Yard updates.

 We spent several hours at our old house/rental today.  The cement edging was put in a week ago and it looks good.  We had to go and clean up the sod that was cut away in the prep for the cement. 

 I always regret it when I let a contractor do something when I'm not there.  Overall, it is good, but there are two spots that he didn't do it like I wanted it.  In the above photo he curved in behind two above ground sprinkler heads.  We'll be putting grass in along the rest of the fence there and with it the way it is you would have to mow and trim around those two sprinklers.  Not what I told him.  We planted 6 plants to fill in areas where we'd taken out plants that were creating a mess.  You can see a couple here.  They look small and inadequate now, but when they grow it'll be pretty.

 The bush on the right is another new addition.  After speaking to the renters they started watering the lawn better and it was looking quite nice a few weeks ago....today it's looking dry again.  We're going to do things differently with the next renters.  Live and learn. 

 I'm going to move 3 large boulders that are in another area of the yard and put them in front of this tree to fill in that area a bit better.  The next step is to lay down weed fabric and have our local landscaper bring in rock to cover all the dirt in the planting bed areas.  Try to get this to look nice, but keep it easy so that it takes little effort for renters (or us) to maintain it. 

 My mother asked about how my flowers were doing at our home.  They FINALLY started to grow and fill in.  Still not terrific...I think I need to add some more stuff to the soil.  They sat and did nothing for weeks and weeks, the center island and around the post on the left still aren't really great, but it's better than it was.  I had such visions for this and it's been a bit disappointing that it hasn't lived up to them, .... next year :)  I didn't get to it this year but plan to put in artificial plants in the two planter boxes (under the window on the left, and under the fake shutters above the garage).  That will look nifty. 

I've been amazed how much these new bushes have grown just this summer, especially those bright green ones in the back.  I love to have splashes of red here and there, in my yard as well as decorating in the house.