Promised Pics ~ Courtyard Part II

Looking from the back yard to the front yard (West to East)

2 years ago I decided this would be my space...first up was to have the walkway scalloped...thanks Roy (oldest son) and Ed (hubby). In a month or so the arbor that you can see above the gate will be covered in the most yummy smelling jasmine...I stick my nose into that everytime I walk but it while it is blooming, in fact, during it blooming season I roll a blossom or two around in my hands after washing them! Natural perfume!

On the left side is the rock disk that my parents gave us...hilarious...When my parents were closing their nursery, daddy just KNEW we needed this disk that had been in their stock...so they loaded it into their truck with a tractor...drove 5 hrs to our house and then we all stood around trying to figure out how to get it out of their truck into our backyard...below is a better picture of the disk, which now has a cute little topiary in it along with these cute little pink flowering grasses that minic the ball of the topiary (I am hoping Blogger will enlarge this pic!).

In this picture you can see a bench..above the bench is the kitchen window. As soon as the flowers in the window box start blooming there will be wave petunia's flowing down color color color!...looking out the kitchen window always makes me smile, no matter what time of year. The other two windows are the livingroom. The box beside the bench is to house the water hose...but I think Ed has forgotten about moving the waterline, in the mean time it makes a great table to set my coffee cup/iced tea glass. There are 2 honeysuckles and 2 (???can't spell it???) arbervitums below the living room windows.Here you can see a better view of the clematis. Both are healthy plants, but one begins its blooming season a bit later, it is going to be beautiful when it starts blooming, it is already heavy with blossom heads. You can also see my other "down under" planter in the foreground with the one I showed in my last post in the background, down by the gate.This wall plaque is a special gift given to me by a young woman whom I discipled for 2 years prior to her marriage. Just before her wedding she asked me to baptize her. We had a private ceremony with her family, her fiance's family and a couple of close friends. It was a special time for everyone...especially for her fiance. They have been married for almost 2 years and are such a fun couple!

Courtyard plans for Summer 2006:

**kill off the grass on path**

**plant blue star creeper on path**

**place stepping stones on path**

I have all the stuff I need for each of the grandkids as well as my favorite (I know..I know, not suppose to have favorites, but I do!!!!...oh well) great-niece to make stepping stones... As soon as the stepping stones are done we will place them on the path and let the blue star creeper grow around them and fill in that area. I think it will be beautiful!

Ed just left to go pick up the rest of our hanging baskets. As soon as these last ones are hanging we are finished with the new stuff. Can't wait for everything to be in full bloom...color color color. I love color...have I mentioned that?

Since you asked:

Jeanne...Million Bells are miniture wave (or super) petunia's. There are other names for them as well (trumpet petunias etc). We have petunia's (mini's and regular size) all over the yard. I love how fast they grow, how much color they give off and the fact that they are rather forgiving if they don't get watered each day. I DON'T like having to deadhead them but I do it knowing that they will provide us with lots of color in the yard all season and into the fall.

Last year we had "issues" with our neighbor on the other side of the fence. Those issues have been resolved and this year we can get back to using (and enjoying) the courtyard whenever we choose without disappointment regarding what is going on on the otherside of the fence. When you live in town, when your houses are stacked up ontop of each other, you just don't always have life 100% as you would choose.

So...there you have it a virtual tour of our courtyard...please come have a cup of coffee or a glass of iced tea with me!