Monday, July 18, 2016

The Backyard: 7/17/16

Did you hear that giant sigh of relief?  We participated in our neighborhood open garden tour again this year.  It was this past weekend.  I opened both days.  I'm exhausted.  And completely overwhelmed by all the socializing.  Hence, the sigh of relief that it's Monday.


I ended the whole shebang Sunday evening by going out back and taking a dozen photos of The Cat.  Which led to yard pics, even though I told myself I wasn't going to add to the pile.
I am doing this post a wee bit different than usual, though.  No closeups, only pulled back shots.
It let me off the hook of renaming every photo.  Ha!
Plus, instead of listening to me babble a zillion plant ID's, you can just scroll.



Our old man kitty has had some major respiratory stuff goin' on for months.
It's been a chronic thing, on and off, for several years.
The vet, of course, wanted to do x-rays, scans, blah, blah, blah.
She said she's pretty sure he has a cancerous tumor behind his eye.
This cat has beat more than his fair share of odds, so we put him on antibiotics over the long fourth of July weekend and he's back up and runnin' again.
After months of pretty much just sleeping, he spent the whole garden tour weekend socializing.
He ended the day with a nap.




Seriously, best cat ever.


In other news, the last patch of lawn on the lot is gone.
I've spent months going back and forth over what to do with it.
The majority of it was bare dirt because of the dog pee, and my attempts at seeding and sodding were useless.
So, we bit the bullet and tore it all out the weekend before the open garden.
The Dad went and got a load of crushed quarter ten and we put that down where the lawn was.
So.  Much.  Better.
We also hauled in enough to skim coat the paths and fire pit area, where the pea gravel was, so everything would match.



It's actually pretty amazing how much bigger and more open it makes that space feel.



The fire pit area feels bigger now, too.


Now, I'll just wander around.



















Heading over toward the south side.


 




Someone, who was supposed to be in bed, was peeking out the window.


Turnin' around and heading back into the yard.













Goin' down the wine bottle path.






The deck.





Okay, maybe one closeup.
This is the first Dahlia to bloom.
The flowers are gigantic again this year.


Looking back toward the path.



Toward the new gravel area.





The patio dining area.
The Dad said his most asked question of the weekend was if he really uses the grill.
Yes, we ALWAYS use the grill.




I'm pretty excited about this Bleeding Heart vine.


It's so dang cute!




And last, looking back toward the deck.




So there ya go, an online version of the open garden tour.
Well, the backyard anyway.
Now that I'm done obsessively working in the yard to get ready, maybe I can finally get back into the swing of posting regularly.
Maybe.
It is summer, after all.



11 comments:

  1. ummmmm....I LOVE it all...a garden tour? Now that would be a blast! Can I pretend I'm a neighbor and come next year? :)

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  2. Magazine-worthy photography! You must have been really busy putting down all that fantastic gravel. It's so worth it though, isn't it? Your garden is perfection. Major kudos, my friend.

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  3. LOVE the gravel, Mindy! You're right, so open now, plus your beds are more the focus. :)

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  4. Wow you've done an incredible job creating a lovely backyard. Love the paths and plantings. The dog looks like she's wondering where her grass went...now where do I go to pee!! LOL... The area does look larger without the grass and I'm sure maintenance will be much simpler now. I like how the gravel looks- gret job! Sympathizing for kitty. We lost one 2 years ago to a big tumor in a lung of all things. We chose to let him live his life naturally for as long as he could. Sounds like he had a good time with all the guests touring about. Love the bleeding heart vine- I've never seen one before. Everything looks fantastic- you should be proud!

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  5. It's so hard when kitties get old not to try to do everything we can to make sure they last as long as possible. I still second guess my last kitty's demise from last fall. She had respiratory problems all her life too, and we finally had her checked out. They put her on steroids after finding nothing in her sinuses, which gave her diabetes, which eventually became unmanageable, which led to her death. It was a quick, downward spiral which began with our investigation into the sinus problem. Enough of that downer...Your garden looks fan-freaking-tastic! I wish I lived closer so I could have come. You could put a nice big pot in the center of that big gravel area now, maybe? Or more pots on the gravel near those chairs? I don't remember you having a bottle path. I adore it.

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  6. Great garden, great tour...I am thrilled to have seen it in person!

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  7. I'm sure your garden was the best of the tour! The hard work paid off and it looks great. I love your dahlia. My dahlias are doing so much better this year. It has been a much cooler summer this year. My old calico girl has had respiratory issues and arthritis later in her life but otherwise she is doing alrighty. She still follows me out in the yard and we are both happy together.

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  8. Absolutely wonderful!!! Looks so beautiful. Love the gravel too. What is that tall tree...looks like it has flowers on it....??

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  9. Absolutely wonderful!!! Looks so beautiful. Love the gravel too. What is that tall tree...looks like it has flowers on it....??

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  10. Aw, I'm so sorry I missed it, Mindy. Forgot to write it down, and when the weekend came, I was blissfully outside, working in my own messy yard. When I finally looked up, it was dark. Thanks for the tour - it looks fantastic! I love all your garden rooms, and some of those shots are pure magic. Well done, friend! You very much deserve to kick your shoes off, put your feet up, and enjoy the fruits of your labor. :)

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  11. Just wonderful Mindy. The garden looks wonderful with no lawn and graveled paths and fire pit area. Everything looks so lush and vibrant. I hope you are relaxing and enjoying the garden after your busy weekend.

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