Green Thumbs

So, when we moved into this condo, no one had lived here in over 6 months and it hadn't been taken care of very well in those months. I totally don't blame my parents though - who would want to take care of a house you don't live in? One thing that had very obviously been ignored was the outside. There are a few flowerbeds and a big yard in the back that look like they hadn't had any attention in much longer than 6 months. Apparently, the people who lived here before my parents bought it had just let the plants and flowerbeds do what they pleased, because they were full of leaves and the flower pots were being used as a litter box for someone's cat! My mom bought me some cute geraniums to try and perk up the place (especially the front deck), but they only filled up two of the bigger flower pots and I still had a few that were empty and ugly.
I was glad to have some perky color on the deck, but wanted to get it totally done. So, David and I headed to Lowe's and bought a bunch more plants and flowers to get everything taken care of. We spent the ENTIRE day outside (yay!) working on the yard. I potted the plants and he got rid of the 750,000 Live Oak leaves that had deposited themselves on the deck. He also discovered that the pile of concrete things in the corner of the garage were actually parts of a fountain, so that was a fun project for him and he got that all set up in the flowerbed, too!














I LOVE the fountain (not a fan of the orange extension cord that it takes to get it to work, though... still figuring that out)! We did have to run to the neighborhood hardware store to get a new pump, but Mom had given us a coupon to use, so it wasn't all that expensive and it looks SO good! I love the sound, too; it's very comforting and relaxing. What a great surprise that was!

I found some cute little impatiens to put in this cute holder that is hung on the railing near the front door. They might outgrow these pots soon, but they are cute for the time being.
















I am really excited about the herbs I bought to grow on the deck, too! I got basil, rosemary, and parsley and I cant wait for them to get a little bigger so I can start cooking with them. I hear that herbs are a little finicky, so I hope I can get them to survive. It will be so fun to make a caprese salad this summer with fresh tomatoes and basil from right outside!
I found this cute bench in the garage, so I thought I'd use it on the deck and the pot I had the herbs in fit perfectly on top. I hosed it off and just set it out there. I think it's very cute!

I also got a pretty hanging plant for the back porch. We have a lot of deer around here (for example, they lay about 20 feet outside our back door and sleep), so you can't have any real types of flowers or bushes in areas they can reach. Luckily, we have the front deck that is totally closed in, so they can't get my flowers there, but we are very limited with what we can plant in the back. The previous owners already had some chains hanging out on the back porch to hold a plant, so I thought this bougainvillea would be a pretty thing to put out there up high so the deer cant reach it! Its also pretty to look at from the living room looking out, when the curtains are open.

Here is a picture of the back yard looking out from our back porch. It's only about 5o feet to the bushes (that's where the deer hang out). Behind those bushes is a fairway on the Lost Creek Country Club golf course. David rearranged the bird baths and put them beside the bench (all that was already there, and randomly placed around the yard) and I think it looks really good now. It's much more symmetrical (which I love) and it makes more sense now. I'm lucky to have a big, strong man living with me to be able to move all these heavy things around at my whim. :)















This is a picture of the whole front deck, just to show you it all at once!









I am very happy with the way everything turned out. It was another "first time" thing for us, and it was really fun being outside together all day. I love being outside and I love being with David, so it was a win-win for me! :) Hope you liked the tour of the yard!

Have a great day!