I played in the dirt today….

If you were expecting to see my girls with their skirts attached to the bodices, I’m sorry to tell you, it didn’t happen. I woke up early to help my hubby plant some boxwood bushes at our church. It’s hard work digging 6 holes and planting and mulching, but they sure looked nice! I don’t know why I didn’t take a picture of our work… maybe another time…Mission #1 accomplished!

As soon as I helped my hubby get his tools cleaned off, I headed to my mom’s house to help her with some paperwork…major paperwork. I took all the papers out of her files and all the other papers laying around and laid them in stacks on her bed.

Then I sorted through them and threw out all the old statements that weren’t needed any longer. We made new files and put them all away! Mission #2 accomplished…

When I got home about 6:00, my hubby asked me if I could help him plant 4 new tomato plants. (He had taken a nap… no fair!) He also had bought some flowers for my big pots! (What a guy!) He has slowly been working on getting a corner of what we call our “courtyard,” ready for a “small” garden. (the courtyard is actually just the remains of an old in-ground pool that was filled in with dirt and grass planted. Sometimes we call it our cement pond!) My hubby LOVES fresh tomatoes and he just couldn’t make it through a summer without some to eat. We used quite a few bags of good rich Miracle Gro stuff to make the young plants take off. They are now planted, mulched and a net has been put around them to keep the birds from picking the blooms off the plants. Finally Mission #3 accomplished!

You’ll have to be happy with my outdoor pictures today, because it’s all I have! Our yard needs to be mowed again, so overlook the bits of shagginess here and there.

Here are the tomato plants in our new “little” garden…

I have 2 of these super heavy terra cotta pots that my flowers are planted in…

The Clematis is climbing up the trellis my hubby built a few years ago.

Back by my hubby’s shed we have a huge Sum and Substance hosta, some ferns and a mulberry tree that my hubby trims back every year and I think surely he’s trimmed it too much and it won’t grow back, but it does. By the end of summer it will be round and bushy and as tall as the roof!

The Redbud tree that we’ve had in the backyard, got a huge crack in it and we had to cut it down a few weeks ago. We planted 2 Tulip Poplar trees on either side of where the tree trunk was. You can see one of the young trees here.

…and here is one last shot just taken across the back yard. Our grass is lush and green right now and very pretty… :o)

I don’t know how my hubby keeps going… he’ll probably pay for all he did today, tomorrow!! It’s 11:10 and I’ve got a bed with my name on it!

I was going to take a picture of my hands when we got done with our planting, but they were too gross! Did anyone else get to play in the dirt today?

See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne

17 thoughts on “I played in the dirt today….”

  1. Me!! I spent a good chunk of the morning at church,trimming, weeding, etc,, then came home and did more at home. Things are growing like crazy now, aren’t they? I absolutely loved seeing your beautiful yard, and know it’s not easy to keep it looking so pretty and well kept. You have to love working outside with your hands for you and George to have such a lovely yard. Love the clematis, but whoa, it’s blooming already? Mine doesn’t bloom until the middle of May! I can’t believe the mulberry tree will get anywhere by late summer! The only other place I have seen a mulberry tree is in the children’s garden at the Botanical Gardens.

    You have such a nice level yard, so probably no problems with water coming from uphill like we do! Let’s hope that we get some rain, it has been awfully dry here lately.

    1. HI Linda,
      So there WAS someone else playing in the dirt yesterday! YOU! I hope you got lots accomplished too! It’s nice to be outside, but it was pretty warm to be doing yard work!
      Our yard actually slopes from the courtyard area to the side where the garage is, but we’re used to it now…
      Thanks for you sweet comments, Linda,
      Blessings, Jeanne

  2. After sending the pictures of my tiny “yard,” I had been hoping to see more pictures of your beautiful big yard and here they are with the interesting selection of plants and trees. Love the clematis and the Japanese-style trellis. The shed and gazebo look so substantial in the big yard. I had never seen tulip poplars with the huge leaves nor a mulberry tree. It’s the “Here were go round . . .” tree. That’s what happens with Bougainvillea bushes here, cut way back and then huge again. Let’s see it again when it is all leafed out and grown up. I’m worn out just hearing about what you and Linda did yesterday.

    1. HI Susette,
      We have an acre of land, and would like to have had more, but when I see the work that an acre takes, it’s enough! I just looked through my pictures and didn’t see but one picture of the mulberry tree, and it was kind of hidden behind the gazebo… I’ll have to keep looking.
      Thanks for your sweet compliments….
      Blessings, Jeanne

  3. I forgot to mention a beautiful website on Facebook that has pictures of Belle Epoque Glamour, and that’s the name of the site. Nothing for sale, just beautiful pictures from the 1870s through 1914. The November 14, 2016, post has a beautiful picture of the woman who started the site. Have fun with it if you take a look.

    1. HI again, Susette,
      I’ll have to take a peek at the site, so I can get inspired!
      Thanks for the info!
      Blessings, Jeanne

  4. What a lovely yard – it is “park-like”. I’m sure you and George have put a lot of time and work into it. I love your gazebo. It must be nice sitting out there. The flower garden George is working on, is so very nice and the clematis is beautiful. My mother-in-law had a beautiful purple one too. Her purple blossoms looked darker in color though if I remember right.
    With the rain we’ve had, our yard is so lush and green. We want to plant tomatoes also and a few other yearly flowers.
    I too would love to see a picture of your mulberry tree later on.

    1. HI Paula,
      It’s so nice when the grass is green and lush like it is now, instead of when it turns brown from the heat of the hot summer days.
      I love the Clematis and think the blossoms are so pretty! My dinner plate hibiscus is just starting to come up through the ground.
      I’ll share some more pictures as other things bloom out.
      Thank you Paula,
      Blessings, Jeanne

  5. You have a beautiful backyard! It is so peaceful looking. And you have a gazebo! I have wanted one all my adult life. Oh, it must be lovely to go and sit out in your yard on a summer evening.
    I did not get to play in the dirt yesterday. Work got in the way. I did get to play over the weekend though. It was just some preliminary cleaning up since it is still too early to plant here. It still felt good though.
    Hope you have a good day.
    Take care.

    1. HI Charlotte,
      I do like our gazebo too. It used to be in a different place, to the left of the “courtyard,” but it was too close to our neighbor, and we felt like when we sat in it, we were in their front yard. so we drug it with a tractor to our back yard and love it much better where it is now.

      It’s nice to be outside when the weather is cooperating, isn’t it? Hope you find some more outside time soon…
      Blessings, Jeanne

  6. Good job on the paper reorganization. Will be so nice in the long run. Know your mom appreciates.
    Wow, the yard looks amazing! Unlike our lush green weeds. Just haven’t had a free moment to even get out and start pulling. Seeing yours is quite an inspiration. Your planted pots look great and the tomatoes already planted? Amazing. Out here, we don’t plant until May because we often get late frost. We planted one of your tulip poplar’s years ago. Quite huge now. I understand they line the road at one of the presidential homes. Can’t remember which one. They are very old.
    By the way, loved seeing your brick pile. We too have a similar one. Always were going to do something with them but not yet. We pulled them up when we put on an addition years ago.
    Hope you’re not too sore from all of that planting. 🙁

    1. HI Joy,
      I just hope the papers “stay” where they were put. It was a huge undertaking!

      We planted a Tulip Poplar by our garage 4 years ago and it is probably 30 feet tall now! They grow fast and my hubby loves the shade they give.

      Oh, the brick pile… my uncle was an excavator and he tore down an old fruit packing building. He knew we loved old things, so he told us we could get as many bricks as we wanted before they hauled them all away. We worked for 3 days in over 100 degree weather, hauling pickle buckets full of them, then dumping them in my hubby’s truck bed and hauling them home. It was the hardest work I have ever done in my life! We have used them all over the place and we still have a huge pile of them left. I wanted to make some walkways in our “courtyard” area, but never have …YET! Maybe some day…

      I’m not too sore, but I sure was tired last night!
      Thanks Joy,
      blessings, Jeanne

  7. My you certainly had a busy day, but it always feels good to get so much accomplished. What a lovely big yard you have. I like the little plumed celosia plants you have planted. Those and the cockscomb variety bring a lot of colors to garden beds and pots. Your clematis looks nice as well. We have an old-fashioned blue variety on the corner of the front porch and I’m always happy when it blooms. That’s too bad about your redbud. We have a redbud planted where we lost a beautiful flowering plum a few years back. The lilac bush is heavy with flowers… I love that smell. I have a few pieces in my flower press right now and hope that the smell will stay.
    The tomatoes are an absolute necessity. I’m clearing out the two beds where they will go next to the thornless blackberries. My favorite all around tomato beyond the typical Big Boy, Beefsteak etc. is Juliet, it’s technically a roma paste, but it is wonderful in salads , pasta salads and just as is. We’ve even tried some old-fashioned varieties such as Brandywine.
    The start to the dresses were very sweet yesterday. Noel, as your newest cutie is getting a lot of attention. *smile* I would have guessed Kirsten would be next to model. I could be wrong , but I only recall her getting that Midsummer dress last year. I am more observant of certain AG’s being on the cutting table, Addy or whoever is doing Civil War, Felicity and Kirsten because she’s the one who technically started PC/AG love here.

    1. HI Laura,
      I like my flowers too… he picked them out all by himself! I love cockscomb too… there’s nothing much prettier than they are! I love lilac bushes too. Our neighbors have several and I love it when the wind blows across my yard and I get a nice whiff of them! They smell so wonderful!
      You were almost right… Kirsten is coming next. I was going to do her first, but wanted to do something fun and little before I tackled a big project like Kirsten’s. I haven’t figured out my fabrics for her yet, but I will about half way through the dresses I’m making now.
      I got the skirts attached, and was going to sew on them this evening, but Kristoffer just called and said he was coming over. I might have to just sew anyway…
      Thanks Laura,
      Blessings, Jeanne

  8. I got my hands in the dirt this morning, planting herbs and pansies. The tomatoes have to wait until after the rain. We had some, and then I went to the bank and grocery, and, thinking it still looked like rain, did inside work, and it rained again. We certainly need it and expect more tomorrow. If it clears Saturday morning, I can go to the market for more tomatoes and plant the entire bunch. I’m looking for cherry tomatoes because they seem to do best in my backyard — the ones I have a regular size heirlooms, and they are great, but I want lots, and lots means growing cherry tomatoes. My neighbor’s trees have grown enough to shade the back, which really is good, not so much for the tomatoes but definitely for me and the house.
    My clematis won’t be ready to bloom until June. Yours now, then Linda’s, and finally mine. The iris is growing but not even beginning to bud. I need to check the greenhouse for lemon verbena. It’s smells so lovely.

    1. You are inspiring me even more to get those weeds out. The thought of the tomatoes is great anticipation as we haven’t been able to grow any for two years. This year for sure.

    2. HI Marilyn,
      I’m glad you were able to play in the dirt this morning and get a few things planted. It’s a lot of fun to see the things you’ve planted growing…even better to eat them!
      It was forecast to rain here today but it never did… came close but no drops!
      We planted one little cherry tomato plant as they make great salad fixings!
      I hope your weather cooperates and you get the tomato plants planted this weekend.
      Thanks Marilyn,
      blessings, Jeanne

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