Crazy for Cattails (Typha)

We were driving along when, as he pointed to the side of the road, Rob asked me, "Have you ever lit cattails to keeps bugs away?" 

Am I the only person who has never heard those gorgeous growths of nature referred to as "cattails?"  Used as a bug repellent?  Huh?  This was all new news to me.  As Rob pointed to the cattails all I could think about was how cool they were- I was so intrigued!

I know what you're thinking...of course I've seen cattails before.  It's just that I guess I sort of forgot about them.  I must have unconciously stopped paying attention to them in my surroundings.

A week after the cattail sighting Rob came home from work carrying about 20 in his arms.  I laugh out loud every time I imagine him on the side of the busy road cutting cattails in a suit and tie with a plastic knife left over from his lunch eaten in the car.  Come on- you know that's funny!

I was watering my flowers last night and I noticed the cattails on top of the grill. Rob put them there to dry out before they can be lit.  At that moment I had this crazy idea...cattails in the garden?  Hmmmm.  And just like that I placed Typhas into a vase and set them in the garden.

Typha is versitile, serving as a bug repellent and garden decor, and that makes me crazy for cattails!

Backyard Bliss

I'm happy to tell you that I have crossed off an item from my On the Radar list.  Yippee!!  Woo to the hoo, hoo, hoo!!!  Now - don't think I've been slacking - I know it's been awhile since I've written about a new project.  I promise I've been busy working on four projects at once...I should be writing about them soon enough!

At the time we purchased our townhouse (almost a year ago) I didn't think there was a better feeling than that of having a love nest to call my own - well, "our" own!  I've since discovered there are better feelings than that of owning a home.  It's those moments when I sit back and enjoy the hard work we've put into our space. I love the feeling when I'm sitting on my back porch sippin' Pineapple Mojitos made with fresh mint picked from my very first garden, while Rob fires up the grill and fills the air with the essence of BBQ deliciousness and I stare proudly at my beautiful flowers and garden beds we worked so hard to make pretty.  Now that is a great feeling! 

Let me share with you how we transformed our backyard from blah to bliss. 



BLAH:

BLISS:

Did you notice we did some serious power washin' to the fence and applied wood stain? The pictures just don't do justice. Our neighbors loved how much we transformed our space so they also power washed and stained their fence too!

BLAH:

I'm pretty sure there was 23 years of grit, grim and mildew caked to the fence.

BLISS:

BLAH:

BLISS:

I have to throw at least one Roxy girl picture into the mix...

 

BLAH:

This area (pictured below) was constantly muddy because the drainage piping was laid poorly...it drove us crazy! So much so that one day on a wimb Rob decided to dig a trench across the yard. He put PVC in the trench and ran it down our yard into the wooded area. Now, when it rains, the water flows into the woods. No more swampy wet lands thanks to my handyman.

Really something, huh?

BLISS:

Below, aside from the grass still growing and staining the fence, this side of the backyard is a wrap.

Check out these beauties...right in my back yard.