Getting Spring & Summer Ready

 

Good Morning! I wanted to get a new post out to you before i head outside to plant more bulbs! We've been working hard here on some projects; the largest being our new larger patio. We had a brick patio we put in back in 1995 but decided the time had come to refresh the backyard with a new patio of pavers. The work began last week moving bushes and redesigning the shape. My husband is doing the job with one of his laborers from our company and they are breezing right through it making a lot of progress. Here are some photos of the  new shape. That's sand covering the new design. Soon the pavers will go in! Very excited. 

So we are transplanting some bushes, buying some new ones. It's going to be very pretty! We go to our favorite wholesale grower for the bulk of our plant and flower purchases. We visited Sunday to choose what we want to get for this Summer,

I could just spend a fortune on flowers! I really could. I love them so much.This grower has an awesome selection and he knows we will be coming so he always throws in something special for me! I'm just laughing though because we have this one pesky rabbit who likes to eat our flowers and he has become my husband's nemesis. This rabbit came last year and ate alot of our New Guinea Impatiens. Once again, he's sitting in my neighbor's driveway just waiting...every day we see him. He's waiting for the flower buffet to begin!! Last year my husband sprayed the flowers with a spray that doesn't harm the animals; it just repels them. Well it smelled like wet dog!!! LOL It repelled us more than the bunnies! We'll try something new this year perhaps a home remedy. I've heard grated Irish Spring soap works!

I hope everyone is getting to enjoy the outdoors . I know some had snow still coming! It's cold here today! but we will back to the 60's and low 70's by next weekend. I have all the bulbs planted. This year I even planted fern bulbs. I never did those before.  I planted red cannas, red & yellow cannas, elephant ears, ferns, and three types of lillies. I also planted onion bulbs in my vegetable garden. When I go to Lancaster this Summer, there is a garden center that sells a huge variety of bulbs. I'm interested in some that bloom for the Fall. 

I'm awaiting the release of Amy Clipston's next, and I believe final,  installment of her awesome Amish series "Amish Marketplace." It's called The Jam & Jelly Nook   and comes out May 4th! I havbe loved tis series, which started with The Bake Shop. It's as though it takes place in the Bird in Hand Farmer's Market! The other books in the series are The Coffee Corner and The Farm Stand. Jam & Jelly Nook comes out soon!

Have a wonderful day! Don't forget to hit the follow button!

Happy Tuesday!

Good Morning! What a beautiful sunny day!  I think (but not positive) the cold weather is behind us! I know it will still go down to the high 30's at night but I think my winter coat days are over for this year. I am so looking forward to going outside to plant but first we have alot to do. Before I get ot hat, How was your Easter? Ours was very quiet but enjoyable. We decided to stay close to home and not get together with family right now. We went out early in the morning to the cemetery for my parents as I wanted to put a Spring bouquet. I'm very glad that the cemetery is very good about allowing people to decorate graves as long as it is neat and orderly. So I like to go for the different seasons and I visit my parents and grandparents in the dame cemetery. My Mom's name was added to the plaque next to Dad and I must say it was startling for me to se her name there as it's still a struggle for me to believe she's not here. I miss her terribly. 

Okay, so moving on to happier things! Because we have to~I can't dwell on sad things because it really takes me down and I don't want to feel that way. Sooooo...Look at this chocolate chicken with Easter eggs my neighbor gave me! I am truly blessed with the best neighbors in the world. And I don't just mean for their gifts! They are loving, good people and we care deeply for each other. She knows me soooo well and when sh esaw this chicken she probably thought MARGARET ! And i love her for that thought. 

After the cemetery it was still really early in the morning, but Hicks Nursery in Old Westbury was open early for Easter and Billy and I did some bulb shopping! I prefer to plant perennials and do annuals in pots or as accent plants. And I love bulbs. We got fern bulbs! I got an onion selection bulb packet.  We got our elephant ear bulbs and some blooms in deep reds and blooms in red/yellow 

And we chose that color because my husband has started demo on our backyard brick patio and the deck around my shed. It's time! Between Hurricane Sandy and Hurricane Irene, my patio has lifted from tree roots plus we have it and used it quite a bit since we installed it in 1995. Time to refresh! So here is my husband demolishing the wood deck around my shed. And then it's on to the bricks. we are putting down dark gray pavers with a black border so red flowers will go nicely with our new red patio umbrellas! Red is  my accent color for the backyard on that side now. I'll post photos as he does it. He's such a busy man. He works all day on projects for our construction company and then does this at night! 

Today I will be washing down the interior of the chicken coop. I did all fresh straw all ready but now I want to wash down the walls from the dust and clean all their "decor" and yes, my chickens have decor inside their coop!

Look at my great nephew Patrick! He just turned three months! He is the happiest baby you would ever meet! Smiles endlessly! He's such a cutie. I'm so in love with him!

Last but not least on Good Friday, my Caitlin and Billy's girlfriend Viera and I went for a nice girls breakfast! We went to am adorable family favorite called Mundays! It's in Huntington Village. We had fun. We always end up laughing about something. My two girls I love them so much! Mundays always goes all out decorating too. Caitlin had an awesome avocado, spinach & onion breakfast burrito. My kids love avocados. Vi and I had omelettes and eggs benedict . Delicious!

 So I think I'm caught up.....I hope you have an awesome day!

Pre Easter!

Good Morning! Happy day before Easter! It's 35 degrees today but the temperature will be 60 tomorrow for Easter! I am so excited to start planting. We've been back and forth to some of our favorite nurseries and Home Depot & Lowes...just looking! I know it's to early for us here i the northeast but I still love looking! My husband is starting demolition on our patio. It was a brick patio that is till very nice but due to several storms over the years and loss of many trees, the roots had lifted  bricks and ...well, it's time for a change anyway! we are awaiting our delivery of pavers and my husband will lay them. Right now its just demo, which I think men truly enjoy! LOL  

So my sweet Caitlin is now "officially" sweet! She turned 16 on March 28th! I have been blessed with two wonderful children. Never a problem, thank goodness. We celebrated on her day with a family dinner to a Japanese restaurant she loves in Huntington Village. Dragon rolls & Tokyo rolls of Sushi! Terriyaki steak and shrimp and Miso soup. Just some of the food we enjoyed.  It was delicious. Her party will be in June when the weather is nice and we can be outside! Not a huge party but a nice size family/friends party. We need to celebrate our Caitlin. 

 

Just doing a lot of little things around the house. I repainted some things, washed out flower pots and put out a few Spring/Summer decorations. I got these plastic vegetable signs from Dollar Tree. You've probably seen them. They are white plastic mini signs and with a sharpie marker you can write what vegetable it is.  I have such fun in Dollar Tree. Here's a cute photo of  one of my very friendly squirrels helping himself to a jar of peanuts I accidentally left outside after feeding them.

 

He was happily helping himself! So cute. 

We did our annual Easter egg coloring night with my neighbor the other night. 22 years and counting! Their kids and my kids best buddies. It s a nice tradition. But this year I didn't get any photos !They color lots of eggs and laugh and laugh. It's a joy just hearing them  

I wish you a Happy Easter! I will be back again soon!