Outdoor details

Its changed a bit out there – huh?

I know how uninteresting this is going to be but it helps me keep track and maybe just maybe there is someone out there with a west facing front yard in Oklahoma that is looking for some plant ideas. Far stretch?

Well here is what I have going on now:

All the “bigger” bushes that line the front of the house on the right and the two that sit close to the porch on the left are Indian Hawthrone. They stay green all year – big plus – they also bloom in the spring and grow like crazy! I wont have to worry about weekly trimming like you would have to with a holly bush or boxwood. Low maintenance is key.

Autumn sage are the tree little guys to the left (close to the whiskey barrel) the little diddy’s were 3 for $10 and will grow much bigger and bloom red in the fall. You’ll see the other two (you can only see one in the picture) Indian Hawthrone’s in the middle of the picture behind the tree. To the right are nearly wild roses (they flank the sidewalk on either side) these guys bloom all through the summer and grow pretty fast too. They have a tendency to get too big but a yearly trim will solve that problem. On the left of the tree is a hydrangea bush that I got from my grandmothers funeral. I love that I have something more than cut flowers that will bloom year after year. As a matter of fact, the nearly wild roses were a gift from my coworkers after my grandma’s passing and kept in line with the same idea of giving something that wont die in a week but will last season after season.

The plan for the rest of the bed is to add some Nadina to the back corner behind the tree

It has that pretty red tips and doesn’t loose its leaves in the winter – bonus!

You’ll also see some more lantana in the front since it’s a flowering plant that comes back year after year and also trails kind of like a ground cover

And then some azalea’s for more color – they do great in this area!

Here is a rough draft of whats to come – not to mention mulch and trim around the bed

There might even be another tree or two up my sleeve but all in due time.

Anyone else out there landscaping? Who has a green thumb and wants to lend some expertise?

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Creative Planting

Bam! Didn’t see that one coming now did you?

An old floor lamp can easily be used for soooo much more after a nice coat of glossy spray paint.

Here I used it as a hanging basket stand – where the hanging basket it a three tiered wire holder in yellow.

I added moss and some potting soil then in went the plants

I love the shot of color the hot pink gives to the yard and those flowers in the yellow basket just scream happy don’t they?

The floor lamp could also hold a cute bird house, a fresh welcome sign, or maybe even a bird feeder. The possibilities are really endless and since you wouldn’t need a working lamp this project is CHEAP.

I got two floor lamps (another project coming soon with the other) a painting for $10 at a garage sale. Add on the $4 for spray paint and that gives you an easy project that wont break the bank.

In the manner of full disclosure I will tell you that my hanging baskets (after the plants are watered) are too heavy for the lamp base and it tends to tip. A single hang basket would be no biggie though!

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Weekend Happenings

Three day weekend – oh how I adore thee.

My best friend from home/college came in town for the weekend and we skipped the lake for some project fun.

Remember this piece?

Well, Lauren bought it from me and now it looks like this

That purple took only 9 coats.

Valspar – we are not friends!

Good thing its cute – right?

She also found some chairs that got a new look this weekend too

On Friday after work I headed to Home Depot because my parents told me there was a sale on mulch (4/$10). This just goes to show how exciting my life is – Friday nights at Home Depot getting mulch.

Too bad I made a Home Depot friend who sold me SIX – read it SIX – bushes for half off. I also grabbed up a few more little things and headed home to plant my little heart out.

Don’t mind the Iphone pictures – my mom had to tell me where to place these suckers. After a few moves I got them in the ground

Since landscaping tends to be pricey I am looking at these beds as a slow process. I still need mulch – which I didn’t buy because those bushes were way too enticing. I also plan to plant some flowers in the front areas closer to the side walk and maybe a few more bushes in the back left corner under the window behind the tree. (details on the landscaping to come this week)

We worked hard this weekend – I still have some more fun projects to show you – but we also relaxed a bit too

5 calorie Crystal Light Margarita + frozen strawberries (because someone didn’t have any ice) + Patron = tastiest treat EVER

Even better than that marg? This face!

Have a good one friends!

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Outdoor Updates

Working in the yard is back breaking work. Seriously – I wreaked my back on Monday night planting this silly little blueberry bush. Okay, so maybe it was more the lifting of the soil and compost but still my back is on the mend… slowly

When I  was home my mom and I stopped by a local nursery to grab some plants for my grandma. Little did we know on the clearance table would be a Pink Lemonade Blueberry bush. Half off and already blooming!

Lets be serious – there was no thinking twice if this was coming home with me or not.

The pot came from Lowes (even though I was disappointed in the their selection) and in it I put organic soil and mushroom compost.

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Now for a straw bale garden update…

Things are growing like CRAZY – even the grass seeds

On the right you'll see the veggies – tomato plants are starting to vine down but at the moment they are taking the peppers with them… gotta steer them in the right direction

Cucumber plant starting to vine – YAY

I have been having issues with little knat type bugs on the underside of my veggies. They weren't really eating the plants up but just pesky. I grabbed this organic insect killer and it seems to be working. It safe for veggies up to the day of harvest so I have been spraying it every couple days to kill any new buggies.

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I recently transplanted a bunch of monkey grass around the patio. The patio is such a big slab of concrete that I wanted to disguise it a bit. I think once the monkey grass gets settled and starts growing it will fit the bill perfectly.

To me it already softens the look of the patio – maybe next ill pull up the grass around that area and make it look more like a flower bed… who knows

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Once I potted my blueberry bush and the monkey grass I realized it would need to be watered most every day and my soaker hose I use for the garden wasn’t going to cut it.

When I was at Lowes I grabbed a faucet splitter and now I am able to use both hoses together or separately. Works like a charm!

Anyone been working in the yard as of late??

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Take a Se(a)t-tee

I had high hopes of having my pink chairs recovered.

Then I priced it out and realized it would be cheaper to buy new chairs.

Bubble busted.

I figured if I was going to put something in the chairs place it needed to be love seat sized. One chair just wasn’t cutting it.

Enter: settee

My mom found this $30 beauty on craigslist and when I  was home this past weekend we went to look at it and immediately bring that bad boy home.

Talk about perfect fit

The fabric is in perfect condition. The wood has a bunch of chippy paint and I will probably paint it sooner (or later) in a color that pops a bit more.

You just cant get something in this good of shape for $30.

Honestly, I thought it was a typo and she wanted $300 not $30. The clouds parted though, $30 buckaroo’s it was!

Now I have more seating, a conversation piece, and something to add some vintage flair.

Welcome to the family settee. We are glad to have you

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