A Line Level Can Save Your Marriage

When it has been pretty darn Fox Valley-July hot and we've been working hard all day, I say the edging brick looks like it isn't sloping right. And get a look that says and "how am I supposed to tell what's level you [wonderful person]".


Aluminum and simple, on spooled string pulled taunt (thankfully purchased on a whim at ACE a few days before), sets the approaching evening back to calm.

Pathways now added to the side yard -- looks like we're headed toward the finishing touches (finally).


Gentlemen -- I exhort you: Invest in a line level. Relationships may hinge on your good decision.

Our Blooms

Sorry it has been so long! As you might have guessed, we are so worn out with house work that we haven't had the energy to write any entries. We will try to get better at this! In the meantime, we've knocked down more walls. However, we're currently on hold as every bit of wall, ceiling tile, etc...is being tested for asbestos - oh the joy of old homes. The first batch came back negative, so we are optimistic that the second batch will be too. Fingers crossed.

I've been working out in the garden and decided this is definitely a job I enjoy. I love being outdoors and making a space beautiful and green. These are some photos of our recent plantings! Enjoy:) - Alyssa

The Yard

This is how we found it.



Overgrown side yard. Volunteer maples in the oddest places. Brown scaling chain link fence. Trees and hedges and Virginia Creeper out of control.

So we started pruning.



Pat & Carl came to advise and help -- and what a difference! The Japanese maple and flowering crabapple are right in scale once again and flourishing. The robins and gold finches are loving the early summer berries.

Then we started digging.



Lots of weeds and Russian Sage (that looks an awful lot like a weed if you don't know it's Russian Sage). Found two forgotten climbing rose bushes and some raspberries. And replacements were warranted. A trip to the Planter's Palette (a must-see if you need plants in the West Suburbs) left us with a truck full of native perennials and a tree in the bed. Purple coneflower, lavender, bluestem grasses, beardstongue, another crabapple and more. These are hardy Illinois plants that can take the drought and the rains (and even the hail that had Pete running around in his PJs to "save the plants" early Sunday morning).

We've got two new rose bushes in the ground, as well as the crabapple -- looking pretty good so far. Hopefully more planting this week.

Oh yeah, and the fence came down.



At least the portion that was so nicely placed on the neighbor's side of the property line. Oops. That made a huge improvement (and our neighbors are pretty happy about it too).