Louisiana Iris

Finally blooming nearly a year after being planted.

One of the many reasons springtime makes me smile.

Extreme Makeover: Stewzie's Garden Edition

Before:

This is the listing photo from before we bought the house 2+ years ago.

Before:

This is what it looked like the day we started the whole shebang. I refer to the overgrown bushes as The Four Afros. Kind of like The Four Tenors, except without the popularity or vocal range.

After:

After we failed to yank out The Four Afros via ropes tied to Stew's trailer hitch.

After we (Stew) failed to remove The Four Afros via chainsaw. And axe. Simultaneously.

After our neighbor succeeded in digging up The Four Afros (and 1/3 of our lawn, but not his fault) via Bobcat. (Thanks neighbor!)

After 5 trips to Lowe's, 4 yards of dirt, 3 tipped over wheelbarrows, 2 long weekends, and 1 change in color scheme....

VOILA!

Window Boxes:

Herb Garden: Mint and Rosemary

Herb Garden: (from top) Basil, Cilantro, Sage, Chives, Green Onion

In case you're a garden nerd and want to know specifics, here's what we planted. Firepower Nandina, African Irises, Ascot Rainbow Eurphorbia, Guara, Aztec Grass, African Marigolds, and of course, Loretta.

Loretta

Internet, meet Loretta.

Loretta is an Red Emperor Japanese Maple. She enjoys decaf coffee, long walks on the beach, and chatting with her best friend Blanche about their favorite Soap Operas.

Loretta is the newest addition to Extreme Makeover: Stewzie's Garden Edition. More info regarding said makeover, along with inspiring before and after photos will follow in a later post. But for now, back to Loretta...

Loretta's introduction to our lives was a tiny bit symbolic for me. You see, my 30th birthday is in less than 2 weeks (hint, hint). Since THE BIG THREE OH is a milestone of sorts, I wanted to do a little something for myself to mark the occasion. Something that would last longer than the usual gift. Something I could look back on years from now and say "That. THAT happened when I turned 30." A time capsule of sorts. A living memory. Planting a tree seemed fitting. It's me putting down roots. Literally and figuratively. It's something that, like me, has been maturing for a while now, but will continue to gain strength and evolve. Let's all hope.

P.S. That wooden pole standing behind Loretta, holding her up and supporting her while keeping her grounded? That's totally, 100%, symbolic of Stew (Hi Stew!) Sorry for being so sappy (no pun intended - maple tree - sap - get it?)

I did some reading up on Loretta's species, and was intrigued by the following descriptions:

...thrives in a Southern atmosphere...

...handles the hot summer sun easily but prefers shade in the afternoon...

AND

...is developing a reputation for good overall performance in difficult situations...

Loretta, I guess you and I have more in common than I ever imagined. Welcome to the family.