Backyard project

This weekend I focused more on my backyard than my front yard for a change. My backyard flower beds are very simple and I only had to plant a few new plants, but they were over-run by the same shrub as the front yard.
First I pulled up a whole 32 gallon trash can full of the vines from hell along with weeds and grass that had started to find it's way into this area. Then I planted a pink rhododendron and a pink and white camillia and spread two huge bags of mini pine bark mulch. I still need to buy another two bags to finish the left side, but it looks tons better! Plus I had already planted two May Night Salvia Plants last week and a Hydrangea a few weeks ago.
I also planted two more flowers for my butterfly garden...I can't wait for those to start blooming! I planted a Red Peony and another plant that, for the life of me, I cannot remember its name. I am surprising myself with my growing knowledge of flower names and the conditions they grow in, but I'm still working on mastering it!
I have decided to embrace the fact that grass is trying to grow in my front flower bed with my Nandina bushes and after this year I am not going to plant any more annuals there. I've also decided to keep the huge rocks I lugged accross the yard to make a border for that flower bed and just rake up the rubber mulch I painstakingly spread and put it in my flower beds directly infront of my porch. Eventhough it wasn't my inital plan, I must admit I kind of like the rustic feel of the over-grown flower bed. I will have to start using the weed eater on the flower bed so it doesn't look completely unintentional.
I actually got out my camera this weekend and documented my work on my flower beds. I haven't downloaded the photos to my computer, so I will have to post the results later on.
I love my new found hobby!

Garden

I planted my garden last week. I didn't end up planting as many vegetables as I thought I would...I decided to not go overboard my first year. I ended up planting: Tomatoes, Squash, Peas, Green Beans and Cantaloupe. My Tomatoes are slowly growing, but I haven't seen any growth from the others because I planted seeds.
This weekend I worked more on my front yard and flowerbeds. Two weeks ago I beat down and ripped up tons of vines growing all over my middle flower bed...ugh such a pain! The vines had grown over the garden bench that the previous owners had left behind so I relocated it to a better spot in the corner of my front yard (In place of where the bench once was I planted a Yellow Knockout Rose Bush). In the corner with the bench, I planted Purple Phlox, Butterfly Bush and three other Perinnials ( I can't remember their names) that attract Butterflies. I also Planted Euphorbia Blackbird in the flowerbed directly in front of my porch. Saturday I also planted two Gardenia bushes at the side of my front yard. One is a Daisy Gardenia and the other is called August Beauty.
I haven't planted anything in my backyard besides my garden because I already have two Flowering Trees back there and some Hostas under my porch. I did buy a fuschia hanging plant for my backyard. Those plants are so pretty they almost look fake.
After I felt like I had killed myself enough to rest I hung in my hammock at the top of my drive way and looked up at the sky. I have a birch tree in my backyard where the birds like to hang out between flights to my bird feeder. The birds didn't even know I was there most of the time.

I haven't posted on this in quite awhile.
A lot has changed.
I'm now married to my wonderful husband John...May 30th will be our one year anniversary! In some ways it's hard to believe it's been that long and others it seems like we've been together forever. I'm so glad to have found that special person to share my life with.
A few months after we got married we purchased a house and moved from Charlotte to a small area of Gastonia called Ranlo. I enjoy living away from the city and finally having a yard of my own.
My goal lately has been to spend every semi-sunny, free moment out in my yard planting something. The past two weeks I have pulled weeds, spread mulch, planted and watered flowers, filled my bird feeders, and planned out my garden that my Dad is going to help me start this weekend. I plan to plant Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Jalapeno Peppers, Cantaloupe, Pole Beans, and Peas. My Dad owns a Tiller so that is going to make breaking up the ground a lot easier. I think I'm going to try to use the tiller on my flower beds so I can pull up some of these weeds the lazy way...I have yet to find any weed killer that is OK to use in flower beds...plus I have three dogs so that worries me a little.
Yesterday a friend of mine from work gave me a plastic bag full of Iris bulbs to plant in my yard...I can't wait until they grow and start blooming!
That's all for now...eventually I will upload some photos of the yard.