I had a very productive weekend.  Outside of laundry, dishes, and grocery shopping on Saturday (often the usual weekend chores), I worked outside in the yard for 3 hours on Sunday planting the mums I had purchased on Saturday, moving flowers around, and cleaning out and extending one of the flower beds in the back yard.   It was nice to be outside in the 60 degree weather getting my hands dirty.

I recently purchased 200 bulbs from the New Holland Bulb Company. And while it took forever for them to get here because they only ship to my growing zone after labor day, it was hopefully a nice investment for the yard for next spring.  J and I have fallen in love with the allium flower, which is an onion bulb that produces one single long stem flower that looks like a puff ball.  I bought three varieties of the flower which finally arrived yesterday.  However, they short shipped one kind and sent me a bag of 50 tulip bulbs instead. I called in the problem and they are reshipping the correct item to me at no charge and letting me keep the tulip bulbs.  I’m not wild about tulips, but I’m going to plant them anyway to add some color to the back yard.

J and I have a concrete slab in the backyard that we haven’t really known what to do with over the past 3 years.  It’s currently painted like a basketball court.  At one time, it was an open garage.  We’ve used it as a place to sit a few potted plants during the summer.  We finally decided to paint it next year and to have a pergola built over the top of it, incorporating it into a nice outside living space that we can finally enjoy.  With it and the new spring bulbs to be planted, I think the back yard will look great next year.

It’s odd that it is October, and we’re already planning out the yardscape for next year.  I love autumn, but I am looking forward to spring again. Let’s just skip winter this year and get on with the growing.