Second time around!

Finished up the last section just before the downpour!  There are some areas that need editing but the Rooster got all the way around.  One night the mosquitoes had him quite irate as he scratched and surveyed the weeds returning where he had started early in the month.  oops!  But he is happy with his progress.  I am following up by starting over.  I get the smaller but newer weeds out and then I shop the outer edges of the yard for plants to fill in the spots. This lets nature take back the outer limits where we are losing the battle and fills in the blank spots where I can manage them.  I'm actually giving them a second chance! :)

So far I can report that the end and the beginning look good! The middle does have its moments though.  ;)

          The peonies survived the wind and the rain so I'm hopeful that the show is forthcoming.

I'm a bit late trimming the deadwood but the roses are beginning to break forth as well.

These columbine self seed and I'm never sure where they will present themselves.

The dill weed is almost a weed!  And the straw flowers continue to spring up in colourful arrangements.

Not so pleasing is what our big dog does to the raised bed at the house.  He never did this before but age and the dreaded mosquitoes and ticks may be making his life a misery.  This was once shaded and I'd hoped for cool water pools and hostas.  The tree began to bang on the house so we removed it and establishing smaller trees and a bit further out has been a challenge.

The  Rooster and I are conferring on a creative solution.  He wants to pile on big boulders.  awk!  Not the look I was going for even though my reflecting pool and rock garden fizzled.  Darn dog!  lol  A few days ago I bent down to smell some flowers in a raised garden in town.  I started wondering how I could get some flowers up to nose level.  !!!  If we made this a raised shelf and put big container plants on it I could even sit down to smell. ;)  The water hose is right there!  Ta da!  A great idea is born and the Rooster is happy to set those few boulders under a flat deck and not manhandle others.  The details are to be worked out and the project is added to this fall's list.  This area has been awaiting renewal for a while.  We have a week to fine tune these beds and then on to building a new clothesline,  fixing the fence, and tackling the barn which are next on the list.  The Rooster is hoping to do things well so that there won't be a 'second time' for these projects.  After all, we'd like to smell the roses, and the peonies, and the...