The Bannons: the landscaper and gardener

This spring and summer Richard and I have been trying to fix up our front and back yard. We made the mistake of waiting until late spring time to rake up all the leaves in the front yard...so when we finally did what was left of the grass was muddy/mushy dead grass...opps! We now know not to make this mistake next year. We've made numerous trips to True Value to get fertilizer, miracle grow, seeds, flowers, plants, gardening supplies, you name it. It's all a pretty new learning experience for us, well maybe more for me, because I've never really had to take care of a yard and keep up the maintenance. Richard has done a lot to our lawn, revived it from the muddy and mossy mess it was a few months ago to green and healthy grass, and it's growing fast! He is the master mower too. I, on the other hand, have been trying to add more plants to our front yard, removed a few dead ones, and even planted a few herbs the other week in pots on the deck: cilantro, dill, chives, basil, and parsley. Hopefully they grow so we can use them while cooking, but so far I haven't seen much sprouting...maybe it's the sunless summer we've been having so far. Mom came over a few weeks ago to show me how to plant some of the plants I bought for the front yard, because I didn't really know what I was doing. So far the ones I have planted have lasted and most everything that's been planted are suppose to return next year so let's hope they do! Problem with our soil is that it's basically a mix of clay, gravel, and bark in some areas of the house. Little by little we'll have to add more soil here and there so that the plants survive! Next goal and project this summer...to build a fence in the backyard so we don't have to chase after Roxy every time she goes outside and hopefully one of these days fix and get the hot tub working!