Stitches & folly

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A Getting dirty update

With things cooling off quickly we are in a mad dash to do some outdoors projects, and finish some that I started forever ago.  Starting with finishing this project.

So to recap, we had plans to expand the bed and plant a bunch of beautiful flowers, mulch them and live happily.  I expanded the bed awhile ago, months actually.  I was reminded how much I hate stripping grass...
I finished late one evening, and I ended up really bonding with my hoe.  SO much so that I felt the need to take a selfie with it.  

I Planted some beauties (flowers), didn't mulch and the weeds grew.  Somehow I can't find a picture of the monster weeds I grew but it was bad.  Like so bad, it was a safe haven for a nest of mice I found one day when pulling weeds.  It was THAT bad.  I don't want to experience that again.  So now I stay on top of my weeding.
So the no mulch vs mulch difference above, holy hell it made me so happy to have mulch. Clearly though the plant situation is not great.  So what did I manage to get planted this year? Over on the left there are three plants of pink veronica, on the right I planted three carnation plants.

  Across the back I planted some purple liatris, and in the front.  In the very center anemone bulbs, that finally grew and bloomed.  

All the blank space around them in the garden bed?  The ranunculus bulbs that I planted that did nothing.  Next year I hope to plant foxglove and delphinium like I had originally intended to fill things out in the back and add height.  The liatris already along the back have already bloomed (along with basically everything else) and I cut it back when I was dealing with the mouse and weed situation.  I am not sure what else will go in the front to fill out that area yet, I have all winter to dream I suppose.  
Sometimes I just need to see the before photo to remember that I have accomplished something.  It does not look like much yet, but time will get us places.  

Are you getting any last minute outside work done before winter comes?
-Meg

P.S. sorry for all of the photos of the back of our garage, coming up will be lots of photos of our fence and side of our house