Remember last week when I said I wanted to tackle this flowerbed?
I am happy to announce that IT. IS. DONE.
I mean, everything still has to grow and whatnot, but still. I feel we’ve made significant flowerbed progress.
I ended up using a hodgepodge of stuff from the clearance rack at Lowe’s (have I mentioned how much I adore the clearance rack at Lowe’s? I ADORE IT.) - the only full-price flowers were the impatiens, but they’re almost impossible to find on sale this time of year.
And I would now like to bore you with some up-close pictures of the stuff I planted.
And here’s my trusty helper.
Because when you’re planting a flowerbed, you always need a helper who is willing to spray water on every stationary surface within a one hundred-foot radius, and yes, that includes the helper’s mama, who, by the way, DOES NOT ENJOY HAVING WET HAIR IN THE OUT OF DOORS UNLESS THERE’S A POOL INVOLVED, THANK YOU.
So anyway.
I’m going to sit on the couch and read a book now.
And said book will not have anything to do with gardening.
Now do have a lovely night.
Mandy says:
Wow! It looks great! Maybe I should blog a goal or two to give me some motivation…Nah. :)
May 19th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
Stephanie says:
Looks good! Hubby loves the clearance rack at Lowes too! One time on Christmas eve he went to lowes in the morning. They had a BUNCH of evergreen “trees” that were marked down to ONE PENNY EACH! He bought all he could fit in the car! We put big red bows around some of them and gave them to neighbors as gifts!
May 19th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
PJ says:
Love the flowers. I “contain myself” with big flower pots. No real digging in the dirt…just pouring soil from the bag into the pot. I feel inadequate when faced with a real plot of ground to stuff plants into. :)
May 19th, 2008 at 7:21 pm
Melanie says:
Wow! You did I lot of work and all in the Alabama heat. Awesome job.
May 19th, 2008 at 7:43 pm
Natalie Witcher says:
Just loverly.
May 19th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
Sarah says:
I love love love mulch. It’s so much classier than dirt ;)
May 19th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
PajamaMama says:
I am SO proud of you!!! How lovely! We have impatiens that keep coming back year after year!
So…what book ru reading, anyway?
Jeannie
May 19th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
Lora Lynn says:
good for you. we’ve had a shovel, bags of sand, and 140 bricks sitting in our front yard for almost two weeks. we are THAT classy.
May 19th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Linda Sue says:
Coleus - you did coleus! and hostas - oh my what glee in my heart - oh that plus the sweet Howard’s croc covered feet. You’ll enjoy the flowerbed and the showers of praise - did I hear you were doing a garden tour this year??
May 19th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
The (Almost) Amazing Mommarino says:
Bee-yoo-tiful!!! You’ve inspired me!
May 19th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
Moriah @ Please Pass the Salt says:
Drew recently sprayed me down with the hose, too. And I’m sure I looked oh-so-elegant trying to scramble/chase him to turn the dumb thing off.
May 19th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Tammy says:
Wait a minute, did I see a hosta? If my memory serves me correctly, I believe that was on the do not want list? Hmmmm. ;-)
It is going to be so pretty!! I am SO enjoying my new flower beds. Had to replant a few flowers after the inquisitive Labrador retriever took a closer look with her humongous paws.
May 19th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Holly Smith says:
It looks simply lovely!
I am hoping for NO MORE SNOW (ahem), so we can plant something…hee hee!
BTW, what are you reading??
May 19th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
We are THAT family says:
Good job. My kids love ‘helping’ me in the flowerbeds. They always end up filthy and wet. Fun! Fun!
May 19th, 2008 at 10:34 pm
Jenny says:
It looks great, Sophie!!
May 19th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
Staci at Writing and Living says:
Looks great
May 19th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
becauseIsaidso says:
I love that you’ve used lots of old favourites! My grandmother had most of those in her garden here in Australia.
It looks so gorgeous and the mulch looks lovely and fresh. We’re renting our house at the moment and I am desperate to have a garden again.
May 19th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
kelli says:
Wow- you sure made some great progress! I’m sure Howard’s watering skills softened things up tremendously!
May 19th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
Overwhelmed With Joy! says:
Nice work! I miss gardening. I’ve been so busy lately with three children under 3 1/2 years old that I haven’t had much spare time to indulge in gardening.
May 20th, 2008 at 12:41 am
Marla Saunders says:
OK…serious congratulations are do such an accomplishment. You set the goal, you made the plan, you worked the plan and you blogged it every step of the way! Very, very impressive.
May 20th, 2008 at 1:18 am
Megan(FriedOkra) says:
Beautiful. Make sure to do some photos later in the summer so we can see how it’s taken off and filled in, etc.
May 20th, 2008 at 4:06 am
Beth_C says:
Looks great! I can’t wait to see a picture in a few months when things are really a bloomin’!
May 20th, 2008 at 5:59 am
Jim H. says:
A job well done by you and your helper. It is a nice sense of accomplishment, I am sure! We still have plenty of weeds!!
May 20th, 2008 at 6:18 am
Tracey says:
Okay… what is the first plant pictured? I received one as a gift a few years ago. I’ve kept it alive by miracle alone! What is it? ~:-)
May 20th, 2008 at 7:02 am
Gayle says:
Is that vinca I see? Vinca reminds me of impatiens. Anyway, it looks great, girl!
If you did that yesterday, props to you because it was HOT out there (today is supposed to be worse though…so be glad it’s done) :)
May 20th, 2008 at 7:23 am
Stephanie(ocean mommy) says:
Mercy. I’m exhausted just looking at the pictures! BUT, you’ve inspired me to get up and go finish an area of my backyard that needs a little TLC. I’ve most everything I need right on the patio, just have to talk myself up for going out and doing it!!! (I HATE to sweat!)
May 20th, 2008 at 7:50 am
Maria D. says:
It looks great!
May 20th, 2008 at 8:03 am
Fran says:
The internet accountability thing worked huh?!
Looks fabulous! Be proud! And, we would really like to see how they’ve grown over the Summer. Because we are wild and thrilling in that way! :)
May 20th, 2008 at 8:05 am
Jeni says:
Looks great! Now you need one of those ornamental rocks that says, “Grow, Dang It!”
May 20th, 2008 at 8:37 am
Lainey-Paney says:
third pic is a Hosta.
I love my Hosta b/c it has come back for 3 or 4 years now.
I’m a big fan of stuff that I only have to plant once.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:39 am
Dnksmommy/ Lorrie says:
looks great. I don’t have a flower bed. they involve dirt and bugs and grass and stuff. My OCD won’t allow it. =(
May 20th, 2008 at 8:52 am
Tammy H says:
I hit Lowes on Saturday, but then I couldn’t stop myself and ended up at Colliers. Have you ever been there? It’s beautiful - It makes me want to plant EVERYTHING, but then I remember that I’m the one that has to water it. I love to mix a pot full of annuals, and Colliers has so many pretty choices.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:11 am
Nicole @ Life in Progress says:
Love it! We have some serious shade going in our backyard too. It’s tough, isn’t it, to find stuff that will thrive? Now I’m feeling motivated to get out there and tackle it. Oh, no wait….the feeling passed. Thank goodness!
May 20th, 2008 at 9:17 am
rrmama says:
Don’t forget to save those pictures for the preacher’s wife spring garden tour on June 13th. See you there!
May 20th, 2008 at 9:17 am
Shalee says:
Well, for my part, and I’ve always believed this, gardening is not as much fun without a hose at hand, but the key is to be the one who gets to hold it.
(I have some movie voice running around in my head as I typed that line. I have no idea whose voice or what movie it is. I need more coffee.)
May 20th, 2008 at 9:51 am
Sharon says:
You did a great job!!! Can’t wait to see how it comes along…. and the watering thing…. last week as I was putting out the last of my bedding plants, my 2yr.old grandson was doing the watering… the plants, Nathan, and Nana… but believe me it felt good in the heat. He really is a great helper for a 2yr. old.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:51 am
Stephanie says:
I’d like to rent that little helper, please. Of course, he might have more fun with the dog than helping me pull weeds, but a cool spray from the hose now and then would be all I’d really ask of him.
Tell him we’ll set up the hammock, too!
May 20th, 2008 at 9:56 am
Amanda says:
Beautimus!
May 20th, 2008 at 10:14 am
Kelly @ Love Well says:
Be sure to post another picture later in the season. It will be fun to see how much those baby plants grow.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:15 am
Magen says:
Way to go!! I’m totally jealous of all the progress you made!!
May 20th, 2008 at 10:37 am
bee says:
Looks good. It’s almost enough to motivate me to get out and do something in my yard. Almost.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:45 am
Tiffany says:
Everything looks beautiful!! You did such a great job!! I wish I had a green thumb but i just don’t.
May 20th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Meg @ Spicy Magnolia says:
Congratulations! I bet it does feel so good to be done with it! You’ll need to post some updated pictures when things grow so we can see its progress. Good job!
I’ve gotta go pull weeds now but really don’t want to!
May 20th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
Beth says:
I’m all planted in the Enchanted Forest too! Now if I could just get my husband to get the mulch…
May 20th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Roxanne says:
Please tell me that some of what you planted was that toad lily or whatever it was. . .your work is GORGEOUS. It is too hot to sit on a porch in Houston right now. Your hair would be wet even without a helper brandishing a hose.
May 20th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
Andrea says:
At least your helper sprays surfaces. My helper didn’t quite understand why he couldn’t water the sky. Neither did I, for that matter!
May 20th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
Melissa says:
Great job on the flower bed! What a difference you made!
May 21st, 2008 at 8:03 am
JanMary, N Ireland says:
Thanks for sharing the before and now the after. What I want to see later in the year is After the After! Please make a note in your diary to remind yourself accordingly! Thanks.
May 25th, 2008 at 2:27 pm