hens and chicks

I thought I'd post a picture of my favourite little plant this year, Hens and Chicks. We planted one last year, but it didn't perform well at all and didn't come back.

I'll be the first one to say that I don't know anything at all about gardening! I have a black thumb, usually. What I like about this plant is that it is a perrenial and it can be propagated so easily.

The one we bought this year was bigger, about 5 inches across. It also had a ring of baby hens along the outside, and two weeks after we planted it we removed all the babies and planted them in the soil along the top of the cinder blocks in our rock garden. They've all grown to an impressive size already, but I suspect they won't grow babies until next year.

Another thing I discovered while reading up on them is that they grow in the most precarious conditions - they'll grow on top of a rock!

So far, from one $5.00 plant, we've gotten 17 so far. That really appeals to the frugal side of me :)

shady

For the last few days, Bill and I have been focusing on the front and back yards.

It seems that every Spring, we just don't wait long enough for the perrenials to start coming up, so we cover them with annuals. Then a few weeks later we see the previous ones coming up and have to do some transplanting. Thank goodness none of them have died, but that just goes to show what rookies we are.

Another thing I've noticed is that I am so much like my Mom when it comes to home improvements - meaning I will cut corners and reuse common household items to get something done. For example, the bottom right hand corner shows how we used old 4"X 4"'s to elevate the gazebo roof above the deck doors. They haven't been painted yet, but they are covered with another decorative piece on the outside, so no one driving past would notice.



I found the chandelier at Wal-Mart, but it was the last one and it was on display. Since the last two trips there have been like that, and since I wasn't able to get either thing I wanted because they were displays and there were no sales associates willing to help, I decided that this time I'd take matters into my own hands. First, I asked for help.

Ten minutes later when no one showed up to help me, I walked over to the hardware department and got a step ladder. Then I went back to the gazebo displays, moved a coffee table, pulled the long cord through the frame of the gazebo, got up on the step ladder and took it down myself. I love it! And it was very cheap. I have to admit, I felt a little cocky picturing a store employee finding that step ladder - but I figured it would take a day or two before anyone noticed.

The black filmy curtain is a basic $10 panel from Wal-Mart, which has been hung alongside a wide, taupe-coloured panel that I made from waterproof outdoor fabric and another black filmy curtain to balance it out.

They're all hung on a nine foot Bo Staff that belonged to my late husband, which is attached to the frame with black boot laces.



The cushion was $2 at Value Village.

Eventually it'll have a proper, $400 canopy, but for now this works so great. The gazebo keeps the sun from beating in the back door in the afternoon, keeping the kitchen cool and shaded. The BBQ is very convenient and we've used it several times in the last few days to grill veggies, pork chops and chicken.



Aren't our houses close together? That's the neighbour's deck only a few meters away. I like the privacy of these panels too.

It feels like Saturday every day.

What Hue are You?

This morning I've been busy reading HGTV.com, rather than reading blogs. I've been obsessed with it since we got the gazebo up. Here's a quiz I'm taking in a few moments, called What Hue are You?

I'll put my results in the comments. Happy Tuesday!

thursday's events

First, Bill put up this gazebo on our deck.
Originally, I bought it five years ago, right around the time I bought the house. The trouble was, the gazebo is 10' X 10' and the deck is 12' X 10', so the rails needed to come down. Lately the need for more living space (and privacy) have over-ridden the tendency to forget about it.

This is the cute little BBQ we bought with our first tax refund. The other was an old $100 model that had been blown over during a storm. I love this new BBQ, even though it was a lower proced model as well. We're going to make sure this one is battened down.

Over the next few days we have to add a staircase, leading down the left hand side, as well as different rails, to keep people from falling off. So far, we've warned Jamie that any friends of hers that come, might need to sign a waiver for us before stepping through that door that leads to the deck, lol.