It may be January, but I am dreaming of Spring!

Here are some some random pictures from last summer. My husband and I had planned a week-long driving tour through Kentucky and Tennessee, but a bad weather forecast changed our plans and we headed east. Since it seemed like every road in Pennsylvania was under construction, we abandoned the whole trip idea and decided to visit places closer to home. We rented a motel room in a nearby city and went to visit some local attractions. That night we were escaping thunderstorms and watching the news in our room and saw our own town (and street) mentioned in a report of some possible tornado damage. Fortunately all damage was minor (and not in our yard!). We decided to take some inspiration from one of the places we visited and finish our week with a home project.

We visited the gardens at Kingwood Center in Mansfield Ohio. We chose the time of visit perfectly to see the remnants of what had been spring flowers and before the blooming of their famous rose garden. Everything was very green; a color our landscape is lacking this time of year.

A few flowering bushes lent just the right touch to set off all the green tones.

I am pretty sure this is the entrance that leads to my fairy tale castle.

I have had several herb gardens over the years. None can hold a candle to this lovely spot.
After admiring all the plantings and gardens, I asked my husband what he liked best in the garden. He liked the bricks. (What a guy!)

This is that space that is between the foundation of my house and the front sidewalk. Originally it had prickly bushes that would prick children and snag your hose. (This  was back when women wore hose). We ripped those out and I planted day lilies. It was the perfect spot. They grew very profusely and every year I would split them and decorate more of my yard. Visitors were not as fond of the lilies as I was, since they would grow very large and the weight would cause them to fall over the sidewalk, forcing visitors to walk in the garden on the opposite side. We dug out all the lilies, but left a clematis in the middle.

I had thought about continuing the sidewalk up to the foundation, but since my guy was all about brick work; I decided to take advantage of the moment!

We both measured and calculated how many bricks we would need. My total was twice his total. We actually needed about 10 more than even I imagined.  Luckily our store had plenty in stock.

Didn't it turn out nice?

I had talked him into constructing the front porch of my dreams a few years ago. Since then, we have gained a son-in-law, a daughter-in-law and three and a half  grandchildren. I thought adding the brickwork would allow more seating when we are all watching the world go by. Do you like the tomato plant? My husband always wants a garden, but after planting looses interest. I thought this would be a compromise. We managed 5-6 tomatoes this year.

So there it is - a little sunshine on a deary winter day. And day dreams of projects for the coming year. Thanks for indulging me.