Into Autumn

There is a very small pumpkin in the backyard. It was one of Ari's birthday plants that managed to survive in its small pot and was eventually transferred to the backyard when Papa and Num-Num came to visit this summer.

It has pretty much blossomed and died, except for one doggedly determined little pumpkin plant who started life looking more like a watermelon. It has remained alive, despite Ari's enthusiastic but problematic removal of its stem early on and the disappearance of nearly every other part of the plant that once spread out like tentacles from the patch near the garage wall wherein the plant was rooted.

The little fruit has turned from green to orange in the last few weeks, and although Simon has decided this is a prime pee spot and never fails to miss a chance to "water" the plant each and every time he goes out, there is a wee possibility it will survive into October and potentially be fully ripe as we enter autumn.

I am no pumpkin expert, and so I am unsure whether this gestation period resembles the expected pattern, nor have I decided what sort of impact (if any) Simon's generous fertilization should have upon what we do with the plant should it ever come to a fully ready state.

But it's been lovely to watch it grow, to marvel at its tenacity and determination, and to see it's bright little round body grace our yard with spunky bravado in the face of so many seeming obstacles.

Yardo Presto Change-o!

Num Num and Papa Jim (my parents) have been here helping us out this weekend, and - as they always do - have managed to find many things to do around the house that Andy and I had not gotten to yet due to a heightened level of busy-ness and exhaustion (and an inability to do things, for me, that will push my eyes too hard post-surgery).

For this visit, they've focused primarily on landscaping... which has led to the creation of several planned and planted areas around the house. First, a bed of vinca and hostas underneath our little cedar tree out front:

There's also a garden in the backyard for Ari, complete with a new cherry tomato plant, two plants from her birthday gift from Becky C. (watermelon and pumpkin), and one little stray flower from a flowerbox fiasco perpetrated by her mommy:


And finally, two little bushes that were dying under our cedar tree have been moved to the side of the house, complete with brick wall enclosure, in the hopes they will fare better in their new spot:

Add to that a new hanging plant with beautiful flowers, a nicely trimmed trio of boxwoods directly under the front porch, a series of stepping stones running between the driveway and the sidewalk, a repotted asparagus fern that was purchased the same month and year Ari was born, and a soon-to-be-repotted fern that broke through its hanging basket in an attempt to increase in size, and you've got a whole host of things that suddenly look amazingly better and help the house feel even more settled, loved, and summery. Quite a gift.