"Grassroots Movement" (or "Celebrating Earth Day by Accident")

Today was a *green* kinda day at the Schultea place...that just happened to coincide with Earth Day...here's how we "celebrated" the day...

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Last weekend was a complete washout from three solid days of stormy weather, and the weekend before was Easter weekend, so on hubby's first day off we hit the yard...but I need to go back a couple of months to tell the whole story...

BEFORE

The following photo of our humble mobile home was taken early in February, right after we had the skirting installed. The skirting helped a lot, but this area was crying out for a little flower bed...

Starting this past Sunday when sweet hubby was at work and the rain finally stopped, my wonderful parents came by to help me start the little flower bed. They had given me some lovely flowering plants for my birthday, and knowing me, thought it would take their gentle nudging to make sure the plants actually made it into the ground. :o) How well they know me...

So, in the interest of recycling and keeping costs low (like zero), we made use of this pile of scalloped concrete edging that was left here years ago before my hubby ever bought the property...

This is a far as the folks and I got on Sunday...we dug out most of the grass, planted the plants, and started with the edging...that is a lot more work than it looks...the bed is actually 14' x 6'

Today, with hubby being off, we picked up where my folks and I left off Sunday...sweetie hauled the rest of the concrete edging over to the flower bed...

I dug A LOT more grass roots out of the bed and moved them out of the way in the wheelbarrow. (thus the title of the post...get it? :o)


Even Maddie got in on the act...she was supervising of course...

I finally finished the flower bed, got it watered really well, and stepped back to have a look...

AFTER

So far in the bed we've got 2 cana lilies, 2 day lilies, an hibiscus, and an hydrangea (that I brought from our last place)... I will have fun picking out several more plants to round it out and provide lots of color! The hibiscus is already loaded with lots of tiny buds and 3 big blooms...

Here are a few more glimpses around the rest of the property...


BEFORE
This huge pile of brush was leftover from the cleanup of downed trees after Hurricane Ike last Fall...and the construction dumpster was a real Godsend...we rented it for 2 weeks during the height of the remodeling activities, and it held ALL our construction waste...but ugh...it was a mess to look at...this was right outside our front door...

AFTER

When our son-in-law was here with the family for Easter 2 weekends ago, he and my hubby burned the entire pile of brush....and the dumpster has been gone for weeks...so the East side of the property is starting to shape up...

...however...we still have THIS pile of brush on the West side of the property, also leftover from Ike, that we will burning very soon...

...then ALL of the yard will look more like this...

I just love the dappled sunlight on the grass...it's such a pretty piece of land...one acre and 50 trees...We are REALLY loving it out here...we are so very blessed!!!
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So, here's a quick review of the this little corner of the mobile home...

Trashy...

...better, but blah...

...better still...but still a long way to go...

We still have to paint the mobile home and put in a whole new covered porch all along the front. But I am happy with our progress so far...the happy little flower bed makes me smile...

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I'll keep chronicling the Extreme Makeover: Mobile Home Edition process, and I'll let you know when we've made other improvements. It is really gratifying to look back and see how far we've come...makes all the hard work so worth while!!

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Scriptures for Earth Day - be blessed friends!

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"The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it."
1 Corinthians 10:26

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"You take care of the earth and water it, making it rich and fertile.
The river of God has plenty of water; it provides a bountiful harvest of grain, for you have ordered it so.
You drench the plowed ground with rain, melting the clods and leveling the ridges.
You soften the earth with showers and bless its abundant crops.
You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.
The grasslands of the wilderness become a lush pasture, and the hillsides blossom with joy.
The meadows are clothed with flocks of sheep, and the valleys are carpeted with grain.
They all shout and sing for joy!"
Psalm 65:9-13