Three rain barrels are we.

After the city announced that sewer and water rates are going up and they did-- by $40/month on the first increase-- we decided as a family that we needed more rain barrels.  We've had one for years.  We love it.  There have been times of drought that we drained it to the bottom.  I'm hoping that three rain barrels will be good for our watering needs.

My man in his hiking boots taking a look at the work so far.  

That man is handy.  :)

We didn't want to place the barrels where the laundry line is, so we had to swing a right turn to get the diverter tube where it needed to go.

We had to join the barrels.

And yes, they still smell like brined peppers.  

Hubs is demonstrating that he had to strap the downspout to the house 'cause she was a rockin'.

The two barrels.  For two barrels and parts, we probably spent $60.  The blocks aren't that attractive, but they were free.

K's little tree that she was sent home with.  We're not exactly positive of what it is.  It didn't come with a tag.  Hubs thinks it might be a Redbud and I thought that I heard that maybe a cherry blossom.  (ETA:  It's a Redbud.)  We need to look into it more when it gets bigger.  For now, I've pinned a tomato container around it to keep Hubs from whacking it with the lawn mower or the weed eater.  I can't tell you how many times we thought he took out the little white pine we have.  (It's now getting quite large, but it really is only by the grace of God that it survived.)  

My freebie pile pick.  She was a work reject and long ago, I put my name on her.  The rejects were distributed on a day I was there and while it moved through a few coworkers hands, one brought it back to me.  It sat in the basement all winter.  I had no stand for it and had no idea what I would do about that.  A stand is about $30 and the ball itself is $50.  After our dreadful winter, I was doing art death counts and found a bird bath with a cracked plate.  The stand was there with no plate, but I knew that the garden ball would fit-- I would just need to bend the plate holders up to cradle the ball.  I decided that it wouldn't a bad thing since I didn't want the ball to fly anyhow.  

What made her a reject?  The broken "leaf" up there.  I turn it to the back.  She's gorgeous, even covered in that dreadful pollen that won't go away.

Another art death but this one is from the old gallery.  This one is from Robert Coleman/Patient Medicines.  Don't push them into the ground by their noggins.  Oops.

I have planters and pots and whatnot planted.  This one is planted with annuals and some lovely Morning Glories I grew from seed that I bought from Baker Creek Seed.  

The perennial geranium is back!

The irises came back, too.

A columbine.

And another.

A flowering sedum.

Clematis.

And the pink one is about to bloom!

And the peonies.  I sent Rachael some, but I think that they became critter food.

No longer on the MIA list-- butterfly weed!  

And one of the suspected dead butterfly bushes is showing signs of life!  

Well hello!  Who are .... oh .... whoa-- Hubs says that you are NOT nice.  Hello bald faced hornet.  If you would kindly mosey onward, that would be super.  Never mind that I was about 12" away when I took this picture.  Apparently, they can be really mean.  They were what led to the eventual death of one of my grandfathers-- the one who was diabetic with a bee allergy.  

Shh.  No one will see me here. 

Our girl planted the beans and carrots in the garden.  She finally ditched the flip flops for bare feet.  "It feels so good to get dirt in my toes."  I hear you.  

So it seems that our gardens are very slowly coming around.  This year won't be as grand as others, but we're thrilled with whatever decides to come back.  

Have a great week!