in full bloom

i thought i'd take a minute to share with you all the growth in my yard!! its looking better by the day!! (almost) everything is growing, green, blooming...or some combination of all 3!! 

this is the little clematis plant that got stuck between a rock and a hard place (ha, ok...two blobs of concrete) and was "mowed" several times last year...because the poor thing couldn't get big enough to look like anything other than a weed...in comes the trellis...and up comes my pretty mailbox vine!!

check out these blooms!! and can you see all the buds?? 

next is my pink mandevilla plant on the front corner of our porch (outside the bedroom window) its been growing growing growing...and spit out its first bloom today!! i've been keeping my eye on it expecting a bloom anyday...well, it wasn't there when i left this morning...and it looked like THIS when i got home!notice the three buds in the back...

and i'm STILL amazed at God's ability to make a plant do this...
i've really not given this plant a whole lot of attention...just a little twine when i first put the trellis in and planted it...just enough to get one of those little tendrils to grab on...then i cut them

and here's my JASMINEEEEE! why don't they have cameras with smell-o-vision?!?! i propped this plant in the other corner of my porch (by the swing) last year...simply because i wanted to be near the fragrance...i LOVE IT!...and it loves this spot!! its even wrapping around my porch post....grow baby grow! :)
i don't have it as much on the trellis...i dream of it wrapping up that white column one day!! (maybe?)
and here's little gardenia...this guy got off to a rough start...little did i know, that gardenias are very finiky about their leaves...and when i water it, i don't water the base...i just sorta "dumped" water on it....well it made all the leaves fall off!!! yikes! so mom did some plant googling for me...and had me to "water the base" (apparently town water has too many chemicals/cleaners in it...rainwater doesn't seem to bother it)...seems to be doing a little better...just a few more yellow leaves to drop!

can you see the new growth in there?!?!

now, my knockout roses!!! i've pruned the blooms several times...but have decided just to leave them alone and see what they do...and they shot up!!! its hard to see, but they're all getting really thick stalks that just shoot out of the top of the plant...and the darker red leaves is all new growth! :)
and my crepe myrtle is doing great!! despite allllll the WIND we've had this year (has anyone else noticed what a WINDY spring we've had?!)

i didn't take any pictures of the two red crepe myrtles...they're much lower to the ground and look "bushier" right now...they're doing great, too! and you may notice the grass below...this was the old "kidney bean" remember? this grass is coming in slowly but surely--i'm counting on my regular grass & all of its "runners" to help me out here in the next few months!

and lastly....the back yard...with just a few bald spots of grass (where the wind blew away the straw and the seed...) ...i raked up the dirt and tossed out some more seed in those spots this afternoon...

...i must say it looks great....and FLAT! :)

and lastly, my poor little window boxes just aren't gonna make it this year...the lady at dewayes said "these are the perfect plants for porch boxes that get morning sun" ...well...that's EXACTLY where these are...and they're just PITIFUL!! i've tried re-potting them...adding soil...water...miracle grow...i think these plants are just going to require a different kind of MIRACLE!!! 
oh well...i've already decided on trying hanging baskets next year...or later this year...depending on how bad these guys get!!

...well...that concludes our tour of the manor! haha...just kidding! i hope you enjoyed the pictures