What we have been doing for weeks---

The usual for us in the spring. Get the yard and beds in shape for the summer ---scrub and seal the patios--uncover and clean the pool-- wash windows--rake leaves. We are almost through and everything is looking so good. If the weather would just cooperate and warm that pool up!!!


The bench in this bed is my favorite. We had the stones put in and then Fred built the rough Cedar back copying a picture I found in a magazine. A great place for taking pictures. We have had some wind so my windchime collection has sounded so pretty. In the summer, I almost never hear them.



This bed is one of my favorites. We love to decorate with stones and did not want many plants or mulch this near the pool. So we used lots of stone, large stones for accent, small stones instead of mulch, and topped it off with shells that we have collected at beaches in Florida and Texas. The ice plant (pink in the center) is very prolific and loves sun and heat.




My day lilies near the front walk are in full bloom. These benches are our retirement benches inscribed with the year and where we worked. The stepping stones in front display our college name and years of graduation.


These beds are along the right front of the house. We pulled up most of the shrubbery here and started over as it had grown too large. I tried to plant more blooming perennials and added another Japanese red maple. I love their burgundy color.

I have been to two garden tours. One in Rockwall and one near White Rock Lake. I have a list of new plants that I want to try so I will go plant shopping before long.

Mother's Day Brunch

On Mother's Day, Fred and John took me to brunch at the Blue Mesa Grill in Addison. We had a 1 and 1/2 hour wait when a young hostess came up to John and offered us a table on the side patio. (It pays to have a good-looking son. Our wait was actually only 30 min.)
We took these great pictures in the Village on the Tollway where the Blue Mesa is located--only about 2 blocks from John's apt. We enjoyed mimosas, omelets, and fajitas with chips and dips.









Afterwards, John and Fred went home while I stayed in Addison to listen to jazz bands at the Taste of Addison. What a great Mother's Day---thank you Fred and John for being such special guys and making my day so perfect!!

May at the Arboretum

Several of my friends and I went to May Fest at the Arboretum. What a great day we had after almost 2 weeks of rain. Partly cloudy with a light wind that kept us cool. The flowers and colors were so bright and beautiful. We found some new plants that we want to try in our yards. We had lunch at the Garden Cafe patio---tomato basil soup, salad, and tea sandwiches and breads. They even had live music. What a great outing for a bunch of girls!!!

Deb, Linda, and Earlene

Janice and Linda in front of a butterfly topiary

Impatien house

Topiaries

Our Bluebonnets in April

We started our wildflowers soon after we moved out here to the country. We planted for 6
summers. Have not planted any for the last two years. It seems to take them years to seed and really cover. They also do better in dry years like this one. They like hills with good drainage and growing in gravel. What a great crop this year!!!! We have a mixture of bluebonnets and paintbrush that come up first---then other kinds that come in May and the summer. We wait until July 1 to mow this area so that the plants can reseed for the next crop.







John even got his picture taken when he came out on the weekend.