The Hazards of Gardening...

I was chatting with a coworker the other day and she said that she doesn’t have anything that blooms in her yard because she is allergic to bee stings.  Wow… what a bummer!  I had never thought of that before.  That may be worse than a food allergy!!  Two of my greatest treats: flowers and food!

I find the front of my home to be boring and lacking in personality and color; simply because I have not yet come up with a plan for the landscaping.  Sure, it has shrubs: Boxwood, Manhattans, Nandina, etc.  But nothing that pops with personality and color.  Our Manhattans suffered a disease a few years ago that got my hopes up for new landscaping… sadly, they survived!

I would dearly love to have all of the shrubbery removed… the soil leveled and new landscaping put along the front sidewalk and porch.  Not only do we have to plant things that are shade tolerant… but we’ve got to battle the deer and select items that they don’t favor as well; because let me tell you... they see it as their personal smorgasbord.   It's a fairly large area though and would be a major undertaking, especially if done all at once.  Perhaps that is the key... I can make it a 10-step program!

The back yard is another story entirely and is really coming together - mostly because it’s where we spend all of our time.  Our biggest fear there is the danger of getting West Nile from the hundreds of mosquitoes that have recently hatched!  They are horrid!  Hopefully they’ll only be a real nuisance for a couple weeks and then retreat to the woods like good, self-respecting mosquitoes should!  Until then, we’ll bathe ourselves in DEET and perform our ceremonial dance around the citronella candle with our arms flailing and thrashing around our bodies as we try to ward off those evil buggers!

Don’t be shy…grab your favorite can of personal pesticide and join in!

Recently planted Black-Eyed Susan from a friend/coworker.  It seems to have really taken root. 

I can hardly wait to see it in full bloom!

Stella de Ora Daylilies and Purple Salvia from our neighbors.

I can't believe they are this beautiful their first year... 

Lord knows they were put through some major stress!

Yellow-Belly Woodpecker stopping by for a quick bite.

Mandevilla, "Sunny" Knock-Out Roses and Wisteria vine in the background.