Goodness, I’m behind on my blog — I’ve been swamped, but in a good way (I can say that because I’m not excessively stressed at this very moment, but give me a few minutes and it will come back, I’m sure).

I just walked through the full-sun backyard, trying not to immediately turn around and seek cool shelter back indoors. The natives are hanging in there as best they can. The lawn is fried from the heat and drought. Note that once again I’m not taking pictures. (A) It depresses me, and (B) I don’t want my camera to melt in my hands. But patches of dirt where once there was Bermuda gives me hope that maybe, just maybe, the Bermuda will die out and I’ll have an easier time replacing the lawn. Must find the positive in an extended drought! Here’s another — guess what’s happening in the neighborhood invasive forest?

My gardening is practically nil, but even so we’ve managed to tackle a few related projects. I’ll start with the simplest — a new stump planter made from an old tree my brother-in-law wanted off his property.

 
I put old trees to good use — left whole and intact, they are excellent for wildlife, providing nesting and cover sites, as well as insect sources for birds and other wildlife. But stumps and sections like these make excellent natural pedestals for birdbaths, birdfeeders, and other nifty garden stuff, as well. Having one as a planter has been on my to-do list for a long time.

And so my husband drilled and chiseled one out for me. It sounds easier than it was, but since I wasn’t the one doing it, it was easy — for me. In any case, he’s the best, and I love it.

For this planter, I wanted a sedum, so we kept the depth of the planter fairly shallow. There’s not much room for more than one plant, either, but I’m not complaining. With a little deeper hole in the next planter, perhaps I could add a native grass, vine, or blooming perennial — I’ll work on that! Wouldn’t Blackfoot Daisy look great? Ooh, or Chocolate Daisy — then I wouldn’t have to bend so far to take a sniff of the delicious hot-chocolate aroma!

So when I can convince my husband that he should make another stump planter, I’ll report back with new pictures. In the meantime, the picture above gives a little glimpse of another outdoor project — it’s a favorite!