Sunday, May 20, 2007

In Which Our Homeowners Purchase A New Toy, And Ask For Your Help!

As you can see above, we finally decided to bite the bullet and purchase a nice gas trimmer. After using it, I can really say it makes a world of difference in how the lawn looks. Previously we had been using a pair of large shears to trim where necessary, which was obviously not terribly efficient. But with this new gadget, weeds were falling like logs!
Here's Amy taking it to a patch of grass near our laundry line. Because it's so close to the fence, getting in here with a mower was just about impossible, so we had basically let it just grow out. Not the most visually appealing of stratagies. But now the grass is no match for our gasoline powered killing machine! :)

We also spent a good part of the day weeding our flower beds. It seems that chickory root has a particular liking for our yard, as it seems to sprout up every few inches. And since we've decreed our lawn to be chemical free, it means we have to get rid of it the old fashioned way, with our trusty Cape Cod Weedah (yes, I'm told it is spelled that way) and some elbow grease. In the process we also discovered an ant colony hiding under one of the beds, which was fun until the inhabitants decided to swarm out en masse to meet the intruders in battle. Guess we'll have to come back to that part, huh?

And now, dear friends, we need your help in a big way. You see, we inherited this lovely garden along with the house, but have several plants that neither of us can seem to identify. So without further ado, I proudly announce the first of our series:

Name That Plant!
Our first mystery item is a medium sized shrub that sits in the corner of our yard by the house. It recently burst into glorious white and pink blossoms, and smells somewhat like honeysuckle. As you can see in the picture below, it has a green and white variated (I think that's the technical term for this pattern of color) leaf as well.
The first reader to give us an answer (and I'll have to trust you're right, since I've no clue what it is) will receive a wonderful prize!

Um... ok, so we don't really have a budget for a great prize. But you will have the distinct honor of being the first to answer our little quiz! That and our eternal gratitude of course (not sure if that has any value on the market these days, hehe).

Let the games begin!

3 comments:

Midwest Bicycle Company said...

It looks like a Weigela to me. There are over 100 varieties of Weigela, including ones with variegated leaves and pink flowers. Look it up on Google and see if you agree.

It's a gorgeous shrub, by the way. I may have to get one for my yard. lol

Anonymous said...

The climber is a Clematis...without a doubt!

Anonymous said...

The purple climber is a Clematis...without a doubt!