The serious business first: I have placed my order for spring bulbs, and a couple perennials to plant this fall. It did not come cheap, but these plants are, one and all, long-term investments for the front yard. I am not doing anything more to the back because with both walls falling down, this winter we will be plotting major renovations.
The hydrangea and peony are to fill some good-sized spaced in the front - probably on the back on the right side of the sidewalk as you're facing the house. Both are mid-sized plants with pink flowers that will offer some nice greenery even when not blooming, and they will not bloom at same time, so they can be close if needed. When I walked out there, though, there is a lot of open space. Might even put one of them on the left side.
The tulips are a small hardy variety that will hopefully be perennial.
Now for the more frivolous stuff: first, Emma and I made fairy houses for the back yard. Mine was sticks that I tried to weave together with vines and it was a good idea, but I needed more vines. Emma's was stones and things and she was not all bothered by the idea that it wasn't actually providing any shelter. I was very pleased with her imagination in this respect. She seemed pretty confident the fairies would figure it out.
How about this large creepy spider that made an enormous web over my back plot?
And my final PEEce (get it?) of news: some rude neighborhood cat sauntered around our patio and then PEED IN MY BACK PLOT. Pee just gushed out of this cat onto my begonias. I leapt to the solarium door and the interloPEEer was frightened away. It was traumatizing. For me, anyway. I don't know about the cat.
Quite a lot of migratory bird action in the bush today. I saw two Carolina wrens (together) and a Confusing Fall Warbler.
