Lexi Found a Home

I've been away from my blog and all the others that I love to read lately.  There's just been so much keeping me busy around here.

We host a big outdoor party for my husband's company each April.  Knowing people are coming over is usually the push I need to spruce things up.  I tend to focus on whatever is looking most in need of help.  In this case, that would be the front yard. There are huge flower beds in front of our house.  When we purchased this home, almost four years ago, they were full of shrubs, perennials, and annual flowers.  I enjoyed the ease of the perennials coming back each spring, and didn't do very much with this area.  Last year though, I noticed that some Mexican petunias had taken over too much of the main flower bed. To say that those flowers weeds are invasive is an understatement.  If I'd had any idea how they would spread, I would have pulled them out the first year. I paid landscapers to pull them out last fall (since they had looked terrible when they froze the prior winter).  They worked really hard to get them under control, but many were popping up again this spring. We had also lost some shrubs for a variety of reasons. Here's the sad before picture.

While planning for spring planting, I created a Pinterest board of ideas for this almost blank canvas.  I wanted to keep as many healthy plants as possible and add things that will do well in the afternoon sun, attract butterflies, and be pretty low maintenance. Texas Sage (Leucophyllum frutescens) is an evergreen shrub that I found myself pinning over and over. It is easy to grow in our hot climate and has colorful flowers in summer.  I purchased ten of them.

I can't wait to see them bloom.

In the meantime, these pentas, vincas, and dianthus will give some color.  

I've also planted some more of the perennials that have performed well in the past.  I am hoping this bed will be a haven for butterflies.  Every time I drive by a garden center I end up buying a few more to fill in another spot.

Getting back to the title of this post.... A few weeks ago we had to say goodbye to Dexter, our fourteen year old, much loved, Wire Fox Terrier.  The house has been way too quiet without him.    We had found him at a Petsmart adoption event, so on Saturday we found ourselves there again. Lexi came home with us for a one week trial.  She is about 18 months old and a terrier retriever mix. She was rescued from a shelter where she had run out of time.  A generous volunteer fostered her for three months to transition her from an abusive history to being ready to go home with another family. At first she was very afraid of the guys in our home, but each day she feels more secure. She has charmed her way into everyone's hearts, so I don't think she needs to worry too much about going back at the end of the week.

I hope you're having as great a day as Lexi is.