Yard work = hard work

Wow, got a lot done yesterday, and then again, not enough. Sigh. How can the hours fly past so quickly? Didn't I just start my 5 day vacation? And now I am on the last day.

Yesterday, instead of staying inside, I worked in the yard. This was the first time I've really gotten out there this year!!! Lots of cleaning up to do after winter, and the plants are not waiting just cuz I'm running late....

Here's a rosebush (Carefree Wonder or Carefree Beauty) that did not even require pruning last year, it just burst into bloom and kept going all summer. And it was huge.


Well, this year it looks completely dead, until you prune away 99% of the bush, and down at the bottom is the new growth!!!

I'm sure my neighbors are glad to see that pruned finally. Look at the pile of THORNS I have to deal with now! Yikes.

Also turned this:



into this:

That is one monstrously huge bouquet of peonies, and man do they ever smell good!!! I had to bring them in, in spite of the ants (they just love these things).

I spent about 3 hours lopping off big branches from all our trees. The high winds of thursday made me realize how close some of the trees have grown to the house. I concentrated on removing branches that were hitting the windows in the storms. I was so exhausted by the end of my work that I just left the branches piled around the yard, to be bundled tomorrow. Geez. I am really out of shape!

In addition, I had planted some of these:

into these:


At the end of the long day, a shower and my lawn chair beckoned. I worked on Convertible from Knitty.com--I am really liking the feel of the merino handpainted yarn from Crash Into Ewe, and the way the colors are working up into the shawl. It's not so orange after all, just a rosy glowing peachy confection.... :)