A day well spent

Three cheers for parents who teach their kids that the best type of day is one spent working really hard and getting dirty.  And an additional three cheers for parents who inspire you to change this:

into this:

(and no, I don't just mean the presto-chango addition of a Honda Civic!)

So yes, if you're counting, my parents get 6 cheers for doing both.  And, really, they deserve an extra 100 cheers for everything else they did during their great weekend visit (and, not to mention, raising me....which I think they did pretty well, if I say so myself!)

But let's get back to the garden changes they inspired this weekend.  It's no secret that while we've worked really hard all winter on the interior of the house, the exterior leaves a lot to be desired.  And while we certainly can't tackle everything at once, my landscape consultant/mother helped me realize that this area by the front porch was a good place to start.

One of the bushes in the hedge row had died, leaving an awkward space.  And, the one lonely bush close to the porch does not have a parallel on the other side of the sidewalk.  So it made sense to take out that bush and create a walkway.  This not only looks better, but saves us from taking the groceries and other things out and around the front sidewalk.

So after digging out the extra bush, I pulled a bunch of weeds and evened out the soil.  Then I created the pathway using stones Justin had previously dug out of the back yard (it was a path to nowhere).  I planted a bleeding heart bush and some pansies, then mulched it over with the free mulch available to Ithaca city residents.

Enjoy the following picture, courtesy of my husband (for both telling me I needed to climb the mulch pile, as well as snapping the shot).

My front yard work wasn't the only gardening this weekend!  Justin and my dad dug the vegetable garden on Saturday.

I particularly enjoyed my dad's island strategy as he dug:

Although they're wearing shorts, we'll probably be back to winter coats before we're actually able to plant in the garden.  Our seeds are cozy inside for the time being

And even if it's not permanently gardening-weather yet, it sure was nice to get to spend a day outside getting dirty!  Anyone else with dirt under their fingernails tonight?