How we spent our weekend

We spent this past weekend completely re-doing our front garden. We are really taking a chance this year by ripping out some of our "evergreen shrubs" and replacing them with perennial flowers. I worry once winter comes the front of our house will be extremely bare, but I am sure we can remedy that once it happens.

About 2 years ago Brandon and I purchased 7 azaleas. We were so excited because we purchased the Encore variety, meaning they would bloom TWICE a year, spring and fall. We bought white, red and one random purple. Not only have the azaleas not bloomed TWICE, but aside from the purple one, they haven't bloomed ONCE. So basically they are just green plants in the front of our house....taking up space.

This is our before picture. In this picture you can see our azaleas.


*We also relocated a gorgeous Lilac and plan to have the holly removed this week*

Brandon did most of the digging and pulling, I was just supervising. Once the azaleas were out and the purple one (our only bloomer) relocated, we decided to put topsoil over the entire garden. Brandon unload the topsoil and wheelbarrowed (I realize this probably is not a word) it over to the garden, while I raked it into it's proper place.



Saturday afternoon Brandon and I headed over to Stanley's Greenhouse (my absolute favorite place to be during the summer). This is (in my mind) by far the best greenhouse in Knoxville and if you are in this area and never stopped by Stanley's....you are truly missing out. We bought as much as we could and filled in some spots by buying other items at Home Depot. Sunday morning, early, we laid all the items in their respective spots....


*at this point I started to question what we had gotten ourselves into...

After joining some friends for a delicious brunch, we came and got right to work. Here are some pictures of our final product....







It was a lot of hard work (Brandon did the majority of the heavy lifting and digging and the hard stuff), but we are very excited about the final product. We are keeping our fingers crossed that we made an okay decision by pulling out some evergreens. Now....we just wait. And recover....I am exhausted!!!

Spring has Sprung......

My gardens are full of green.....sprouting and mounding from perennials ready to pop! The weather is warming and trees that have been nothing but sticks all winter are starting to grow tiny leaves. Spring trees are in full bloom already in Knoxville. My sweet husband even had to mow our lawn today.

We love Spring in the Bice house, as I am sure most people do! Our gardens go from neglected to weekend priority number one! Just thinking about cleaning out our largest garden somewhat overwhelms me, but I know it's a task Brandon and I will have to complete sometime in the next couple of weeks.

Spring is also a runner's paradise! The weather is perfect for a nice long run. Cool to start, but comfortable by the end. Since our egg retrieval and transfer, I have yet to be cleared to run. I think it's part of the OHSS and the prolonged bloating and general hugeness of my ovaries. I have been told I can walk....for 30 minutes at a time, but only as long as I can carry on a normal conversation without getting winded. Sweet Noah and I took a nice long walk this morning (don't tell, but it was a little over 30 minutes)! It was nice to feel somewhat active! I am ready to come off injured reserves and get back in the game! But, you know what they say.....good things come to those who wait! :)

Mother Nature laughs loudest

Friday afternoon Brandon's buddy, Kevin, from back home (Chicago) arrived in Knoxville. Brandon has been like a little kid waiting for Christmas morning all week. He is so excited to have Kevin in town. It's cute.

Saturday morning Kevin gave us an update on what the weather was doing in Chicago. Thirty degrees and snowing like crazy. We all laughed. A lot. Haha...Chicago is cold and snowy. Sure....it was raining in Knoxville, but it was sixty degrees.

Mother Nature got the last laugh. This morning we woke up to huge snow flakes and cold temperatures. Maybe we shouldn't mock Mother Nature?

Mother Nature, the tease

This past weekend we had beautiful 60+ degree weather both Saturday and Sunday. Brandon and I both desperately searched for outside activities to keep us in the sun.....and off the couch. It was absolutely gorgeous!

The weather reminded me so much of our late March/early April weather. That weather that lures gardeners into the greenhouses and looking at plants, even though we know better. We know it's too early to put flowers in our gardens, but the weather is so tempting....and resisting is practically futile. Every year I make myself wait "at least one more week" before buying plants....it's the same thing every year.

Thankfully I didn't have to talk myself out of any plants on Sunday! Buying flowers in January would have been nuts, even for me!

And just as quickly as the beautiful weather rolled in, it rolled right out! We were thankful for the two days of bliss and the reminder of the what's to come. It was a tease, yes, but I enjoy the tease....usually!

Tomorrow is Groundhog Day. Let me just tell you right now, if that silly Groundhog sees his shadow I may be booking the next flight to PA to have a little chat with "Phil". Let's hope there is no shadow tomorrow (and NOT 6 more weeks of Winter), for Phil's sake.