The New Forty?!

I've heard that 60 is the new 40 . . . well . . . right now I feel about 90!  I've been outside . . . in the heat . . . gardening all day . . . and feel every bit of my 63 years and then some!

The previous owner of our house was into shrubs in a big way . . . all planted too close together.  I'm more of a "flower child" and prefer cutting gardens.  So, out comes a few bushes and in goes a few flowers.  I moved one boxwood and dug out 3 other bushes, grass, clover and Bermuda runners until my hands and back ached.

Then I planted some peonies . . . that I'm sure won't do much this year.  They're still so small.  My dear friend Diane, who recently came to visit, brought me a very pretty hanging basket that I have nowhere to hang . . . so I divided it and planted it at either end of the peonies and put a few more petunias and dusty miller in there for color . . . mulched . . . wiped the sweat that was running in my eyes with a towel I soaked with the hose . . . yeah, it was hot!   And may I say I was filthy in the end and it will take days to get my nails clean!  I did wear gloves most of the time, but there's just something about the feel of dirt in your hands that I just can't resist.  It doesn't look like much right now . . . but, give it a little time!

Last week I took the weedeater to a small front garden . . . again full of shrubs . . . that I'm expanding.  Cut the grass as short as possible, dumped a heavy covering of grass clippings and covered it in cardboard.  The hope is that it will smother the grass and then I can rent a tiller (and save my back) and dig up the expansion . . .  move some more bushes and plant some BLOOMING FLOWERS!!!!  I attempted to dig it out last summer . . . it was just too hot last summer!  

See my little fig tree still caged in there on the right.  It has now reached the top of the cage and I'm going to have to buy some taller fencing!!!

My daddy made this sign for me several years ago . . . I love it!  The butterfly bush next to it is getting so big (along with the one next to it) it's covering up the bunny and about to overtake the sign.   Guess I'm going to have to move them too!

The hubs gave me an old tool caddy that I planted with impatiens and diamond frost for the back porch . .  I love those tiny white flowers!

I put the diamond frost in with more impatiens on the front porch too.

The hydrangea are starting to bloom . . . can't wait.  They look like they may be even fuller than last year!

My friend Holly (of Misty Hill Studio . . . check out her cross-stitch designs at:  www.mistyhillstudio.com) said she thought a lot of stitchers also liked to garden.  I find that to be true along with being readers . . . I know all my stitching friends do all three.  How 'bout you?

Gotta go put my feet up . . . sit a spell . . . and stitch!             ~*