Gardening and Ricky's graduation

I haven't posted since Spring Break, but of course, I have been busy with all kinds of things (part of why I haven't posted). One of the most exciting things that has happened recently is that Ricky has finally graduated from college with his bachelor's degree. He graduated last Saturday, May 5th. I am so proud of him. He has worked so hard, and God's grace has enabled him to complete what he started 11 years ago.One major thing that has occupied a lot of my time lately is gardening and landscaping around the house. These first two pictures are from last fall.

This is the tree in the front of our house. When we first moved in almost 4 years ago, it was all grown up with juniper bushes. We dug those out and then just let the weeds take over. This last year, I decided to start a project of landscaping this area. The rocks that are there I put there since that area was just dirt anyways (all the rocks that now border this bed, we dug out of our front and back yard).

Here are Brooke and Cherith who helped me dig up sod and weeds last fall.

This is what it looks like now. I found a rose bush among all of the weeds and vines. I took all of the iris bulbs last fall and placed them in a circle around the tree. I also planted a few salvia plants, daisies, and 4 rose bushes. They all are just starting out so they haven't gotten very full yet. I did have a big blessing a couple weeks ago. A lady down the street stopped by while I was working in the yard. She said she has been watching all the work I have been doing. She asked me if I was going to plant any daylilies in this flower bed. I told her I had thought about it but didn't have any yet. She said she had extras and would bring me some. I don't have a picture with them planted yet, but I put some in the flower bed in front of the house and some in this front flower bed. She said she has some if I need more. I think I am going to stop by there sometime and get some more.

Besides just digging up the area around the tree, I also extended the flower bed area around the next tree. You can see it better in the picture above. Jesse has been a great help and has even voluntarily helped dig up sod so I could widen this bed. I planted two of the rose bushes in the area between the trees. The one rose bush has had two yellow roses bloom already.

This area above is where we use to have azalea bushes. But the bushes were all different sizes. They were short, big, full, and scrawny. I decided to have them dug up and have a vegetable garden planted there instead. We had tomatoes planted on the side of the house last year. They grew thin and as tall as trees, but they only put out a couple tomatoes in October. I figured they didn't get enough sunlight. So we put them in the front this year. They are growing so well. We also have lettuce, pepers, cucumbers, and beans planted. This is the flower bed in front of our house. Most of the hostas that is growing here was transplanted from a friend's house. But I have some daylilies planted in the back now and some bulbs that have yet to sprout. I also have some plants in pots on the front porch/steps area. I want to slowly keep adding to it all. I want to be able to leave perennials behind that will keep growing every year when I finally move out of the house. I do it slowly and buy a plant here and there. I have been able to mulch it and make it look more clean and manicured. It is a fun hobby though.

I had to post this last picture. This is my patio tomato plant that I planted in March and it froze in one of our last frosts. You can see the yellowed, dried stem and the center stem area. That was all that was left after the leaves wilted and died. I wanted to see if it would come back though. I took it in when it was cold and have kept it watered and in the sun. As you can see, it has come back so well. I have been so excited about it.