Sunday, June 26, 2011

Working for the Weekend





Spent the entire weekend in the yard
pulling weeds, trimming hedges,
bushes, and trees,
and then raking and cleaning up.








Whew.
Lots of work.


But........things are blooming!







Found this sweet crock drink dispenser and stand at a flea market.










For years I have put water
in this iron bird bath ....
but the birds never used it.
The water gets too hot!
What was I thinking when I bought it?

  (I decided to plant it with flowers last week.)














This mulberry tree branch is about to snap, right?!!!


















The baby wrens
left their little house this week.
Let me tell you.... they had gotten soooo noisey!










What did you do this weekend?
(I hope it was something fun!)









30 comments:

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style said...

Alison, your yard is gorgeous and I did the same thing yesterday.

Cindy @ Dwellings-The Heart of Your Home said...

Your garden in beautiful Alison! It is never ending isn't it, weeds, watering, all that work! Makes you feel good though when it turns out as well as yours has! Love your crock, what a sweet touch!
Blessings,
Cindy

Michele Smith said...

All your work sure paid off because your yard is fabulous!

I am your newest follower!

Anonymous said...

HI Alison, everything looks beautiful! Your hard work payed off!
Your yard is so gorgeous.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

Babs said...

Alison, Your garden is so lovely and so well cared for. The drink dispenser with the petunias is darling.I like all your containers, too. Can't go wrong with black cast iron. :)
I did a bit of yard work on Friday and Saturday. It was so hot and muggy I only worked for about an hour each day. The weeds are gaining on me.
They say if you have weeds then you don't have enough plants. LOL Guess I'd better buy a garden center.
Have a great week,
Babs

Jem said...

Alison I absolutely love the way your birdbath looks planted up! Well worth making use of the extra space if the birdies aren't keen on a warm dip! :-)

I'm practically drooling over your drinks dispenser as it looks gorgeous and seems quite at home swathed in blooms!

Jem xXx

countrycharisma said...

Beautiful gardens and roses! Your urns and pots are so pretty. Know what you mean about the weeding; been do it all week and still not done.

Sarah said...

Alison, your garden is gorgeous. It pays to spend time doing just as you did this weekend. It is a lot of work, but the rewards are ten fold.
We spent the weekend running errands, getting organized for the 4th of July party we'll host on the 4th.
Have a great week. ~ sarah

Lynne (lynnesgiftsfromtheheart) said...

Alison, everything looks beautiful. I did some of the same thing. Played with my dishes for future tablescapes. Love the dispenser, that is so unique.
hugs ~lynne~

Kathy said...

Your yard is spectacular! I went to the local garden tour this weekend...have to say there wasn't a place as nice as yours!

Rebecca said...

I spent time Thursday and Friday deadheading roses & pulling weeds. Ended up with a case of poison ivy. Seems one of our beds is FULL of it. Ugh!

Celebrated birthday of 7 year old granddaughter by going to local festival. (Saturday was Dream Weather here! Just right for festival fun.) Nursed the P.I. Sunday and woke up this morning with eyes swollen shut. I'll cancel my public appearances again today :)

Your flowers are wonderful and I really like all the features you showed us - especially the crock & stand.

Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...

Well, I should have been weeding yesterday myself, Alison. That's what I should have done this weekend. : ) I have full sun so I always try and do it either early morning or in the evening, especially when it's a hot day. I'll have to do some tonight after work. Great minds think alike ~ I did the same thing with a birdbath I had. Moved it to a bed in the front of the house but used one of those round shallow pots to sit it right in the bird bath. And I have that same birdhouse! Your garden looks lovely and it is apparent how much you put into it. I wish I had the energy and time to do that again.

Pat@Back Porch Musings said...

Alison I enjoyed seeing your gorgeous gardens, so very much! Absolutely wonderful. Love the birdhouse!

Saturday morning, we took a jaunt into the countryside, for a photoshoot. We both enjoy this type of Saturday morning.

The rest of the weekend, in between thunderstorms, we got together provisions and began packing for another week at the lake.

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

Alsion, your yard and garden look so pretty. I love all of the planters etc....

I did a little weeding this weekend and then we had friends over for dinner.

I am having a giveaway for a Shabby Apple dress...come enter!
Hugs,
Penny

Karen said...

Alison, your gardens, yard and home are SO amazing! Just beautiful. Your style is my style, manicured, tidy, and we share the love of the same plants. Thanks for showing us!
Best~
Karen

Linda said...

Hi Alison. I'm about to go out and spend my day weeding. Fun wow!!
My weekend was spent with two lovely grandkids 2 1/2 and 7 yrs. The two and half kept me on my toes. Then Yesterday morning I got the call... Nana I'm about to give birth. So off to the hospital and an hr after I arrived wee Ava came into our world.
8lbs 6oz. Yes I'm a proud Great Nana.

Dee ⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️ said...

Alison,

Your hard work was worth it. Your garden is beautiful. I loved seeing all the pink flowers!

Dee

Ann@A Sentimental Life said...

I spent all weekend doing the same as you! Love your roses, everything is so gorgeous!

waveney said...

alison , you came to mind yesterday as I also slaved away in the garden. As I mused, It brought back a memory of an old Babuskaed cronnie tending her garden in a small village some where in Europe. I asked if I could take her picture. I'm sure she spoke no English, but responed.....Damn Weeds!!!

michele said...

relaxed. worked on my tan (i know, i know, how very 1975 of me!).

michele

Anonymous said...

We did the same thing! Yard work and more yard work! And STILL didn't get it all done. It's a neverending job, isn't it? Like laundry.

So we got the chickens on Saturday night, you ought to go check out my last post. They are awfully cute. I didn't get great pictures b/c I was so busy trying to get them settled, but you can at least get an ok idea of what they look like! :o)

The Gilded JunqueYard said...

I LOVE your gardens and want to come see them.....call me so we can make a date to come over!! Tom's my gardener here....SO appreciate that.
xxo-j

Ricki Treleaven said...

Your garden and planters are stunning. If I had your garden, I would spend all day out on the patio! I hope you enjoy the fruits of your labor. Thanks for sharing your gorgeous photos with us!

The French Hutch said...

Oh Alison your hard work is paying off, your yard and gardens are lovely. My flowers have come and gone. Now we look forward to fall planting season. I love the bird bath with flowers, speaking of flowers all of your colors are glorious. Enjoyed the grounds tour. Drop by my blog to see what I was up to last week......
Hope your week is great.

~Emily
The French Hutch

Pinky at Designs by Pinky said...

All of your HARD work sure paid off. It all looks beautiful! Such a beautiful yard! We just gopt home from vacation Sat. afternoon so we unpacked and did laundry this weekend:):) XO, Pinky

Kathy @ Sweet Up-North Mornings... said...

Just found this sweet blog...
Your yard is stunning...
I have a birdbath that I need to plant flowers in too, has a little crack and doesn't hold water any more. Time to repurpose!
Nice to meet you...will follow!
xoxo~Kathy @
Sweet Up-North Mornings...

Upscale Downhome said...

It looks like you have a lot of yard to take care of; it's absolutely gorgeous. My weekend wasn't nearly as productive but I had fun watching my son play baseball, shopping at an auction, and attending a wedding.

Elizabeth and Gary said...

Hi Alison,
Your garden looks so pretty and colorful with all the fresh blooms.
This weekend we are going to work in our yards. Our gardener cuts the lawns and will trim a bit, but we do all the weeding and planting. I also have flowers in my bird bath.
Have a sweet day and hugs, Elizabeth

Boho Farm and Home said...

Oh Alison, It looks so great! Wish I was there enjoying summer in Illinois...everything is so green.
xo
Caroline

Poppy @ With a Dash of Color said...

You have the most magical garden in blogland,I just love it! I love every corner of your yard.. from the gorgeous roses,and colorful planters... to the perfectly manicured lawn... I cannot help but admire.Your garden always always transports me to an English garden...I fall in love all over again every time I visit your garden. Thanks for sharing such an inspiring post with us!~Poppy

http://withadashofcolor.blogspot.com/