The fine art of puttering

It's been too hot to do any serious work except for short periods when the shade happens to coincide with the area where work needs to be done. But I find that I can still putter around outside for hours, doing dozens of little things and occasionally something more serious. 

I have been getting a ridiculous amount of pleasure from playing around with my garden spaces this year. I've really built out the area on the north side of the boxwoods that I call the Garden of the Dogs, which includes the pyramid garden now joined with the shade garden by many new containers in between. All that remains to do in there is to cover the ground with mulch, which will really make it look nice. 

There's still plenty of work to do in the fountain garden, the space between the two rows of boxwoods, and the new perennial garden on the south side of the boxwoods, although that is now at least started. My water gardens really took off this year too, and there's still a lot of work to do over there.

Sherlock has really made himself at home around here and wants very much to be part of the pack. My guys are all pretty accepting of him, although he requires some correction from time to time. Maya has even been playing with him on occasion. His house manners seem great and although he isn't crazy about being crated at night, he accepts it without any real complaint. He's sweet and friendly. I really have nothing but good things to say about Sherlock. 

There is now lighting, solar candles, in the Garden of the Dogs.

They don't create a lot of light but do give a nice ambiance late in the evening.

The sun really lit up this caladium early one morning.

Della gets me up by 6:00 a.m. most days so I have plenty of early morning time to spend outdoors.

Of course, after she eats breakfast she's ready to go back inside and back to bed.

Paisley, Elvis, and Sherlock will stay outside with me.

I put Maya back inside with Della because it's too hot for them.

Sherlock likes to hang out.

Elvis found a perfect sized spot for him with a good view of the front yard.

Back inside, Elvis takes a spot on this bed and Paisley always moves in and shares it with him.

The original pond is in the foreground. I've added two more just recently, in graduated heights behind it.

Della is drinking from another stock tank pond in the rear. 

This area has been an overgrown mess for years, infested with poison ivy too. I'm gradually working on cleaning it up by developing a series of water gardens.