What I've Been Up to for the Last Month.... (Not all quilting)

     It's been a month since my last post....  what have I been up to?  

     A whole bunch of this last month has been spent around the house and yard.  We have had a really warm, dry, spring to date.  We hit the high 70's and low 80's last week.    I'm not sad that it's raining today and will do so most of this next week.   My plants really need it.   The ground had turned to concrete around the weeds.... so I'm hoping I can finish pulling with some softer soil.  

     We live on an acre and a quarter.  This means that I have plenty of weeds to attack, both with hand pulling and by spraying.   With nearly 15,000 square feet of gravel driveways and parking area,  it took me nearly two days to spray with my backpack sprayer.   It is too cumbersome to wear and pump... so I've rigged it to my hand truck on buckets.   It works pretty good!   

You can see that there are plenty of weeds in this gravel! 

       I  tweaked my right knee last September,  and had it in a knee support for the entire months of Sept. and Oct.!   I finally went to have it checked out.... possible meniscus tear.... but the doctor suggested we try a cortisone shot to help with the inflammation.  It did the trick.... but I  was hesitant to do any crawling or digging in November.   It definitely shows this spring!  

     The front concrete driveway has been pressure washed.     Still to pressure wash:   back patio,  patio furniture,  upper deck,  stairs to shop and shop front. 

     I've gotten all my flower pots planted and they have thoroughly enjoyed the three weeks of warm sunshine.  I went with multi-colored petunias this year.   They looked really cheerful when I was ready to purchase.   It was so wet when it was time to buy basket fillers and trailers....  I missed out on many of my favorites.  

     I did find the small bistro set for the covered deck area.   It now sports  new area rugs,  the bistro set and a new, smaller gas grill which replaces the big one that gave up this last fall.    

     I got a shade cloth hung in the greenhouse last week.   I purchased a shade sail at Costco for $35.00.  (7 x 13)  My greenhouse is 10 x 12.   it doesn't cover the entire roof area,  but it sure will make a difference keeping those Hostas protected from the hot sun.  It has 90% UV protection.  A comparable nursery one would have been about double that amount.  

     These were divided last fall when I moved them from an area that was too hot between two concrete areas where I don't water often enough.   70 of them in gallon containers.   Roots are not pot full yet.... but they are looking good!   I do not know the species name, because these came from my niece's yard and they were already there when she moved in.   They do get a white flower that is later  than the purple ones on my other Hostas. 

This picture was taken before I got the shade cloth up.

      

 Another chore I accomplished last week was hanging the bamboo shades around the hot tub area under the upper deck.   They were taken down when we re-built the deck 2 years ago,  and I never got them up last summer.   It really does help to keep the glare out of our family room on really bright days.  

      I have been hand weeding the beds around my patio.  They will all get new bark when I'm done.   The last bark I put down was right after the patio was put in... that was 2015.  

This picture was taken in 2015 as I was doing the plantings.   The black mondo grass didn't work so well.  Turns out the rabbits loved it more than i do.  

The other end of the patio looking out at the beds.   2015. My!, those two trees have really grown!  

      One part of those beds was never planted in 2015.... because we knew we were going to be re-doing the deck above it.   I didn't want to have to move plants,  or worry about ladders and such, so I left the part directly under the deck for later.    I finally got the plants in place!  Only took 4 years.  

     I have done a little sewing.... I finished the hand sewing on these borders for this quilt.   I started it in 2012, and it got put away with the borders still in the planning stage.   I'm ready to attach them, and add it to the finished top category. This was the UFO number for April.  

     I  started piecing and have finished the top of  the log cabin quilt for Aaron, our grandson.   He loves the Philadelphia Eagles Football team... so I'm hoping he will love the color combination.  I had all the greens in my stash... and needed to supplement the grays I had on hand.  I probably purchased 4 - 5 yards of different grays.