Focusing on the positive

This is the side yard we cleared and re-planted a year ago. Everywhere the sprinklers reached survived not only the winter but the summer, too. The Crape Myrtle is enjoying the hot, humid but practically rain-free season we've had. The giant Sum and Substance hostas are amazing and the Kerria has bloomed again.


Unfortunately we have also have this... The sprinkler pipe burst again, leaving a giant hole under the flagstone. Another little job for the weekend.

Gutters

Less than four years after we replaced the almost new gutters with bigger, newer gutters we found the leaders had failed again. This time we only noticed it when the electrician was updating a switch box and found it rusted out. Then he found a wet patch on the wall - not damp, wet. Outside the siding behind the downspout was saturated. We don't know how long this had been going on but it's good to catch it before it got serious. The good news was that the downspout was split from top to bottom so they replaced it, plus one other that also had a problem, for free.

So far not summer

You may have heard that it's been a tad wet in New York. In fact it's rained most days for the past month or more.


It's been so humid the past week that I have moss growing everywhere - the Irish moss I planted is doing very well


some moss appeared on the path


and on my patio umbrella.



The visitors who came to hang out by the pool will leave disappointed. The only creatures to have dipped a toe in there are the frogs... So far no sign of summer.