Gardening and Utility Room Finish!!

Hello, everyone. As I was reading other blogs today,  I looked back and noticed the date of my last post was over a month ago!  I do not know where the time has gone!  I guess the little things each day just seem to add up and soon the time just slips quietly away.  We are preparing for a graduation this spring and the nice weather we had in early March made it possible to get out and get some yard work done. I'm glad for that because now it is cold and rain is coming this weekend.  This is my garden.....poor pitiful thing!!!  Every year, I vow to do something different to spruce it up.  I always grow too much and by mid summer, I often let the weeds take over.  Not this year!!!  I have a plan.  This is what it started as, and  hubby and I spent way too much time digging these weeds out.

The next step was to put up a fence.  My lofty goal was to make a stick fence or one of old barn siding.  Maybe I should have started those projects last fall and winter!  Anyway, because of time constraints, (I wanted the fence now) and farming starting (hubby wouldn't be around much to help me), I decided this picket fence would work just as well.  So off he went to Menard's and picked up 4 sections.  He had it up in no time!!  Love the fence but not the color.  I want old and weathered without waiting.  So I looked online for various weathering techniques.  Then I decided to just stop by the local Ace and see what they had.  I found a semi-transparent latex stain line for decks and siding that they carry (Wood Royal).  It is the weathered walnut colored one.  I can't give you the exact name as all of my label seems to be covered in stain!!  So here is the before.....

And here is the after. 

I think it blends well with the old smoke house in the background.

I am planning to use the barrels for my vegetables. This way I won't be tempted to plant more than I need.  Then I will plant beans and cucumbers next to the fence so they can vine up them to make picking easier.  I would like to put some shorter sunflowers in the back too and maybe some other flowers in the front.  I can see it in my head.  It certainly won't be the pathetic little garden you see in the first picture anymore!!!

I left my last post with the teaser that the utility room was to be finished.  Here are the pictures of that.   We had the counter top unit built to slide the washer and dryer into.  I always had a big deep freezer to fold on before the remodel, but we decided to move that to the basement.  That left me with very little room to work.  The back piece hides all of the hoses and valves and gives a much cleaner look.  There is a board coming yet to fit over the top of the back splash so it will be a little ledge to decorate.

  

The cupboards give so much more space to store things in. They are the same width as the old ones, but much deeper.

My little display to try and make folding clothes more fun!!

This is the corner that the freezer used to set in.  As handy as it was to have upstairs, I don't miss it at all.  This is much more fun to look at when you come in the house!

This is the new sink and cupboard built to match the kitchen.  It has a pull out trash bin so that is hidden.  The plus side of that is  now we can open the outside door all the way without hitting the trash can.  Oh, the little things!!

 My little sink display.

 Well, that's all for today.  I will try to be better about getting my posts on.  I think it's better to post shorter ones.  It takes less of every one's time!! Thanks for stopping by.  I'll leave you with these bright sunny looking flowers!!  Have a wonderful day!

 Blessings..........

Melissa