lawn ornament take-over

HEY GUYS!!!  MY NAME'S PINKY AND I'M HERE, AS THE NEW LAWN MASCOT OF TRUMBULL STREET, TO SHOW YOU THE PROGRESS THE KIDS HAVE MADE ON THE BACKYARD!  PLUS I TALK IN ALL CAPS!  BECAUSE I'M SUPER-EXCITED TO BE HERE!  AND I LOVE YOU!  I LOVE EVERYONE!

(Don't you just adore him?)

Excuse me while I reel Pinky in for a minute...

Yes, we've done a lot with the yard so far this spring.  The weather in Florida has been stupid this month though- 80 degrees, 35 degrees, tornado, 60 degrees, drought, fire, freeze, sunburn.  It's driving me batty.  Ready for summer already!  Anyhoo, Scot's relatives from Finland and his mom are all coming to visit next month so we've been working on getting the house looking like 2 mature, respectable adults live here.  (btw, if you know 2 mature, respectable adults who can step in for us, let me know...)  Anyway, I came home from work the other week and Scot was digging up the backyard rambling on about putting in plant beds along the pool screen and fence and whatnot.  So we did!

CHECK OUT WHAT THEY DID, YOU GUYS!  IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY TO BE HANGING AROUND OUT HERE IN THIS BRAND-NEW FLOWER BED!!!  IT'S AWESOME!!!!

 Before- board for the beds laying about haphazardly, power tools scattered about (those aren't normally there, but the dead-looking grass and color-less lawn is pretty accurate)

After!  We put 17 croton plants along the pool screen (right), and grounded the corners with pittosporum bushes.  The bed stretched along the left side beyond the veggie garden, and I put in some colorful flowers and handing baskets under the newly-mulched area under the tree

 Here's a better view of my tiny little veggies- hey I planted everything from seeds this year so it's taking a bit longer.  That's broccoli in the back...

The flowers!  

THAT'S MY FAVORITE PART!!!  I LOVE FLOWERS!  AND I LOVE EVERYONE!!!

Easy there, hang on to your mouse ears, Pinky

Before- equally pitiful area behind the pool screen.  Not much more to say there

CAN I DO THE NEXT ONE?  PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE CAN I TELL THE LOVELY READERS THAT I LOVE SO MUCH ABOUT THIS ONE?

Fine.  Knock yourself out.  Use a rock if you need help.

OKAY SO THE GIRL HUMAN FORGOT TO MOVE THE BAG OF MULCH BEFORE SHE TOOK THE PICTURE (Pinky!  Focus!)  OKAY OKAY, BUT HERE'S THE AFTER!!!!  THE PRETTY PURPLE PLANTS AND LOROPETALUM AND THEY MAKE AWESOME PINK FLOWERS THROUGH SPRING AND SUMMER!  I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THEM AND LOOK AT THEM ALL DAY LONG!!!

HERE THEY ARE AGAIN!  PURPLE PLANTS!  PINK FLOWERS!  IT'S AWESOME AND I LOVE IT SO MUCH!  I LOVE EVERYONE!

OOOOO CHECK OUT THE GIRL HUMAN TRYING TO GET ALL ARTISTIC WITH THIS CORNER SHOT!  I'M SO HAPPY I GET TO LOOK AT THE POOL ALL DAY TOO!  IT'S SO PRETTY!!!  YAAAAAAAAY!!!!

I'm exhausted just listening to him.  Pinky, time for bed.  

BED!  I LIVE IN A BED!  A FLOWER BED!  GET IT?!?

Good God.

Anyway, I got some more inspiration from the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival yesterday (where I bought you-know-who) and everything was really lovely and we had a fantastic time.  This year they added food and alcohol to the festival so I had lots of frozen vodka drinks, sparkling wine, and some pineapple soft serve topped with gold rum.  Lawd it was a good time.    I mean, I may have gotten some garden inspiration, but I was also inspired to want to drink sparkling wine with elderflower liqueur and mint for breakfast every morning.  Which got shot down as soon as I remembered I fly airplanes for a living and they frown on that sort of thing.