Progress at the Farm

I've been hard at work on the flowerbeds - along the driveway, around the house.

Leaves had to be raked and briars dug up. Good grief. Those things have huge tubers...no wonder you can't kill them!

I kept finding more and more until I had a huge pile of potato looking tubers.  The plant is Smilax. It grows all over the place.

They fought me leaving me scratched up but I won! The bed is cleaned out. 

 There were several creeping lantanas in front of the garage. They take over the sidewalk every Summer so I dug them up - all sixteen of them. I transplanted them to the driveway bed which should be the perfect spot for them. They can spread out and bloom away. A big bonus - butterflies love them!

I know it doesn't look like much now, but soon the slope will be covered in yellow blooms.

My oldest sister gave me 4 native lantana bushes. They got planted along the driveway too in the back of the bed.

Oh! While digging the briars out, I kept finding these concrete edger pieces buried under the dirt. Once upon a time, I think there were some really pretty flowerbeds here. #thankyouformerowners! 

I used them to edge the back flowerbed behind the garage. It should help keep the dirt and plants where they belong. :o)

Jay and Bruce got all the leaves raked up in the front wooded area where the little dogwood tree is budding out. I see a flower peeking out at me!

I'm excited about getting this area cleaned up! I can't wait to plant a woodland garden!

Random bulbs that were half buried in the leaves!

I can just picture a pretty bench in this area facing the house with pretty plants. With the years of leaf accumulation gone, I can finally see my vision coming to life!

Plus, I started weeding the front flowerbed. Can I just say it's going to take time? #neglectedforwhoknowshowmanyyears and full of weeds.

Spring is showing up early in all sorts of ways - tiny wild violets

With several of the trees sporting a hint of green and the redbuds blooming.

The bees were buzzing all over the redbuds! #buzzbuzz

And all the outside trim on the studio is up and painted! Woohoo! It looks so good!

Next time the door will get its new red coat. Then the outside will officially be done and it's onto the interior!

Definitely making progress! It sure helps that the weather has been so mild. I just hope we can get most of the outside stuff done before the heat hits. All in all, it was a very productive couple of weekends.

A Flowerbed, Finished Bench, and a Pet Portrait

We spent Memorial Day weekend at the farm...it's always nice to have a long weekend. Again we had near perfect weather and we got to enjoy it in our peaceful and beautiful surroundings.

Before I go on, I'd like to take a moment to remember all who have served or are serving our nation to ensure our freedom. We are grateful for your service and sacrifice. So a huge "Thank you"!

I brought a few plants up to put in the flowerbeds. I cleaned out an area by the front door (the liriope/ monkey grass had completely taken over) and planted my oak leaf hydrangea my MIL gave me, plus some Salvia too.

 These concrete edger pieces have been sitting by the front door since we bought the place. I finally found the perfect use for them!

So much better!

And some of the plants I planted last time are actually starting to bloom!
The Black and Blue Sage:

The Little Buckaroo rosebush:

Everything is doing really well. I'm so excited to have lots of places to garden in.

I also finished my bench! Here's what it looked liked before I started work on it:

I shared last time how we took it apart started work on it. It was ready this weekend to paint! I put two coats of paint on the slats, let them dry, and then Bruce helped me put it back together. It's the perfect accent for the front porch and it's a great spot to relax with a glass of iced tea and favorite magazine or book. Won't you join me?

I love the turquoise color!

 We went over to our neighbor's vineyard Saturday night as he was hosting a Humane Society fund raiser. They had "Wall Work by Judy" there doing a "Paint Your Pet" party. We brought a photo of a pet in and she showed us how to paint a colorful pet portrait. I had a good headshot of Buddy so I painted him. It's different from the way I normally paint but quite fun to do. I have to admit, I'm very happy with my painting!

It looks really good on the mantel. I need to do one of Herbie too so I have a painting of both of them.

I also refreshed my chalkboard art:

My long chalkboard canvas is perfect for hiding the fireplace surround where the paint has worn off and looks yucky. :o)

The dewberries are still plentiful...I picked enough for two more pies. The vines behind the barn are full but not yet ripe - it's a good crop this year! And the blueberries are doing great too, I'm happy to report. We should be picking those in a few weeks.

It was so wonderful to have an extra day there. We had such a good time with friends and working/relaxing on the farm. It was a great kickoff for Summer.

Until the next time,

Cecilia

I am linking up at these parties!
Fluster Creative Muster-linky-party-73
Lavender Garden Cottage:Cottage-Style-Party
Cozy Little House Tweak-it-tuesday-91
Revisionary Life Thrifty-life-thursday-20