Major yard update - lots of photos

I have been so busy and have not been able to blog much except for phone entries. For all those looking for a yard update, here you go. These are various photos from the last 4 days (after the weather cleared).
















You made it through all of the photos. Whew!

The progress is as follows:
1. liner laid down in garden box area and inside of the trampoline
2. gravel laid onto liner in garden box area
3. Garden boxes filled with top soil
4. finish grade
5. sprinklers continued
6. sod delivered
6. grass edging and defined flower beds
7. trees and shrubs planting begins
8. transplanted shrubs from yard replanted
9. trampoline assembled and tested by kiddos and lawn guys. It works great!

All those plants in the white trash bags are the perennials I am trying to save. Once everything else has been planted I'll go through the yard and decide where to plant the perennials. I tried to save the day lilies, yarrow and other random plants.

Succulent Pears

The inspiration.My planted pears.


Succulents from home depot (1.99).
Empty glass pears from Tuesday Morning (both for under 6.00).

I found this image online and was inspired to do a little indoor gardening. I found these empty glass pears on clearance at Tuesday Morning a few months ago. I brought them home and Chris was a little conerned that I had brought home, yet again, more decor knick-knacks that serve no function other than looking cool. I think he's changed his mind after I planted these little succulents in each pear (the entire project cost 18.00). Onto the yard, I am itching to get out into this new yard, however my shape is less than willing. I really can't bend over very easily...

Morning berry

Went out this morning to pick a few berries. Stellar crop this year. They are so pretty and yummy. Last week I made a berry cobbler, today I'll try something new, coffee cake.

Blackberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake

1/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 cup fresh Blackberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil a bundt pan, cake pan, or 10-inch springform pan; sprinkle pan lightly with sugar.

In a large mixing bowl, whip the butter at medium speed until creamy. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the sugar, mixing well. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well, and then add the sour cream and vanilla extract. Increase the speed to medium and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

In another large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; mix thoroughly. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in several increments, mixing well after each addition. Gently stir in the pecans or walnuts and berries.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for approximately 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Makes 1 cake.

making jam

This weekend I noticed the strawberry patch we have in the backyard was ready to be picked. Last night I went out to harvest the berries and realized that most of them had disappeared. We've had a problem with the birds eating them in the past but not to this extent. As I began to pick what was left, Lucy (enormous puppy dog) came up and tried to eat what was remaining. Mystery solved, turns out Lucy really, really likes strawberries. I had to supplement this jam batch with a few store bought strawberries and blueberries, gasp. Still yummy.