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weekend doings

april yard

How was your weekend?

patio blankets

I spent mine deep-cleaning my house and preparing my backyard for the harsh summer conditions. The first order of business was to bag up all the patio throws and blankets we use on chilly fall and winter nights and store them in the rolling crate-ottoman.

summer patio

While I was at it, I vacuumed the rug and dusted off all the furniture – a never-ending battle!

snailvine

One of the prettiest things blooming in the backyard is the Lavender Snail Vine (Vigna caracalla) that is completely covering…

vine covered arch

… the rusty arch at the far edge of the patio.

canna lilly

I discovered the first Canna Lily (Auguste Ferrier) of the summer. It is a promise of things to come.

not soon enough

Another nearly weekly activity is the cleaning and refilling of the hummingbird feeder.

bean cleaners

I have tried all sorts of ways to clean the bottle, from bottle brushes to pipe-cleaners, but the most effective method I’ve found is this: Fill the bottle about halfway with hot tap water, add a tablespoon of bleach, and then a handful of dried beans. Shake and roll the bottle and the beans will clean the sides better than any bottle brush known to man.

rinse well

Next, triple-wash the bottle and then wash it again to make certain that you’ve gotten all traces of the bleach out of there before filling it with sugar syrup. I use a mix of 1 cup sugar to 4 cups water.

hungry hummer

I’m barely able to turn around from hanging it up before the hummers get back at it.

pom blossoms

My pomegranate tree is full of blooms.

baby pom

And baby poms.

succulents

The succulents are happy no matter what season it is.

peach babies

The peach blossoms are falling off, leaving baby peaches in their place.

peppers and berries

And I’ve got more peppers than I know what to do with …

ugly strawberries

… then there’s the scarce and strange-looking strawberries… you can’t win ’em all!

Some final food for thought. Check out THIS amazing video of the Maeklong Market in Samut Songkhram, Thailand. Or watch THIS slightly longer video with commentary.

It will blow your mind!


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1 comment

1 Marissa { 04.14.14 at 10:32 PM }

Your garden is so pretty! Someday I will have a pretty garden!

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