Jungle Taming Continues!

Okay, you all know how BAD this huge yard looked because I don't know enough to pretend I'm normal.

What is NORMAL, anyway???? Clearly it's some standard of being I have yet to acquire, LOL!!!

But we've made some progress.

Here's a pic of the JUNGLE area as it used to be:

And here's a pic of the ongoing project:  (muscle provided by our son Seth):

And here's a pic of the initial water garden Seth installed:

In the effort of full disclosure, let this author reveal that this water garden kit was a Mother's Day gift from her children five years ago and has been banging around the yard being used as a children's pool, sauna, boat, detective's office and meeting place until this time. I actually had to fill it with water to make sure we hadn't sprung a leak.

Yes, that's our normal, LOL!

But now it's got a place of honor in the front yard. Not quite done, still have to plant the mums and spread wood chip mulch, but check this out:

We nabbed some sunnies from our back farm pond, so it's got fish swimming around. Frogs. So sweet!  And I robbed from my hosta and perennial stashes planted hither, thither (what is a thither??? Does anyone know? And don't you just love Olde English???) and yon so the only money I spent was on a $37 yard of gravel to use for leveling the pond (and providing good drainage underneath so it doesn't heave mid-winter)...

And for this "cost me nothing" stone path leading to the front porch:

(path dug by my friend Kyle, 14 years old, and desperate for money, so having him help me that day got him a ticket to the amusement park...)

(Stones placed by Seth... We need to bring it up a little and he keeps giving me DARK LOOKS because setting fieldstone firmly in place is a stone by stone process. Oops. Shoulda made the hole a little shallower! Eeek!)

And we managed (by we I mean Kyle) to break the Invisible Fence wire while digging the sidewalk...

but then Kyle and I spliced it and re-buried it. Every girl should know how to set stone and splice wires. I'm just sayin'... Note the tiny white flags marking where we re-routed the invisible fencing wire in case I have the brilliant idea of digging there again.

Oy on me!

So we're getting there! Step by step. This is our strict budget way of bartering for work, using supplies on hand (even if they're five years old!) and tackling things one by one.

Stay tuned for updates on the "Swingy Jungle".

Yes.

We are the proud owners of not one but TWO jungles. After all, God created jungles, right?  I'm just trying to tame them...  somewhat.

:)

In truth, I wouldn't have it any other way!