The Front Yard

Our yard has gone through lots of rearranging. We don't have a back yard, so our little space has to accomodate the kids running around plus all their friends and the toys they've had through the years. We finally have it a little better organized and hopefully it will stay that way. I try not to let the kids have too many toys that I think won't get played with often, as they just turn into more clutter - even outside toys.

The flower beds have been a lost cause for years. I always plan to just get rid of them, but then Spring comes and they look alive with flowers coming up. But by summer time, its all weeds. So this year, with the help of FlyLady ( www.flylady.net )I plan to stick with mowing and weeding and keeping the beds looking nice even in the hottest part of summer. It will give me a good reason to get outside in the evenings and enjoy a cool breeze - if we have one.

These are some photos of the yard from past years and projects....


The plum tree blooming outside the office window - Spring 2002


Hedwig sitting in the flowers on the fountain - Spring 2002


Rhiannon riding down the hill of the kids'play area. Summer 2002


Rhiannon by the old swing frame we moved to the perennial bed. I wanted to get more use from the bed but didn't want to buy more flowers or put too much work into it. The frame became an arbor type area for a seating arrangement - The kids were always knocking down the chairs however and it was too hot to sit there in the summertime - so this year its going to be a pathway from one section of the yard to another with a welcome sign, hanging baskets, and lanterns and windchimes etc.


Very unexpected snow in late March 2003, had been in the 70s all the week before.

I took photos of the yard today after I had spent all day sweeping the porch and mowing the yard with our human-powered push mower. Its a great way to work out since it takes a lot of strength to mow our whole yard with that type of mower. I'm still sore from it! I'll keep taking photos throughout the year showing the different phases of the flowers and trees etc. I wonder how little grass I'll have this year after a summer of kids running around on it.






This is the fountain Hedwig was on last year. The only thing I can get to grow well in the shallow soil is sedum, but it fared very well over the winter.

The following photos were taken on April 29, 2003.

These two are of the pinks and ajuga blooming in the flower bed around the swing set that is now an arbor for my rose bush and the pathway from the front section of the yard to the kids play area.



This is the same fountain as shown about just about one month later. The Snowball Bush is in full bloom, and the blooms are so heavy it's falling over onto the fountain. The sedum has really taken hold and is flowing over the tiers of the fountain like water would have. Its turned out better than I'd hoped.


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