Home Improvements

The previous owners had painted the garage door a dark yet bright green, which apparently the neighbours weren't really fond of. It was then primed over. When we bought the house we were told that they would have it painted by closing, but the best laid plans ... It worked out well because Kerwyn & I had the ttime to really consider what we wanted to do and pick out the colour ourselves. Here is the result:
The colour is called "New Jeans". We are also going to paint the shutters and front door this colour with the trim in white. When that's done I will have before & after pics.

Amanda talked excitedly about planting flowers beds as soon as we saw this house and knew we wanted it. Having moved in mid-summer and with everything else that needed doing the front beds just got left. They had a lot of ground cover perennials, some overgrown bushes and neglected roses. It looked kind of like this one (front bed #2).
(sidebar) Amanda has recently decided that she wants to grow an apple tree from the seeds of the apples that she eats. Far be it from me to discourage someone from recycling & trying to improve the eenvironment.
So on our way home yesterday we stopped by Bradford Greenhouses for some potting soil so that she could start these apple seeds indoors (and should they grow we could transplant them outdoors in the spring). Then we saw the Fall Pansies. I love pansies. Amanda started wheedling and cajoling and I started capitulating. So needless to say that even though it was about 6:00PM when we got home there was no way for me to convince her that this was a serious undertaking - having to dig up all of the stuff that was in there before we could start planting. She worked her "cute magic" on me along with a "promise" spell. "I promise I'll help so hard and I'll water them and everything!" And then she smiled. So after about 2 hours of serious work - and she did do her share - we have this:
A SERIOUS IMPROVEMENT!!! Amanda remarked "it looks better with just the dirt" after we had cleaned it out and before we planted. Even though you can't see them, there are tulip bulbs at the back. I can't wait for spring because I love tulips too! The pine bush thing at the right hand side by the door is going to be cut/dug out because it's just so scraggly, spready-out ugly. It just isn't doing anything for me or for the house so I want it gone! And I'm going to have to read about Snowball bushes and find out if I'm supposed to cut them down for the winter or what. After Kerwyn cuts out that pine thing Amanda and I can finish that side of bed #1.

And even after all of that I still finished setting in the sleeve and neck edge on my Rowan sweater.