Pretty and Reality

A few new pictures around Catty-Corner.

After saving an inspiration picture from a blog about the houses of Carmel-on-the-Sea, I bought this metal door pocket basket at my favorite craft store vendor, and filled it with Asters.  I lined it with plastic so I should be able to keep it for a little while.  Although the door pocket is a lot smaller than the one in the inspiration photo, I think it adds a bit of cheer to the back gate.

At the Dawes Arboretum Perennial sale yesterday I picked up this "Hot Lips" Pink Turtlehead plant.  I had never heard of them, but it was so pretty I couldn't resist it.  The flowers really do look like tubular turtle heads with "jaws" the bees love to go into and get pollen.   (this is a real bee attractor apparently)  The roots have to stay continuously wet as it gets established, and it prefers shade or dappled shade, so I'm thinking of planting it right under our back yard Hawthorn.  What do you think?

The front flower beds are doing really well.  The Asters are especially lovely right now.  

And I'd say our bean vine came in pretty well this year.  I'm still debating if next year I want to plant a bean vine on our arbor again, or do Clematis.  I was pretty sure I wanted Clematis, but the bean vine is just looking so pretty....

Now, instead of the pretty, the reality.  The above soothing shot of our arbor?  Here's a shot of the reverse view:

Here's our side yard along our fence line by the road.  Yes, that "dirt" is partially our yard, not the road.

And here's the stylish plate across the end of our driveway where it cracked under the heavy machinery.

They are doing heavy roadwork on our two quiet little dead-end streets we live on.  The good news is ...when it's all done we'll have better rain drainage and brand new paved roads.  Plus the road crew have been super polite and courteous.  And we've been assured backward and forward that they will repair *all* damage done to property by the construction.  One morning I went outside and talked to the crew manager, asking him a few details about the job.  I wanted to make sure he didn't think our picket fence would be destroyed, and expressed to him my concern over protecting it.  Apparently he took it to heart, as our retired neighbor told me on Friday that he was shouting to the crew that day to "be careful of the fence!  Don't touch it!"  The deep ruts start just barely inches from the fence in some places, so I really appreciate the concern and care he showed.

But man, I can't wait till all this is over.