I decided to take a break from sewing.  Work in the yard.  Get caught up on some web and graphic design.

But…

The summer coordinator at the Old Homosassa Learning Center had this really great idea to make covers for over the back of the chairs that the kids use.  She and her assistant went to Goodwill and bought 25 pillowcases.  The kids would personalize them and then “own” that chair.  At the end of every day, that kid would clean that chair. (Because there is a lot of stuff on those chairs after their crafting and science projects.)  And put their lanyard and other camp stuff in there.  At the close of summer camp, all their projects would go inside and close with a drawstring.

Great idea.

But….

The pillowcases didn’t actually fit over the chairs. So I “volunteered” to fix the problem.

Here’s 16 of the pillowcases with a drawstring top and ties to attach them to the bar on the back of each chair.  Next year the sewing workshop will make “custom” bags that fit the chair.

The kids range from 6-years-old to 12-years-old.    I thought we’d hear a lot of “I can’t do it” from the little ones but they just jumped in and started designing.  When they made mistakes, they just painted over them.  They get along amazingly well– probably because the coordinator keeps them BUSY.

I didn’t actually get out and work in the garden this week but I did get some photos which I thought I’d share.

Black-eyed Susans. These reseed and come back every year.

This is a black-eyed susan vine that I bought to cover up the fence. Last year it was kind of wimpy but this year it is doing it’s job!

This is another vine, Bleeding Heart, that I planted to cover the fence. It’s been here about 3 years. One of the few vines that prefer shade.

I started a “white and green” garden to replace my vegetable garden which was a total failure thanks to the squirrels.  I still plan to add a bird bath or fountain here.

My neighbor gave me these and I used to call them surprise lilies because I never knew when they would bloom. Went to a native flower session at the park and found out that they are rain lilies and only bloom after it rains!

The trellis is crazy with yellow. This is alamanda with some yellow plumeria mixed in. There are red roses and pink mandevilla, too, but the yellow has taken over! This is the front of the trellis.

And here’s a side view of the back. Love seeing the trellis everytime I pull into the driveway. Someone walking by the other day told me that my front yard was “eye candy”. Thanks!

This is a hamelia. Also known as hummingbird bush. It usually freezes back every year because it is very tender and gets to about 5 feet in August. Because of no cold weather it’s got to about 8 feet tall already. The hummingbirds love it!

My hydrangeas have not done well this year. This is the only blue one out of about seven that is blooming. I’m not sure why since I’ve had them all for several years. The summer rains have started so I’m hoping they’ll improve.

Agapanthus, or lily of the Nile,is another disappointment. This is the only bloom from about six plants!

It’s been a weird year.  A fairly mild winter followed by a very dry spring.  The summer rains started last week but rather than the typical afternoon thunderstorm it’s been raining off and on all day.  Plants that usually thrive are failing and those that just get by are bursting with blooms.  I have a hibiscus that is usually a bush that has turned into a tree and a rose of Sharon that has never done well can’t stand up now because of the blooms that are weighing it down.

But it’s still REALLY pretty!

Plumeria