Changes

These aren't in the order I had planned, but I don't guess it really matters.  These are a few of the changes that have gone on around here. 

The black barrell is just another form of recycling.  It was once held minerals for the cattle, but I couldn't let it go to waste.  I washed it out, drilled some drainage holes in the bottom, and used it for a container for tomatoes and cucumbers.  There is another one with more tomatoes, too. 

On the left is one of my baby cucumbers.  I get so excited when I see another blossom.  If all the blooms turn into cucumbers I'll be making pickles!  The plants are very happy!  On the right is Logan's little gourd patch.  He thought birdhouse gourds would be so much fun, but he was afraid someone would try to get them, so he stuck toothpicks into the ground to "protect" his seeds...the seashells (picked out of the pea gravel) are supposed to be some kind of protection, too.  They've started coming up, and when they get bigger they will trail over the retaining wall so the gourds should be easy to pick.

Here is the brand new, rocked out front porch.  Before it was a mixture of concrete blocks, concrete basement slab, and it was NOT very pretty.  Now it's beautiful!  I love the rock.  I have several other ideas of what I want rocked next. (one end of the garage and the retaining wall are at the top of the list)  Once I get the plants, border rocks, and pea gravel in it will look lots better.  If you look really closely you can see Darrell (our blue heeler) lounging by the front door.  He doesn't have a weird pink spot on his face, he was just licking his nose.

And here's the deck.  It's clean but still unstained.  I plan on working on that little task this afternoon because it looks like the rain isn't going to happen.  I should have taken a before shot when there was nothing but an ugly weed patch under the deck.  We rolled out landscape fabric and topped it with pea gravel.  It looks so much cleaner and cooler than it did before, plus, it will be much less inviting for creepy, crawly critters.

My next project for the back is a flagstone patio just off the deck with a fire pit.  I'm trying to talk Chris into some kind of water feature,  like a pool, but he won't go for it.  Maybe I can talk him into a little waterfall...but that's a project for next summer.  I'm about landscaped out for this summer!