After seeing our friend Heidi's garden and landdscaping, my DH and I were reinspired to reimagine our backyard "garden fairyland." After the first excitement of emerging tulips (quickly eaten and enjoyed by the deer) and daffodils, hosta (quickly eaten and enjoyed by the deer) the showy peonies and weigelas, we got complacent about weeding and feeding and tending to the actual upkeep of the garden. (But I know I'm not the only one!) 

Which resulted in a spate of manic weeding this weekend. I'm embarrassed to admit, but I pulled four large bushels of weeds. (We have a huge yard with several beds of plants and shrubs and flowers.) I think I have carpal tunnel in my hands--I am typing very slowly today. It's amazing what happens when you turn your back on your garden for just a week, or two weeks, or maybe it was six weeks; but the weed problem is not all my fault. We also feed the birds, and they fling around their birdseed of who knows what is in there--niger, sunflower, alfalfa? wheat? grains of corn?--and they sprout all over the yard, too. So it's not just my laziness.

The bonus for us--Heidi clued us in on where she gets her really cool statuary for her charming yard. She goes to this little hole in the wall in St. Paul called Sax Antiques and Ornamental Concrete -- 168 N. Fairview at Selby. The guy has a studio in Roseville, and his shop in St. Paul is only open Fridays and Saturdays. The rest of the time, he's casting concrete angels, gargoyles, St. Francis of Assisi, birds, garden bunnies, gnomes, and faeries. So we got a small guardian angel, a child reading a book and a pedestal, and a cherub fountain for less than $200. The fountain is so cool. I love how it sounds and it looks like the cherub at the top is splashing his little chubby feet. I'll post a picture later this week.

Ciao--Unsie