FRONT Yard Views where SOMEBODY Needs to Do Some WORK

 

When I got back from my morning walk, I glanced over at my front yard...and thought, " Great , SOMEBODY needs to mow these weeds out here. " Then I kept walking down the drive , turned down my headphones a bit, I was listening to a sermon by a preacher on Sluggard Christians...and thought wonderful...I guess that somebody is me who needs to mow.

I went inside, pulled my headphones off my head, got some more water, looked at Maxine on the floor,  lounging in air-conditioned comfort.. and went out to the garage to get the mower.  I usually mow, but it has been so atrociously hot and humid this Summer, and my body has decided after many decades of being OK with heat...to rebel...and put it's foot down. I cannot take the heat like I used to be able to , of course being in the high 90's and 100's this Summer with humidity added in makes it dangerous for most people to be out full throttle doing anything outside. 

But makes me feel pretty gimpy after being able to ' take it ' for some many years.

Alright, enough of me being wimpy about the heat...let me show you a few things in the front yard.

 

Here is Ms. Maxine checking out the yard to see if any intruders have left their scent overnight.

This front yard , by the way, used to be a normal front yard, with only yard and some azalea bushes to the base of the house. I went to work in the front yard first, about 9 1/2 years ago , I would bring my little son out in his playpen, work planting monkey grass ( lirope ), all down the side walk, down the front of the house, and bordering the beds.

Here it borders a bed I created by digging up my yard, planting privets on the surround , a rose bush is tucked in that mess somewhere, and you see the very large lantana that comes back every year to the far right.

Oh, I also planted that pink crape myrtle.

Gee, SOMEBODY needs to take better pictures and weed this bed.

I  have a gardening friend who hates lantana, I love it..it comes back every year...and this one is located outside my computer-office-waste time area so I can look out and see butterflies and hummingbirds.

I have very poor soil, these privets ( below ) should be huge, but the soil is so poor they don't grow but maybe a few inches , instead of feet a year. I like the  wispiness of a privet. Plus they have fragrant , pretty white flowers in the Spring.

Wispy. Planted them and down below you see the lirope in bloom . Planted it all with ' found ' or borrowed plants.  I'm boring you with privets, so I'll show you something else. 

 

I made this walkway last Summer, somebody needs to weed around it.  I  love to use pebble pavers, they are impossible to find anymore around here, and then some vintage clay bricks in between , almost always found on my walks.

The bare spot to the front is Maxine's spinning spot-take-off pad where she spins in circles before I take her for her walk. This little path leads to a sitting area that I made about 7 years ago, that is not used very much because of MOSQUITOES that are rampant in the city this year.

Every year, the mosquito- mafia invades the Deep South . Ignore the weeds please.

This is the little ' sitting room ' out front.

We painted the big urns black, I painted the lattice accent in the back black, the flowers on the little stand I made with an old birdbath base from the 1940's, and then my husband caulked a round paver on top. Flowers are pitiful on top as someone forgets they are there. Birdbath or fountain bases can still be useful.

Then I put two of my black iron chairs here. Tried to create a little privacy , as we are on a busier street during the morning and evening commutes.

I just dug up this part of the yard, back when I did this little sitting area my older son helped with the digging , since he's into lifting weights bigtime...I deduced he could work faster than me anyway.

To the left of this area is a iron trellis with Carolina Jessamine vine that will take over next Spring, and I made the little border beds in front with hollies ( boxwoods )and , lirope, and bricks.

On this side of the front is the lovely pink crape myrtle ...

I'm just such a fan of these blossom-generous trees. Fluffy pink .

And to the back of the sitting area is a giant white crape myrtle that the squirrels love to scamper up on top of our house from everyday.

Here is the side statue of Spring , tucked in the bushes.

I enjoy finding statues tucked into secret places in yards and gardens.

The picture above was when the hydrangea was in bloom a few months ago.

Lastly I will show you the side to this area I made a few years ago, and then have been blending them together.

I love my front entry fountain, and the Mexican petunias are coming back veeerrryyyy slowly in the front blue container. I have not weeded here or done much in about two months.

Slack gardener/yard-lady.

I will stop here, this is too long, but will show you the other side tomorrow.

I hope you have a peaceful day, evening...wherever you are,

Gina