Back, and Back Outside

As some of you have pointed out to me... I've been a slacker on posting lately.  Sorry.  I've been busy.  I can't exactly articulate what I've been busy doing, but -- well, I could, but it would be ramblings of a crazy person.

Our weather has been supreme.  Fall is trying to arrive = bliss.  After spending literally hours lounging on my porch over coffee with neighbors, I finally got moving on Sunday.  My project?  Landscape around my back steps.  The reason?  My friend and client who built and had his crew install the steps-that-are-probably-worth-more-than-my-house for free is coming over today to see them.  YIKES.  As I've said before, I am nothing without a deadline.

I started with a trip to Home Depot landscape which was a huge fail.  Zzzzzz.  Nothing remarkable there at all.  I headed over to Redenta's.  And had to make two trips home to get all my bounty to my house! 

I procured Ajuga Chocolate Chip groundcover (3); butterfly weed (3) a flat of ferns, a flat of Munstead English Lavender, a flat of Peppermint, Phlox (2), Bee Balm (3), Hick's Yew (3), Japanese Yew (1), Flowering Senna (3).  Then a bottle of Liquid Seawood for feeding, 2 bags of cedar mulch (mmmm smells soo good) and 7 bags of compost.  And before I got all that, I had 3 flats of lantana (only $10 a flat!) from Red's and my excursion to the Farmer's Market the day before.  (Saturday's post will come later.  I know -- out of order -- I'm a rebel.)

I was repeatedly thankful for my Mantis tiller that Red gave me.  It made such easy work of a huge task.  Huge.  Task.  And now for the great photo reveal:

First, just for fun, let's take a trip down memory lane. 

Words defy this deck structure that was there when I moved in.  I'm sure I displaced any number of creatures when I took that out.

The deck came down, the steps were saved and swiveled around for temporary use (omg they were so rickety/hazardous!) and the original concrete steps were discovered.

Then there was nothing...

And here we are today!  It's been a really long road.

The oval "outcropping" in the foreground of the second photo -- the area with the curve of bricks around the end -- it was already there.  It holds Bog Sage, and some other butterfly friendly plants.  You may view the post about that area here: http://my1929tudor.blogspot.com/2011/05/b-for-blue-and-bees.html

I need to re-mulch that area but I ran out of mulch...

Peeking under the porch area -- lantana along the house and the edge of the porch, and behind the lantana underneath the structure are the baby ferns.  I love ferns so I really hope this proves to be the perfect shady location for them.  In front of the concrete footing are 2 of the Butterfly Weed (sort of hard to see) and 3 lavender -- the lighter colored clumps of green.

This is the cubby area between the steps and the porch.  That's all lantana.  I can't recall the name of the white blooming plant in the foreground.  I'm calling it phlox here, but that isn't correct.  It's very attractive to butterflies though; it has a distinctive smell.

Here, starting at the stepping stone and going clock-wise:  Bee Balm, Munstead Lavender, Ajuga Choco Chip, Lavender, Lantana, and completing the circle at the top left, another Lavender.  I gave in and put 2 flagstone pieces through this area because Greta insists on a short cut back to the steps.  May as well give her stepping stones... she's going that way regardless.

Being planted tonight?  The 3 Flowering Senna, the 3 Hick's Yew, and the Japanese Yew.  Check in tomorrow for photos!