Since I host a Fourth of July party every year, we kind of scramble at the last minute to get our backyard ready. Well this year, we got the deck part finished so while the guys were building that, I, besides keeping 2 kids happy and out of the way, weeded all my perennials. The last 3 summers I have either been pregnant or had an infant. This summer I have an infant but was determined to get the flower beds taken care of. Geesh...I am lucky I can stand up right, my hamstrings were a little sore from bending and weeding. But wow, do they look way better without all that overgrowth and weeds in there. What I love about perennials is that something is always in bloom and some start over for a second go round towards the middle/end of summer. One of my favorites is my Miss Canada lilac-she's red...I have 2 of them actually and they are just blooming now. I should also mention that my wonderful husband and father got my fountain going for me too! I used to have fish but donated them to the school classrooms, because they are really only outside for like 4 months out of the year and the rest of the time they lived in a huge stock tank in my basement! Whats the point...anyways. They got the pump out and pumped all the nasty green mosquito infested water out, scrubbed down the liner and put new water in and rebuilt the rock fountain...all while I was buying the deck furniture! I came back and was prepared to get eaten alive cleaning that thing out! I should mention that I am soooo thankful I have a huge fence because I am usually in my swimsuit doing that job and up to my elbows in algae. I love that my backyard makes us feel like we don't live on the busiest street in town. It feels like you are out in the country with nobody around.

White Bleeding Heart
Columbine
more Columbine
My Bronco or Viking Iris'
Here she is...Miss Canada Lilac

The flower pictures serve two purposes...one, I am again playing around with my camera settings and two, for next year when the flowers come up, I'll remember what is where...I have a tendency to pull "weeds" that would have turned out to be beautiful flowers.