"Sexy Deck"...

Well, finally complete!!! We built this 3 tier deck 2 years ago and finally got around to staining it up! It was a long journey because it wouldn't quit raining in this country for more than a day!!! Now that is it done, maybe we can have that deck party we have been talking about having for the past 3 years!!!

Back corner of deck with garden planters...

My dahling hubby spent countless hours on his knees (he also had these sexy green foam knee pads that he wore while working) putting on the stain to our gorgeous deck!!! Sorry ladies, I didn't manage to snap a photo!! All his "sexiness" paid off cause now I got me a "SEXY DECK!"

We ordered too much rock for the front flower bed so just decided to incorporate it into the back yard....

Cherry Tomatoes...

Peas...

Yellow Beans...

These container gardens are perfect for the city gal that wishes she had the space to plant a garden of fresh produce! My amazing friend had these things in her pots, called "Plant Nanny's" and they are terracota spikes that go into the dirt. You then fill up an empty wine bottle (of course this would mean that you would have to drink the contents first, so be very careful!) and turn it upside down in the "Plant Nanny". As the plant is "thirsty" it will draw water from the bottle! Genius!!!!

And this concludes my backyard tour!! Off to soak up the rays on my "SEXY DECK"!
MWAH~

Ta-Da....The Finale!!!

Well.....the topsoil finally arrived and everything got cleaned up and put away, just in time for a nice fresh rain. That soil looks so nice and black I could hardly wait to get muckin' in it!!!

From the driveway...

This is what is looks like from the road driving up to our home....

So we also decided to pull up all the pea-gravel that we had down the other side of our home. We replaced it with a darker mulch and the "heaviest-dutiest-tarpiest" stuff to go on the ground under it!!! I don't want to see another clump of grass, thistle or anything growing on that side of my house other than these beautiful trembling Aspens that we staggered. I saw them staggered in someone else's yard months ago while driving around to get some ideas, and loved the "natural" look it gave, as opposed to planting them in one symmetrical line...

This is what is looks like from straight on....this will be stunning once they develop...

Dogwoods & Purple & White Hollyhock...sorry mom but I think it is beautiful! Haha!

Before I started digging holes all over the place, I carefully placed the plants in their pots where I thought I would put them. This was a good hour long process, since I am so bloody indecisive!!! Something else that I did was drew my flowerbed out on a sketchpad, building a key on a separate page. I drew circles with numbers in them on the sketch, then on the key you just have to match up the corresponding numbers to find out what plant is planted there!!! I thought I better come up with some kind of system, seeing as someone was bound to come over in the next 40 years and say "OMG - that is stunning - what is it?" Bwahahahaa!!!

What a find from Wally World of all places - this rock fountain pretty much blends into the front fascia rock of our home...AND, it was on sale!!!!

When I stopped for the day, this is what was left to look at...

More plants...that didn't get planted yet...

And finally, here is a shot of the Rock Fountain, the Dogwoods, my Guacamole Hosta, and some others...

So as I promised to post when this beautiful creation was completed, I am soooo excited to share these photos with you! Although this project will be an ongoing one, adding to the large empty space in the middle, and any spots here and there, I hope you are half as pleased with this creation as I!!! I would love to hear your suggestions of what I can fill my spaces in the bed with!
MWAH~