These past weeks, I have been spending countless hours working outside. There were days when I would start right after lunch and keep at it  until David would call me and inquire about dinner. A few times, I would ask him if we could just go to a drive through because I was too tired to prepare our usual evening saladl. Fortunately, I have a very understanding and considerate husband who would willingly oblige his obsessive-compulsive wife  . When I start working outside, I can't stop.

     I find so much joy looking outside viewing the result of my work. I transplanted some perennial plants (mainly hostesses and ferns) and planted multi colored annuals. David and I would take turns checking out how our newly planted flowers would be doing. 

     When we moved here last year, the backyard was filled with ivy and the shrubs were overgrown. I was afraid to walk through the yard in case there are snakes and insects hiding under the thick leaves. I pulled out all the ivy (got a bad case in poison ivy too) and cut back all the shrubs. That brightened up the area. We went to a" house and garden tour" and came up with the idea of planting grass so we will have a lawn. Leslie, my sister in law suggested that we should have a place for children to play in a community like ours. That will be the next project. Meanwhile, here are pictures of the flowers that bloomed this week. 

These lovely blooms welcome us at the front porch.

I planted the pansies  in front of these purple flowers.

These lilacs are  not only attractive, their fragrance spreads throughout the garden  as well.  

This Bleeding Heart is flourishing, like there's no tomorrow, by the patio competing with the white blooms.