A set back

I was so excited the other day when I saw this:

The painting was done, tape removed, and hubby was installing the lights.

But then this happened:

A little touch up always needs to be done after removing the tape but in this case the paint failed in the area of new sheetrock. For some reason the primer did not adhere to the wall. Hubby could just peal it off like butter. After all his hard work!

 Things were looking so good (not that my phone camera can capture it in low light).

Hubby talked to a painter friend about all the possible causes.

"Unknown cause"

So back to square one with hopes the paint doesn't fail in other spots around the room.

The toilet remains on the porch.

Plumbing parts here and there.

But you know what? It doesn't matter because we've been helping our son get ready for an appraisal. 

Hubby has been over there helping build/install and I got to help him choose and plant over 30 plantings!! 

Such a privilege and so fun!!

And with all the rain lately the gardens are bursting at the seams. We live in a pretty green part of the world because of that rain.

I need to do some harvesting today. 

When I see this I decide I am not quite ready for a condo :)

I'd rather be gardening Part 2

Thought I'd show you more reasons the house projects are neglected, heh-heh.

Hubby and a neighbor cut up a tree that fell due to a rotten base. That's the tree I heard fall one day without hearing any chainsaws before hand. That tree alerted our neighbors to a couple of hazard trees that need to be removed as well. 

We got to bring some home for future firewood.

See that whole front row of logs including some double stacked? I moved all those from the grass, by myself, and lifted them in place.

"Cue Popeye arms"

That was after I edged the grass and weeded.

I am almost done with edging the gardens.

This is the edging my hubby did a few years ago to keep the gravel contained. I love the use of brick.

This bed in front of the house has been troublesome for 25 years. I don't know how many garden designs I've done there only to have them fail. Almost complete shade now. I am considering digging it all up, again.  Maybe not this year. Sometimes I just put out pots of impatiens with fingers crossed that the deer won't find them.

You may see a container to the far right. That is a hydrangea I've thought of planting there but I am afraid it is too shady to get any blooms.

But look - the strawberries are turning red!!!

The robins were eyeing them so I covered the bed with netting.

And suddenly the wild huckleberries are ripe!

Wild huckleberries and blackberries always make me feel at home.

And my own bathroom. 

I'd rather be gardening. . .

Remember the master bedroom re-do?

Or the bathroom remodel?

Yes, those projects still exist but are very neglected right now because the garden is where I'd rather be.

Instead of painting the bathroom last weekend, hubby and I got all involved in outside projects.

I've been getting the gardens edged.

I use these tools to get a crisp edge that I can then easily keep neat the rest of the season.

I like to mark the edge with the garden fork since any mistakes "heal" quickly. Then I use the edger tool to cut a deep trench. That keeps the grass from encroaching into the garden too quickly and gives me a great workout!

I am almost finished edging all the garden beds and then I'll need to mulch the exposed soil.

Hubby limbed up some branches that were reaching too far out into the yard including an extremely long maple branch.

The pile grew and grew.

And in case you are wondering, this is how I've been living since my bathroom was demo'd MONTHS ago. :)

Yes, I could paint the bathroom so hubby can install the toilet, lights and sink but 

I Hate To Paint.

And I'd rather be gardening.

Sweet garden surprises

What a gorgeous day with a warm breeze and blue, blue skies!

I would really like to take down some trees so more of that sunshine reaches my gardens. I am so jealous of friends with sweeps of blossoms. Peonies, delphinium, roses, lilacs - big, fragrant blooms!  What I get are a few blossoms here and there unless it is a very happy, weed-ish plant. Or native beauties like these foxgloves.

So, I walked around the garden today finding spectacular flowers even if they were soloing it. Like this poppy (that I don't remember planting). Just one bloom but so gorgeous.

Or this columbine whose colors I love (hey, I see two blooms!!)

 How about this vine I popped into a planter? 

Cannot remember what it is but what an interesting blossom.

I had read that Mimulus looked like little orchids so I gave them a try. Such a sweet surprise.

How about bit of coral bells in a deep red?

 And I am so tickled to finally have my prized Just Joey rose inside the deer-fenced garden. Such a color and so fragrant.

With all the remodeling going on, I kept my deck planters to a minimum, which isn't easy, I tell ya!

I am very, very fond of nemesia and used several varieties plus succulents and perennials I already had. Hopefully they will all last for most of season.

If not, I will have to visit the plant nurseries again.

That could be trouble!