Blooms

Now that summer is in full swing, lots of plants and flowers are in full bloom in our yard. As much as I am a big fan of Trader Joe's flower department, it is nice not to pay money for some fresh flowers. All I have to do is step outside with some scissors. 

I only know the names of about a third of them but whatever they are called, they're pretty!

I feel very lucky to have such big beautiful hydrangeas all over the yard.

We have pink ones too!

Here they are in my closet.

Even the plants without flowers are pretty.

We have a lot of pachysandra (yes, I had to Google the spelling).

Our dog Rosie likes to sit right in the middle of it!

Greens like these can be added to gifts, like these ones I saw on Pinterest:

I'm excited to have these holly bushes and will definitely be using some sprigs to decorate for the winter.

The same goes for this boxwood bush. 

Some sprigs of this will look great sticking out of a Christmas stocking.

And now with the ugly. 

Coming from apartment living, I've never weeded a day in my life until we moved here. 

And wow, it is definitely one of my least favorite chores. 

We went away for a weekend, and when I came back there were weeds as far as the eyes could see.

I spent over an hour weeding!

They're like gray hairs! 

Just when you think you've plucked them all, you spot another!

And with all these cracks and crevices in our patio, it is a breeding ground for weeds.

A special thanks to my parents who spent hours during their visit watering the plants and bushes
and for giving us a much needed tutorial on how to take better care of our yard!