Bugs and Plants

As much as I might want it to be fall, it's still summer.  And summer still means bugs in my part of the world.  Specifically mosquitoes.  As a former camp counselor and slightly crazy lady, I refuse to use bug spray.  I mean, I haven't used it in years.  Bugs don't usually like me too much so for the most part, it works out okay.

I also use an all natural soap that helps with repelling bugs.  I tell everyone I know about it.  Dr. Bronner's  Hemp Peppermint soap.

It is seriously the best soap ever.  Especially for summer.  It's cool and tingly.  Sometimes a little too tingly....  Um, anyway.  It repels bugs.  It cures heat rash.  It's seriously amazing.  You should go buy some.  No, they're not paying me, I just love it that much.  And a bottle lasts forever.  You can buy it online, at Target, and at health food stores.

Okay, so the Dr. Bronner's and my natural non-bug bite self usually do pretty well.  But sometimes that's not enough.  So I've been considering lemongrass.  Like maybe some pots on our deck and around the basement patio.  It's super good looking.  And is supposed to repel mosquitoes naturally.  I'm thinking we might need to get some before my birthday party.

We usually have a couple citronella candles and some tiki torches but I haaate the way citronella smells, it makes me a little sneezy.  So I'm thinking lemongrass might be the perfect solution.

What do you guys think?  Do you have any lemongrass in your yard?  Where do you stand on bug spray?

Going Greener

No, not eco wise.  We're freshening up our front yard.  Freshening might actually be putting it delicately.  Giving it a serious overhaul might be more accurate.  Our front yard is a serious embarrassment.  It's really terrible.  But we're getting down to it this weekend.  Renting a bobcat.  Having mulch, gravel, and a dumpster delivered.  And my parents are coming up to lend their green thumbs and free labor.

We have our work cut out for us.  So that means I've spent the week planning.  And making a thousand phone calls to get things set up for delivery and checking to get the best prices.  Okay so here's what we have going on.  I took about a thousand pictures, so get ready.

This is our super sad crumbling sidewalk.  The whole thing is getting ripped out.  Gone.  Forever.

The sidewalk to the left is just going to be gone.  There's going to be mulch.  And some new, more updated shrubs.  Boxwoods I think.

This sidewalk is being replaced.  We're going to lay some gravel and then  put in a stepping stone walkway.  The stepping stones that have been sitting in our driveway for over a year.  Those shrubs are going away too and being replaced with more mulch and boxwoods.  Note the dead shrub in the middle, super attractive.

I say that shrub is dead but we've completely cut it back because it looked dead and now there is a tiny sprout coming back.  I believe that's the shrubs way of giving me the finger.  And for that, he is gone.

Crumbling steps going down the hill.  And insane looking flower beds.  The steps are going away and being replaced with..... Um, something.  Maybe grass.  We're not really sure at this point.

This top flower bed right now has lava rock and a tree I keep trying to kill.  It's going to get either more lava rock or mulch.  And then some big flower pots full of something pretty.  Maybe knockout roses.

Another view of our disastrous hill.  The flower beds are getting new edging of some kind.  The flower bed that actually has stuff growing in it is our mini garden.  And by garden, I mean zucchini plants.  Those will stay there for the summer.  Then there should actually be two more flower beds here but right now it's all turned into one because our dog ripped out the timbers.  So those will have to be replaced.  And we'll add new mulch and more pots of flowers.

The yucca flower beds will get some attention if we have the time and energy to fix them.  They need some serious weeding and more river rock.  I think we're keeping this one by the driveway.  We need to get rid of the old rotted rail road ties.

The other yucca flower bed.  My mom is trying to take my big rocks.  They are going to get relocated probably though.  Possibly moved to one of the front flower beds.  And maybe we'll get off that blue spray paint.  The drift wood will also probably be relocated.  I wish we could put hydrangeas here but I've been told that it won't work because of the exposure.  Boo.  So maybe some other kind of flowery bush.