This has been a relatively productive summer, and there will be some additional posts to reflect that. But sometimes it's just good to sit back and enjoy what you have. One instance of that is the plethora of flowers, bushes and trees that bloom on 173's one-tenth of an acre. Yup - postage stamp! Not to brag but, the yard gets alot of compliments. People come from across the neighborhood to see it sometimes. One lady wanted to include it in a paper she was writing for a college class, and one time there was a group of teenage girls (whom we had never seen before) using the yard as a backdrop for a photo-shoot! Of course that was not always the case. When we first arrived lo those many years ago, there was some spirea, a rose bush, and some other flowering bush. I think that was pretty much it. Here's a bit of a representative pic: |
| Awww, there's the old Bruegger-Meister! |
And here's the front fence. 173 is a corner lot, so the fence was put in to keep people from beating a path across the front yard. As it turns out - a very happy circumstance!
The honeysuckle was a very early addition to the yard. I always wanted honeysuckle, for some reason it hearkens back to my childhood, but I don't think we had any. Maybe from some childhood book - Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer, the Hardy Boys?
And Bee Balm - which coupled with the honeysuckle always draws the hummingbirds!
No idea what this one is called, but it sure looks nice!
Then there's this ornamental grass, maybe a Russian Giant?
A friend at work gave me a cutting from her Rose of Sharon a few years ago, beautiful addition!
Oh, and speaking of volunteers - see that pumpkin?
One of my favorite spots. Started out with just the lilac, but has grown into a great little retreat:
From early spring. If you haven't figured out by now, this post is neither in chronological nor any kind of logical order!
And one of my absolute favorites - the poppies!
Another one that I have no idea of its name, but another of those little surprises one finds when poking around the yard.
It's late summer so the vegetable garden is fading, but the flowers aren't!
Along the back fence grows wild grapes...another volunteer!
And what can beat fresh-from-the-garden tomatoes?
Remember that picture a few shots up where I talked about one of my favorite spots? Here's the other side of it. The anchor plantings are the lilac and a Canadian hemlock (which I gotta prune soon before it gets outta hand!)
And finally, here's one of those great treasures; walking in the driveway and seeing this little beauty peeking out!
This was by no means a comprehensive log of all the stuff at 173, but hopefully it gives a nice sense of what goes on here! I know I sure love it!