What a Difference a Day (and modern drugs) Makes!!

I woke up feeling much better than yesterday; a phenomena I attribute fully to the power of Doxycycline and ibuprofin.  (Sorry about the whining post.)  Regardless of the reason for my improved health, I am grateful.  Grateful enough that I'm combining two posts into one and joining both Shoot Me (23 of 52)...

...and Fertilizer Friday with this post.
 

The days here, like in so many parts of the country, have been unseasonably HOT and my potted plants have needed some tender loving care.  The sun is HOT, however, hot enough that I've been forced to drag out my sun hat, which doesn't stay on well, but does shade my face.

As you can see, I'm still under the weather and feeling tired, but being outside feels fantastic, even with the hot sun.

My garden makes me smile and I love spending time in it.  If you had told me give years ago that I would be a budding gardener, I would have said you were crazy and yet, I love it.  It is so gratifying.

Here is a glimpse of the back of my house as viewed from the backyard.  When we bought the house, the deck was uncovered and bare.  There were overgrown bushes everywhere and we didn't even know that was an apple tree.  (It didn't produce fruit for the first two years we lived here.)  Look at it now!  Covered deck looking out onto a gorgeous garden.  Superman and I did it all, with the help of our children, the donations of plants from generous neighbors, oh, and five 8 yard dumpsters stuffed full of ripped up, overgrown, plants.  I love how it has all come together.

These  lily-type plants with little purple flowers were gifts from a neighbor who was desperate to get rid of some.  You just separate them the way you do day lilies and plant the sections. They grow so quickly, they already need to be thinned.  The petunias in the hanging pots were wintered over in my dearly departed greenhouse.    (The silly lights are Buttercup's under deck lights, but something chewed through the wire last winter, so I have to get them fixed.)

Sorry for the horrible picture, but this is our koi pond.  I don't even remember what was here before...I don't think anything other than overgrown bushes, but maybe Superman will remember better than I.  It has a waterfall that burbles all the time.  I love the sound of the water feature.  Since two of our koi were roughly 2 feet long, we found new homes for them and only have two little ones in the pond these days.

Not part of the view, but still amazing are these Asiatic lilies...look how many we have!  The pink color has faded, but they're still gorgeous.  (Doesn't the football add that little something?  Yes, this yard gets used!)

Superman, look at the day lilies we transplanted last year...we put them along the fence to add some no maintenance color and they are doing so well.  They obviously love this strip of fence because they don't look like stragglers, do they?

Oh, and look at our squash...they obviously have no problem with the lasagna gardening technique I used to plant them.

So, there you have it, my garden tour for this week.  All these plans make for a beautiful view out my window as I sit at my computer.  I love sitting down here, listening to the waterfall and looking out at the fruits of my/our labors.  Head over to Tootsie's to see what everyone else is up to.  Oh, and don't forget to join in the fun at Forever in Blue Jeans...get yourself in the picture.  You won't regret it.  (Three more and I'll be halfway through!)