Tag Archives: front yard

I Like Flowers

Posted on May 10, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

I mentioned yesterday that I might get out into the great outdoors for blog post purposes, rather than lapsing into my usual Wrist to Forehead Sunday. At least I made it out to my front yard.

I noticed earlier when I was mowing that I had a few more blooms in my Johnny Jump-ups. I purchased them last year from AW Greenhouse Gardens in Little Falls (just to give a quick shout-out to a local business). I surely must plant more flowers.

Here are some flowers I did not plant: forget-me-nots. I love them. I wanted to get a picture while I could still see them, because they are soon to be overrun with daisies, which I also love.

I guess the dandelion is a little more prominent.

I moved in for a closer shot, because I saw a white forget-me-not. I have not seen one of those before.

You can see where I stepped to get the shot of the white forget-me-not.

We have more tulip buds than previous years, but they are slow to bloom, or at least so it seems to me. I was delighted, therefore, to see this yellow one about to blossom. I look forward to seeing the others bloom. These have grown with no effort on my part. I would like to put down more bulbs. I like flowers.

A Very Little Yard Work

Posted on April 28, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

I took a short (very slow) run, thinking I might make a Running Commentary Post. Then I came up with something better. In lieu of my cool-down walk (I just love that expression “in lieu of”), I mowed the front lawn with my non-power mower and pulled up a few weeds and unwanted items.

In the course of doing this, I noticed I have a Johnny Jump-up! It is only one little bloom, but I was delighted to see it. I immediately decided to take a picture, although I finished my mowing and pulling first.

Naturally I took a few more pictures.

These are tulips, which is very exciting for me, because we have not had this many previously. We usually get one and feel happy with that, because we did not plant it.

I was not sure if this was a flower or a weed, so I let it live. Does anybody know what it is?

I spent a little time pulling up green stuff surrounding my peonies. I believe I sacrificed some daisies, but I also believe we have plenty of daisies. Last year something ate my peonies before they bloomed, or somebody came and took them all away. I hope for fragrant blossoms this year.

I did not do a whole lot, but I thought it was not too bad for after a run on a Tired Tuesday. No doubt I will share more pictures as the season progresses.

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Posted in gardening, humor, personal, Tired Tuesday, yardwork and tagged blog post, blogging, daisies, front yard, Johnny Jump-ups, Lawn, lawn mower, peonies, tulips, weeds. Bookmark the permalink.

Do I Have Rocks in my Head?

Posted on June 10, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

Today I decided to plant the Johnny Jump-ups I purchased on Sunday at A&W Greenhouse Gardens in Little Falls, NY (more about them later) (preview of coming attractions). This might be worth a blog post, especially as I took a couple of pictures.

There is a space to the right of our porch (facing the house), which needs work. Originally some really blowsy day lilies grew there. Steven eventually mowed them down a few times. Last year we tried covering the space with an old shower curtain and some decorative rocks. We used red, but they are not that color now.

This year, over the difficult to mow space in front of the no longer red stone, I put some dark garbage bags weighted down with stones. This is supposed to produce an area suitable for planting. This is where I wanted to plant my new flowers. My hope is that they will jump up (which is what they do) all over the front yard.

I guess I did not wait long enough. When I pulled up the bags, there was still plenty of grass underneath. This proved fairly easy to pull up, so I had at it and soon had at least a small area cleared. I dug into this area with my dirt digger upper (no idea what the tool is really called), and planted my Johnny Jump-ups.

Perhaps I need to buy more.

I put rocks around them, so I would not mow over them (no promises for the ones that jump up elsewhere, but I will do my best). Then I decided to put the garbage bags back over the surrounding grass. At least it is that much space I don’t have to mow, and maybe I can put fall flowers down later in the year.

I let the rogue daisies live.

As you can see, I have a lot of rocks. I hope to do more landscaping things with them eventually.

I love the different colors.

I close with a different angle of the new addition to my lawn. I confess to feeling a slight frisson of virtue for not making a Tired Tuesday Post. As always, thank you for tuning in.

I Make an Effort on Tired Tuesday

Posted on June 3, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

For this week’s Tired Tuesday Post, I bestirred myself enough to walk outside and take a few pictures of my ever-changing yard. I fear the changes come slowly and often without any effort on my part. Perhaps I can make more of an effort as the season progresses. In the meantime, I will make do.

Note the bird-shaped hole.

I recently added this birdhouse to my front yard, using a hook I found in the garage. I hung another house on the porch (replacing the skull which had previously hung there), but I neglected to take a picture of that (preview of coming attractions). I went out back for more photo ops.

I’ll be so happy when they bloom!

Under the heading No Effort On My Part (and Preview of Coming Attractions), here are the buds on my irises. My Mom gave me the iris bulbs some years ago, and they have bloomed every year since.

Under the heading Some Effort, I decided to take close up pictures of my container garden.

School’s out!

I have had the desk for a while now. I found it in somebody’s trash the Sunday after the Herkimer Village-Wide Garage Sale. Don’t judge me.

I did a lot of pink and purple.

I only have one herb, but basil is my favorite.

There will be pesto!

The thrill and the fill.

I have read that in a good container, you have the thrill, the fill, and the spill. I think I need bigger containers, because the best I could do were the preceding and the following pots, each with two out of three.

The fill and the spill.

Another pink and purple.

There is a broken solar light in this one. At least, I accidentally broke it off its pick when I was trying to put it in the front yard. I put it in the pot in hopes it would still light. I have not been outside after dark to check.

I think the squirrels have been digging in my marigolds.

For my final pic, I go back into No Effort mode. I took this picture Saturday, but I could only post it on Facebook, and it was turned 90 degrees. Today a Facebook friend had turned it, so I downloaded his version to this device. Let’s see if it worked!

Thanks, Norm!

Here are my feet, relaxing on my deck. Yes, that is my novel they are resting on. I’m still making efforts on that.

Aches and Pains, but Flowers!

Posted on May 21, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

I need all the help I can get!

I found a four leaf clover on the cool down walk after a recent run. I open with it, because as I sat down to make my blog post, a voice in my head said, “Good luck with that!”

As I worked today, I thought that after work, I could go for a run, mow the lawn, or take a walk, and write a blog post about whichever I picked. As I pondered my choices, I had to weigh which would wreak the least havoc on my back. Hey, I’m middle-aged and overweight: I get back pain. Returning to work after an extended break has caused some pain (YES, I am grateful I have a job! We have been through this! Sheesh!).

I apologize for complaining. The fact is, most of us at work have been having more than the usual aches and pains. I may philosophize about possible causes on Lame Post Friday (half bakedly of course) (ooh, here’s an autocorrect I’m glad I noticed: the computer put “nakedly” instead of “bakedly”). For today, I decided a gentle walk would be my best choice.

I got about two houses down the street when my knees started in. What the hell, me? I turned around, thinking I could at least take some pictures at my own house. First I crossed the street to take a picture of the lilac bush in front of a neighbor’s house.

How have I never noticed this before?

Returning to my house, I took some shots of the front yard.

And a few dandelions.

I am so into forget-me-nots this year, and it seems Mother Nature is as well. I see them everywhere.

I did not get to the tulips at their peak.

We had two tulips, but I did not get any pictures when they were at their prettiest.

A wider view.

This is a kind of a preview of coming attractions, because the peonies and daisies are not blooming yet.

I see I am over 300 words, so I think I will save my back yard shots for a future post. I will try not to spend so much time blathering about my aches and pains!

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Posted in humor, personal and tagged aches and pains, back pain, blog post, blogging, forget-me-nots, front yard, gardening, running, tulips, walking. Bookmark the permalink.

Mohawk Valley Girl