Still working on the outside...

(To view all posts of the NEW YARD WORK , click THIS LINK, so you get to a list of only the posts about the yard, which begins with this post, and click 'Newer Posts' at the bottom left of this post!  You will begin with the first post and work forward to the most recent yard and garden post.)

The inside decorating details have been put on hold until the winter brings a little break in the barn chores.... but we are still working at the outside grading and finishing.

John showed me how to put the tractor into forward and reverse gears... how to raise and lower the bucket... and turned me loose around our new house! Yikes!!

I hauled 32 bucketloads of dirt around our house.. into certain areas on the south and west sides. I decided to concentrate on two sides of the house this summer, and will work on the other two next summer.

I don't need any more dirt, but I do need another back and set of hands! It is all 'hand' work from now on!

But I am ready to begin on the step, patio, and walk to the driveway!!!! Yippee!!

My, how they have changed with TIME!

We all know how SLOWLY our violets seem to grow! It seems like I am always waiting for a new plant to bloom, and it seems to take YEARS!!!
In reality, African violets grow at a reliable pace; and before we know it, there are many blooms to give color to our windowsills!
Case In Point:
In March, I found time to repot my few tiny violet babies, and ordered a few leaves to root.
Here is a photo of my entire collection of African violets in May 2007:

One month later, in June 2007, they were blooming and beautiful:

And here is what my violet stands look like in July:
(The plants from the window, plus a few new ones, and babies transplanted from the leaves rooted in March! )

So, they aren't as slow growing as we think!
It is simply that WE are impatient! :)

The cart in the window is again filled with new plants in isolation:

I also have a shelf of rooting leaves... 181 leaves!!!

We can go from having NO VIOLETS to having TOO MANY VIOLETS much quicker than we can imagine!!!!! WARNING!