All In The Golden Afternoon

What is it about finally having a yard that constantly makes me think of Alice in Wonderland?

While it was in a pretty wild state when we moved in, it is obvious that a real plant lover lived here once. I haven't really poked around in the garden since I was in high school begrudgingly helping my mom in the yard on weekends in Ohio. However, now that I have a yard of my own, I am really excited to learn about all of the plants (especially the roses!) and am doing my best to not kill stuff. The not-killing-stuff is helped immeasurably by living in a place where plants seem to enjoy life. So much different than Phoenix- where we inevitably killed anything we attempted to grow on our balcony.

A few pics of the plants we have in the backyard:



I know Tim has already posted some pictures of the 3ft. grass that we had in the front & back.. but I have to share a few more. It was really out of control. To the point that Vaughan (the pooch) made a nest in it, much like a deer in a forest meadow...

We have made some improvements so far... other than weed-whacking the grass down to a manageable height..

We cut down the juniper bush which was growing into the house- prompting ants to find a way inside- and also blocking all of the daylight from the bathroom window.

We also cut down the Virginia Creeper that was attempting to choke out every surrounding plant and also doing it's best to make a home in our siding and gutters.
And of course, I have been calling my Dad consistently for pointers on how to take care of the 10 ft. rose bushes...
And finally.. the crowning glory of the backyard... The MYSTERY TREE!!!
We have no idea what it is- and intend on stopping in a local nursery to try and figure it out. At first, we thought it was an Elm- but then one day it started budding...Now it is in full bloom- filled with bumblebees and bright pink flowers that look like snapdragons.. and a scent that smells just like the orange blossoms used to smell in Phoenix. We have tried to ask The Google- but cannot figure out what in the world it is. Whatever it may be, I love it!