I Love Spring Cleaning...

...outdoors that is! And who wouldn't with views like this enticing you to come outside? I have spent much of the last week out in this beautiful weather. I don't want to jinx it, but when did we in Florida get a real, honest to goodness spring. The temperature does go up in the afternoon, but the mornings are cool and wonderful! I love to be outside and am always looking for things to do to keep me out there.

Of course, this time of year, you don't have to look very far. While I have been doing the "fluff" stuff - putting in new plants, trimming the old plants, etc., it is now time to TACKLE the biggies!

I am off today to buy all of the supplies I think I am going to need for the next week - mostly garden things but a craft or two may sneak in - and then I will really get busy! From looking at these pictures, it looks like I will be starting with the pressure cleaner. I really enjoy doing that, but getting up on the top step of the ladder and balancing (while the pressure pushes me backwards) so I can get to the top of the gazebo roof is always a "challenge". Wish me luck.

Some of the herbs are in - more to come. This garden is right outside the side door, so I really do come out here almost every evening to cut fresh herbs for dinner. If you have priced the bagged fresh herbs at the grocery store lately, you would hurry and plant some yourself!

I put four grape tomatoes in pots this year. Last year I did lots of leaf lettuce as well, but I felt like I really needed to do more and more in pots would be difficult. We have 17 acres behind us that are full of critters. Seems as if I plant any veggie in the ground, they will find them before I do. For some reason, they leave them alone in the pots.



This is my newest project. Forgive the wet fence. I watered before I thought of taking the picture. This is the far end of our pool deck. Seems like we almost always sit at the end by the steps because that is where the little people hang out. Several years ago, we had our diving board removed. Long story, but because they are apparently so dangerous, they are no longer installed in home pools. That also means that I could not get anyone out here to check mine out and tell me if it was still safe or fix it. Every one is afraid of liability. I decided since our board was as old as the pool, I didn't want to chance one of my kids or grandkids jumping on it and it breaking and hitting them on the head as they both tumble into the water...again, I digress.

In any case, this end of the pool now has lots of prime real estate. I dug out everything I had in this area. I am slowly deciding what to replace. This is one of the few areas of our yard that doesn't get the irrigation, so I will have to be responsible for hand watering. That is hard with my schedule, so I am treading lightly. I know for one thing that I am going to be looking for an umbrella today and then will figure out a way to replace the beautiful candle-lier that used to hang from the larger tree that used to umbrella this area...and drop all of its leaves into the pool. Hence the words "used to".

Any way, I love to decorate outside or in, so I am looking forward to this. I am also trying to do it fairly inexpensively so it will be a challenge! Stay tuned and see how I do.