Tuesday 18 June 2013

The garden is alive!

I have put some time into the garden when/where I can. My goal was to tame the flower bed that is against the neighbors shed and to just keep the yard neat and tidy. So far so good but there is a long summer ahead of me and I hope the weather stays good - not too hot and dry and not a complete wash-out!



The first two photos were taken about 3 weeks ago. The yard is much neater than it was lat year when we moved in and the lawn is healthy and green, not dead and brown like last summer! A good amount of flowers/mystery plants came up in the flower bed next to the shed. I spent quite a bit of time pulling out stuff that I thought were weeds and rubbish almost two months ago, it is wonderful to see what has survived!


This photo was taken just over a week ago. The plants are getting out of control (I don't mind though!). There is some sort of climber making it's way up some trellis I put against the shed - you can almost see the vines moving, they are growing THAT fast! There are some other plants that have shot up like rockets right in front of my flowering climbers but I have no clue what they are! There are the beginnings of some buds so hopefully in the next week or so I will figure out just what they are!




So far that lone pink flower is the only bloom to appear on my wild climber (what is it? Clematis? Morning Glory?). I am hoping more flowers show themselves soon. The Lilies were one of the first to appear, they are/were beautiful until they were flattened by some heavy rain.Yellow Irises! I've only every had purple irises so these yellow ones surprised me. Sadly I was working around the clock for the few days the purple irises were in bloom and I missed grabbing photos.





These are a sample of the "mystery plants" that are in the flower bed. I have decided they probably aren't weeds but until some flowers appear I won't have a clue what they are...but I vaguely remember something like Black Eyed Susan's and Daises in the bed last summer so I am keeping my fingers crossed!



Hostas have been popping up in the front and back yard like Dandelions! I don't mind though, they are one of my favorite plants, they just get big and green and leafy and I LOVE them! Oh, and of course, a Dandelion! I did a number digging weeds out of the lawn and I can't believe it but with the exception of this lone lion, none have popped back up to haunt me (like weeds so often do).


Just a little reminder that this is what the garden looked like only a few months ago! Hard to believe so many strong, healthy plants have emerged from that dead looking space! And yes, I tore down that awful lattice. I suppose it was put up for plants to climb up and to possibly cover the hideous shed, but since taking the rotten wood down I think the shed looks better (is that possible?)...a bit less of an eyesore!

Sunday 16 June 2013

Work + thrift shopping

Well, it's been a while! As I mentioned in my last post (when was that again?!), I have started a new job and have been extremely busy and too pooped to keep up with the usual blogging. It is hard getting back into a work routine when you have been out of it for so long, and it is even more difficult when your work routine is not very routine - anyone who has worked retail knows what I mean! 


So what exactly have I been up to? What has been keeping me so busy and leaving me too tired to turn my computer on most days? I have been training at my new job to be a supervisor/manager of a thrift shop. That's right, I said it... a thrift shop! Dreams do come true! I am working for a large thrift shop chain (you know the one) and am running around one of the largest locations there is in the region - what a work out! So far I am really loving it, as tired as I may be and despite the information overload that is crushing my brain, I am so glad I was given the opportunity of a management position.


So, what does one do in a management position at one of the largest thrift shops there is? A hell of a lot! I don't even know where to begin?! But what am I not doing? Shopping. Yes, it's true. Since starting my job I have barely had time to breath, never mind shop. And of course, there is NO shopping on the job! I have made a few small purchases (pictured above and below) on my time off, but other than that I have not touched a thing. Instead of being the one hunting down treasures and squirreling them away in my home, I am watching items come into the shop before quickly leaving with excited shoppers who are after a bargain and some amazingly tacky beautiful finds!


So now you know what I have been up to. I would like to stay and chat but I have homework to get to - that's right, I said homework! I will leave you now but hope to be back again soon with more updates on the garden and house which, let's be honest, have been a bit neglected lately!