I thought this erev dinner was going to be standing room only, but as it turned out, only four of us were left sitting.  So that worked out.  I made a salad mostly from our garden greens and cucumber, and the rest of the meal was simple kid-friendly fare.  I was so tired, the others kindly cleaned up for me.

Outside it was pleasantly cool with sprinkles, what I call salamander weather, my favorite, although I haven’t seen one salamander–yet.  That will be a crowning achievement!  In the meantime, my evil plan is to grow more trees and less lawn!  Native saplings are now showing up everywhere, which is progress in itself.

I’ve also achieved my goal of flowers and bouquet material almost everywhere, like a cottage garden.  I have a few more areas to work on, namely up front: the first third of the side along the fence, which is now a dry shade area; and the sunny front walkway garden, which needs refining and redefining.  Perhaps E’s idea of strips of native flowers along the front and back of the yew hedges will happen.

(I’m just talking to myself here; I don’t expect anyone to follow this or even read it.  The end results will hopefully speak for themselves: a mini-botanical garden for my son, and a teaching one for those of the gkids who have “the green blood”.  Plus of course a natural way station for native pollinators and critters to find refuge from the industrial wasteland.)

J&C commented on the back yard that it was a bug kind of a yard!  Maybe they meant more natural than they’re comfortable with?  I considered it a compliment!  (Except for those pesky veg-eating and human-biting bugs, which can DIE!!)

I pointed out some major improvements to Avdi, and he looked at them blankly!  It was very amusing, but also sad, because he never gets a chance to look at the “before”.  I should do a post on before and afters.  Only, he never has time to read them!