Signs that summer is near

I've been trying my best to hobble around the yard preparing the flower beds for the summer. We paid two of the youth from our church to weed and mulch all the beds...they did everything in two days with help and a little encouragement to focus from Anthony. Everything was done on memorial day, making it the first time out of our 4 summers in the house that the beds were cleaned up before July! Actually, I think I only finished the front bed last year. This is definitely the first year that we won't have weeds the size of small trees growing in the beds around the pool. I want to get the kids to put in new beds all the way around our property so that we could get a bit more privacy in our backyard. We love our neighbors, but hey, I don't exactly like flaunting my stuff around in my swimsuit in their view. We'll see how it goes.

I inherited a semi green thumb and love of flowers from my mother. I loved helping my mother plant new flowers each summer, especially the marigolds she loved. My favorite flower to this day is the Morning Glory, which my mother planted around our mailbox. The bushy vines and blue flowers covered the mailbox...they were so pretty to look at. My mother was famous for her big-as-a-house sunflowers. I remember people stopping and staring as they drove by, and a few people even stopped to ask for seeds. My mother was all about the flowers, and my dad was famous for his vegetables. He had 2 big gardens in the backyard; one was dedicated to sweet corn, and the other was full of tomatoes, cabbage, and callaloo (a Jamaican green similar to collard greens or spinach). I remember my mother growing string beans and carrots at one point too, but my father's crop was consistent over the years. My brother Gary also planted strawberries when he was in school, and the plant bore fruit every year that I can remember living in that house. Sad...my parents don't garden anymore. I'm hoping they'll start again if they ever decide to move to State College. Enjoy the pics.

Lori