In My Backyard

The grassy part of our patio enclosure.

The seating area of the patio.

Always begonias in memory of my paternal Italian grandmother.

A five gallon pail makes a great planter, too!

The clematis Becca and I just bought last year. We're both so thrilled with how beautifully it's growing!

I love to have brackets on the fence for holding planter boxes like this one.

This dusty miller and fuschia petunia look so pretty together!

One of the hanging baskets I did today.

Sheltered Patio At Night

outdoor lighting

So, so inviting and beautiful! Don't you just love a lit patio at night?

Setting Up The Patio

This morning dawned a bit sunny, mild and breezy. 

So I decided to have breakfast out on my 

 back steps to enjoy the beauty of this day.

As I sat there, the urge to pull out planter boxes, 

unwrap the furniture from its tarps, and 

hose down the patio began to press upon me. 

I thought, "Why not?" I do some of my best 

work when I make spontaneous decisions. 

 Working outdoors has always been somewhat 

therapeutic , as well as rewarding for me. I've been 

long enough looking at a drab, uninviting patio, 

and I like to clear my head of thoughts 

that just seem to linger around in my mind.

All in all, I spent a couple of hours taking care 

of everything, and I think I'm off to a good start. I feel 

better inside, and it looks better outside. Can't 

wait for a nicer variety and selection of flowers to 

start arriving at the home centers and nurseries. 

Then we'll have some color and beauty to 

add to our nice little place of retreat!

It's a start....

More pictures to come as I get my flowers planted!

Back Porch Steps

This is where I sit in the sun to relax, until I set up my patio furniture. (Won't be long now!)

There's something nice about sitting on the steps with a mug of tea while listening to the birds sing, and feeling the warm sun wash over me.