I did find this:

$10...score!  So I don't like the lovely material, but again, I and pull it off and recover it right?  So I disassemble the shade.  and I get the two metal rings and this:

What I thought was plastic covered fabric, was instead poster board covered fabric.  Okay-still no problem right?  I have a template, so I can just cut my other fabric to match and glue and voila!  Alas, it was not meant to be-

Lampshade: 2
Jess: 0

So. I was at goodwill and had this epiphany (don't you love when that happens?) Why not have my bestie's boyfriend (he welds stuff as a hobby) make me a frame to the dimensions I want, and THEN I can cover it?  I'll let you know how that goes when he gets the frame back to me.

In the mean time, the lamp is sitting in the living room shadeless.

I love my birds and nests that are sitting there waiting on a shade.  The holders were made by me.  I had picked up the candlesticks and holders at goodwill for a few cents each (.75 to be exact).  I used frosted glass spray paint and frosted the bottoms, then glued them to the tops with some E6000-that stuff is AMAZING.  Then added some spanish moss, cute birdies, and eggs.  All from the dollar tree! 

I will keep you updated on:

• Flowers in the yard
• The lampshade

I also have a good topiary craft to share next time! It was so much fun!

-Jess