A Few Favorite Garden Spots...

Here's a picture of the courtyard garden I mentioned in a previous post about repurposed candle holders. This was at our first home, which we recently sold before we moved to our current location.

 Hubby and I spent countless hours landscaping...growing plants from seed, potting, watering, pruning and deadheading. The yard was a complete disaster when we first moved in, so we poured a lot of love, sweat and tears into everything (okay maybe not tears!). 

I have to admit I really, really miss that yard. I so loved stepping out the door in the morning 

to water and deadhead in the cool morning air.

Heavenly.

Then we moved.

Once the snow melted...this is what we saw to be our new backyard.

Granted this is right after the snow melted and even the most beautiful yard doesn't look nice then.

But still...my heart kind of sank.

Since then, we have done a bit of rearranging, a lot of container gardening and lots of weed killing! There is still a loooong way to go before we have things looking the way we'd like, but I'm happy to say I have come to love a few different areas in the yard. So I thought I'd share them with you too!

Come along for a little tour...

This old bench was sitting all forlorn along the fence, so I pulled it over and plopped it down into a corner of a rock bed and then planted a couple of pots with...what else...red geraniums! Someone needs to remind me every year though, that I can NOT grow sweet potato vines! I love, love, love the look of them at the greenhouse, but every year I plant them I just make them miserable. I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. I'm positive they just see me coming and then decide to shrivel up and lose all their brilliance.

That bench has a special spot in my heart. If there is anything my momma taught me, it was to pray about ab.so.lute.ly.ev.ery.thing. Nothing is ever too small or too insignificant to pray about.

Well a few years back, still in our previous home, I decided that I wanted a twig bench to put in my garden. I looked and looked at every garage sale I ever saw, and even debated going up to a complete stranger's home to ask if I could buy theirs. (I chickened out) So then I decided to ask God for one, thanks to Mom's constant preaching. But I never saw one again. Eventually I used a different garden bench in the spot I had in mind, wholeheartedly loved it and never gave it another thought.

Then we moved in to this house. A few days later, hubby pointed out, "Guess God answered your prayer honey....you got your bench!" It's true! And I love that bench! Now I'll probably drag it along with me to every new house we live in because I can't ever seem to part with anything sentimental!

My parents gave us this beautiful fountain,

and I've really enjoyed watching the lilies grow up and around it.

Love.

These lilac bushes were already here, but we decided to add another garden bench in front to create a little focal point along a long stretch of bare fencing.

Hostas are my other plant crush. I just can't have enough of them!

You've already seen this spot in this post. Those trees were in desperate need of pruning this spring, with their branches all the way down to the ground.

We're looking forward to tasting the cherries and apples later on in the season.

I used some of my courtyard garden furniture and pots to create a quiet little corner to sit.

The kids play area is right across from here, so it's nice to have a place to soak up the sunshine

while they play...err...fight...no play.

The petunias are finally starting to fill in nicely now

(not so much when this pic was taken).

And lastly, the deck right off our kitchen.

I did not like this spot at all for a long time...too small...too hot and not enough privacy.

But the addition of an outdoor rug and a big umbrella has turned it into a spot where I now love to enjoy a morning cup of coffee and listen to the breeze blowing through the trees!

I think my candles sat out in the sun a little too long! Recognize them?!

More geraniums! My salute to my Swedish heritage, where so many of the homes have beautiful red geraniums growing in the sunny windowsills.

I absolutely adore them.

I like adding palms to my potted plants for their tropical touch...much appreciated in this Alberta climate!

That's about it for this year, but next summer we have lots of plans for a pergola, a rock patio

and maybe even a fountain. I can hardly wait!

Thanks for walking through the garden with me today!!

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