Tag: #landscaping

Breathtaking

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I’ve been caring for it since March.

My philosophy while caring for flowers is: “You’re either gonna thrive or die.” I shower them with love, and a lot of them have been loved to death.

This one plant in particular is a Hibiscus, which is relatively easy to grow. When purchased, it wasn’t in bloom, but the picture on the tag showed what it was going to look like in bloom. Let me just go ahead and say, the photo didn’t do it justice. It has been a while since the purchase, so I had forgotten what color it was, but remembered it was unique, and one I haven’t seen before.

It would grow a bud and look like it was going to bloom, but the bud would fall to the ground. It would just drop off thanks to some type of insect eating it from the inside, but I just kept giving it the same treatment as everything else in the yard. Everyday I’d look at it and see buds, but wonder if it was going to bloom.

It was just a normal morning in the yard, hose in hand with my back to the Hibiscus. I was making my way around to it, when I saw one of the buds had opened into a bloom and gasped at the sight of it!

It was so much more than I imagined that it took my breath away. That’s the kind of life He has planned for us lovelies. Breathtaking.

Pause and Rest

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I walked out on the front porch with coffee in hand. It was early morning, but the temperature was already warm. August in Texas.

My daughter gauges my well-being by the amount of glitter on the porch. This morning, you could tell it has not been maintained and every potted plant was struggling. I sat down with my coffee and gazed at the yard, knowing what it needs.

It needed a good drenching.

I’ve been working a lot. Having three part-time jobs is taking it’s toll on my body, mind and spirit. My work load has intensified and some days I work two jobs on the same day. On Thursday, I worked all three. Bossman at the Pizza place said, “Everybody wants a piece of Barb.”

The key is to not run out of pieces.

I walked over and grabbed the hose.

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What you just read has been sitting in drafts since last week. That’s as far as I got with it, but this morning, I was right back at the same spot.

Sitting on the porch with coffee. Looking at the little bit of glitter scattered across the porch and covered by debris. The yard was coughing at me from lack of water. My daughter didn’t have to ask how I was doing this morning. She took one look at me and said, “You’re tired.”

But the great thing about this is….awareness. There was a time in my life that I would have just pushed through, but not today. You work at a slower pace. I turned the phone off for 30 minutes to allow myself a moment to catch up.

Awareness and knowing when to pause.

I stopped typing this post last week and left it in drafts, but knew I’d come back to it. I don’t have to quit. I’m just practicing pause and rest.

 

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Spread Some Love

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I love to walk over and visit my neighbor.

When it’s time to go back home, I step along the stone path between our yards. It still surprises me that this is my home. It looks like a fairy-tale.

foxy
Can you see the bubble wand from Carpe all the Diems?

It’s a yard well loved.

I added a few plants, but mainly just watered what was already there. The people who were here before me planted a lot of what I see today.

Walking around the yard, flowers are popping up that someone planted years ago. I didn’t see the flowers last year because I gave the yard zero attention. This year I’m loving on it at least once a week and see something new each time.

flowers

These popped up out of nowhere.

green

This area is along the walkway, beside the front porch. I planted the Canna’s in the back. Everything else came up on it’s own after some watering. I don’t know what all of it is, and that’s okay. It looks happy to just be here.

All the yard wished for was some attention. It wants care, much like we humans. A kind word, or a friendly hug can go a long way.

It was a thirsty soul waiting to be quenched.

What is in your soul that needs water today?

What we give is surely what we’ll receive.

Spread some love.

Be a Ma’am

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The first time we met, he called me Ma’am.

I texted him this morning to see when he would arrive, and via text he referred to me as Ma’am.

Who am I talking about? My lawn guy 🙂

I see it at the Pizza place too.

The young delivery guys say, “Yes Ma’am or No Ma’am.” The more mature gentlemen say Ma’am, but it’s the ones who are around my age that don’t know what to say. They are always polite though.

Maturity is beautiful. Wear it like a crown.

ceo
One of my all-time favorite Memes. 

Are the people in your life treating you with respect? Well, let me tell you dahling, you deserve respect. Dig deep and uncover your power.

You are the CEO of your life. Be a Ma’am.

(To my men readers, replace ‘Ma’am’ with ‘Sir.’)

It Took Years

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I started pondering my front yard after Christmas. Taking the Christmas wreath off the front door, I wondered about having a year round wreath.

Everything is so pretty on Etsy.

wreath
Brickhouse Design Co. made this.

My daughter and I have a french theme sprinkled through the house. The front door is the entryway to our home, and that french theme, so it makes sense.

That door is where this all began.

Today, I’ve been playing in the yard.

This journey with this front yard began with, A Simpler Life. An update to that post is, I found the perfect bird-feeder. It didn’t take much time.

birdfeeder
Vintage Scrolled Birdfeeder.

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About two years ago, I grew Boston Ferns on our front porch per my daughter’s request. That was the first time I had messed with plants in years, beside growing some Canna lilies while living on 40 acres.

You see, my ex husband and I owned a landscape company during the most trying part of our marriage. We designed, planted and built outdoor living spaces in people’s backyards. We installed some magnificent yards, but he practiced on ours.

Toward the end of our marriage we no longer spoke to one another. The yard was his safe haven and he created such beautiful yards, but the well manicured yard left a sore spot in my heart.

When we moved into this house, I completely ignored the yard and let it go. It was an interesting experiment to see what would happen. I’m pretty sure UPS was scared to walk through the yard to the front porch to leave a package. It was a jungle.

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But remember darling…2019 is the year to bloom!

flowercart
Vintage Flower Cart

A friend had this lovely flower cart for sale.

It adds to the french theme don’t you think?

Time has passed and my yard heart has healed. I look forward to planning and planting again. A yard that will bring joy to people as they stroll by.

It will look quite different from last year and they will see this transformation after only one year.

You know the whole story my darlings.

For me to love a yard again. It took years.

A Simpler Life

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This year, I’ve been pondering the front yard.

Coffee in hand, I heard someone mowing.

A landscaping company was maintaining a couple of yards nearby. My yard needs help, and today was the day to ask for it. God’s perfect timing.

Last year, I did nothing with the yard. Grass doesn’t grow due to the shade from the ginormous oak tree. That’s okay. I’d rather have the majestic tree than grass in this stage of my life, but the weeds grow.

I walked outside, followed the sound of the mower, and found the man behind it. Long story short, he mowed my yard, and will return once a month. Now, I can begin to envision enjoying my yard.

With the weeds gone, the yard can speak.

simplify

I’ve toyed with the idea of buying a weed-eater, or small mower and maintaining it myself. Most of my life has been spent taking care of things myself. I don’t wish to do that anymore. I can let others help.

This stage of life is to simply be enjoyed.

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We have lots of birds, but I have no feeder.

I wondered if the birds would use a feeder, so I took a trip to the hardware store to see what they have, but didn’t really see one I liked. Drove to another store, but same result. Nothing really pretty.

Before purchasing a feeder, lets do a test.

birdseedbell
Birdseed Bell

The birds landed on it and pecked heartily.

I will find the right feeder, but there’s no rush.

It will happen when the time is right.

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The sweet part of life is within the timing. I’ve learned to meditate and truly enjoy the tools it gives. I’m still trying to find my groove with the morning pages, but I realize that anything in life worth doing takes time and consistent effort.

After working on the inside, it’s flowing outside.

It’s funny how the inside comes first.

Taking a step back, and looking for small tweaks to be made. Change doesn’t have to happen all at once. Do it in increments that lead to a simpler life.

Ready to Bloom

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healI was on my way to an AA meeting yesterday, and stopped by to see Stephanie. She is my plant Guru. I’m not sure she realizes the magnificent healing she has brought to my life through these plants she encouraged me to bring home. It was time to buy my first one that would bloom. I spotted a pot that made me smile, and the plant we chose is big!

pot
Yes. I blew my Saturday budget on a pot and plant. No regrets.

She told me it is a good plastic one, but it looked real!

On the way home, I stopped at a small Farmer’s Market.

There is something about people sitting in 100 degree heat, that deserve our attention. A young lady was sitting at a table filled with bottles of honey. We began talking, and she invited me to her church. I listened as she told me more.

What made my ears perk was a study they have on Wednesday nights. It’s by Beth Moore, entitled, “Believing God.” I did this study years ago, and it was enlightening.

Believing God is what I’ve been doing, but it would be nice to do the study again. She is going to text me a reminder, but I was standing there because of the label on her honey.

beelove

Aren’t we supposed to Bee Love? Yes.

This journey  began with my daughter wanting Boston Ferns.

As I was leaving Stephanie’s, she said the main thing people ask her is how to grow a Boston Fern. The thought intimidated me too, but they are huge now! I told her about mine, and she said, “If you can grow a Boston Fern, you are the bomb!” All I did was care. I hugged Stephanie and said, “You make my life more beautiful.” She exclaimed, “That made my day!” She helped give me my beautiful life back.

bloombabybloom
Double bloom Pink Hibiscus and Mochee.

God knows when we are ready to bloom. Can you feel it?.