Here is the latest thing that gets me extra-super-giddy.  My new windowboxes!  I found these planters underneath some big ugly bushes on the side of our house last week.  They were filled with roots and dirt and the roots were actually digging through the holes in the boxes into the ground.  They were so discolored they had green and brown splotches all over them.

So I pulled them out, cleaned them up, primed and painted then filled with beautiful wave petunias.  What do you think?  I think they are perfectly romantic.  

The hardest part was figuring out how to install them.  I’m super cheap, so I didn’t want to spend money.  I basically tied a rope around the box and tied the rope around nails I hammered inside the window.  The windowsill is supporting the weight of the boxes, the rope just keeps it from tipping over onto my lovely children.

Weeeeeeee!  (I told you I was giddy)

When I came back from my trip to Phoenix I found a blooming rose bush- didn’t even know I had a rose bush.  She is mixed in an enormous hedge at the side of the yard.

I also planted a couple of moonflower plants today that I had growing in a pot.  The moonflower is a climber so I planted it next to a pillar by our walkway.  I hope it works (like this lady’s vine) Maybe it will climb up the decorative flower first.  The flowers are said to be big, fragrant and attractive to beautiful moths.  

After Andy picked me up from the airport we stopped at the Junior League thrift store and I picked up these babies.  I know I’m like the last person in the world to finally get cool rain/gardening boots, but I couldn’t ever justify spending $20 on rubber shoes.  I’m glad I waited.  These were only $8, LLBean brand, quite comfy and they don’t go all the way up my leg which makes them much more cool.  I wore them all morning while we played outside in the damp yard.  

And the little white and pink flowers by the boots are begonias.  I planted them just for fun.  As long as I can keep the kids from stepping on them and the dog from peeing on them, they should be in good shape.  I think we’ve already ruined a few of my begonia plants for those reasons.  Everyone has heard me raise my voice enough to stay clear of my flower patch now.

As I was walking through my yard with a friend, we discovered bamboo.  That was about a month or two ago.  Since then, it has emerged from it’s dormant winter state to grow grow grow.  And boy does it grow!  

This can be either a wonderful treasure or an enormous annoyance, depending on how we take care of it.  I plan to think of it as a treasure.  I have great plans for crafting and using the bamboo around the house and in the garden.  I cut one down a few weeks ago and used it as a curtain rod (camera battery now dead, pictures soon).  I cut a few more down to create a border around my heirloom tomato plants.  I may plant some pole beans and let the beans climb up the bamboo shoots as well.  

I plan to purchase THIS book from amazon today so that I can learn more about containing it with a plastic underground barrier and more crafty projects I can do with bamboo.  What fun!  What a treasure.

Yes, this weekend was jam packed and emotional.  I sang, I played, I volunteered, I learned, I cleaned, I gardened, and I prayed and I mourned.  My aunt passed away on Friday night and my thoughts and prayers have been with my father’s family all week.  I will join them this weekend as the family gathers with her dear husband, Uncle Bob to mourn with him and to celebrate her life .  

Andy and I will go to bed quite tired this evening as we recover from a busy weekend.  He cared for the children by himself a bit more than he’s used to so this weekend wasn’t much of a break for him.  The poor guy is tired and hot and I won’t let him turn on the air conditioning. 

We are blessed with glorious spring weather and I have been tending the garden all week with two dirty children underfoot.  We have planted four o’clocks, moonflowers, basil, parsley and chive seeds.  We’ve uprooted many weeds and watered our planters as we anxiously wait for the little shoots to pop up.

I’d like you to notice two things from this last photo- 1) Deacon’s shoes, 2) the patch behind them.  What was overgrown weeds last week is now a bed for two baby gardenia plants.  They are said to be very fragrant and attractive to birds.