where have we been?  what are we doing?  i know so many of you are curious.  after all it’s been longer than a month since our last post. it would seem like we haven’t been up to much, since we’re not posting right?  well, um, actually, we’ve been crazy busy!

the month of june was filled with times of celebrating with friends and planning for various organizations.

the beginnings of july has already been super-busy with our annual freedom fest party, jamesie’s parents visiting, and a mini-vacation road trip to cedar point and the pocono mountains. (more posts & pics to come…)

we just got home tonight, so stories & photos will have to wait until later.  stay tuned for more of our adventures!    

as many of you know we are not the most green-thumbed people.  yes, our grass is mostly beautiful and lush.  it feels awesome to walk on and we try hard to keep out the weeds and clovers and such.  actually jon tries hard, since i don’t spend much time doing yardwork.  my allergies really act up when i spend too much time outside while grass is being mowed, and i don’t really enjoy messing with plants and dirt.

but this year, i’ve decided to do something a little different. it’s taken me 5 years to get around to it, but i am trying to grow several perennials.  yep, i’ve chosen to get my hands dirty and work the earth around our house.  of course, i’ve selected simple plants, but i am still excited to see what happens.

recently i added 2 pink rose of sharons, 3 tiny plantings of sweet lavender, 6 hardy tall phlox, 6 missouri evening primrose, and 1 abelia (shipped as itty-bitty plants from michigan bulb).  last year, i planted 1 variegated wiegela, 2 peonies, and 2 creeping phlox, and surprisingly, the only plant not to survive was 1 of the creeping phlox (actually, i had to replace the original plant, and even the replacement died).  so this year, i was much more adventurous with my selection.  let’s hope these newbies survive me and our yard!  (see my photo album of my plants here)

however, today i decided to tackle the removal of 3 very annoying barberry bushes.  we planted them our first spring here in this house, and our reasons for picking the barberry escape me now, but after suffering several pokes from the bushes last year as i tended to the peonies, i refused to be stabbed by them more this year.  and so i had to convince jon that they were not worth saving, and find their replacements. but what do i know about shrubs, hedges, bushes or such?  very very little.  and this task has been daunting.

after thorough research, and finally asking someone at a local nursery, i narrowed my choices down to a potentilla or a little princess spirea.  i searched local garden centers and could not find decent looking plants in either variety at affordable prices.  so i went back to our local nursery and purchased 3 spirea little princesses.  my afternoon and early evening was spent cutting back branches, moving around rocks, spreading dirt & soil, and laying down mulch. i am glad the removal of the nasty barberries and the planting of the spireas is done.  now, we wait and see…