florida life - part two

welcome back.  i'm so happy to see you.  we're off to see the next installment of the little series i will share of my florida house.  so hurry up and come around that little white picket fence! on the very corner a little bird has been awaiting your visit. it made the trip from pennsylvania just for you.

here is the walkway that leads you to the lanai entrance.  see the little bend of concrete walkway?  that is new and was added this summer.  there was a front door on our screened in lanai when we bought the house.  the painted walkway ended at the front door,  but we took out that door to allow for more living space in the lanai.  it was a very good decicion.  the new concrete has to cure before it can be painted.  everyone keeps telling me - "all in due time" - but my patience level only speaks the language of "right now".

this fern was salvaged from my next door neighbor's yard when she was getting rid of plants.  it has been really thriving in that spot and that makes me so happy.  i had ferns at my house in pennsylvania and it is a beautiful memory for me. 

a little lantana love

that tree is called a bottle brush tree.  the fire orange-red blossoms on it look just like a brush you would use to clean bottles.  i love it, but so do the bees.  thank goodness they are more interested in the pollen than me!

this is the little water feature we just added.  it sits in front of the lanai enclosure windows.  the little water bubble lights up so you can see it even in the dark.  i really enjoy hearing the water trickle.  it reminds me of the sound of our koi pond back home.  i think it will be such a pretty part of our lanscaping when the plants get more mature.   i was really happy with the red grasses we planted and then the very next day the man who mows our lawn told me the snakes love to lay in those grasses so i should always poke them with a stick before i prune them.  i am pretty sure i would have been better off not knowing that because since then i have worried about the grass attracting snakes.  my husband says no need to worry, but i think it was easier for me to trust him on using the suv for a u-haul then on this issue. the beautiful deep-pink flower is coreopsis and is what we had planted at our pond up north - another fond remembrance.

as you round the bend on the concrete walkway you come to my side yard.  that little black, wrought iron fence made the trip from up north, too.  i just loved it and was a special gift from my aunt. 

we love this little patio and use it very often. the canopy is remote controlled and provides a gorgeous outdoor setting.  it also is extremely helpful in keeping the sun and heat from blaring in the glass sliding doors that are to the right of the yellow wicker chairs. 

we found this great metal structure at the cutest little town called micanopy.  you should have seen us trying to get it in the car.  what a fiasco that was.  we forced it in the trunk of the jetta and the trunk was open wider than it should have been.  on the way home we were in the worst rain storm you could think of.  it rained so hard you couldn't even see inches in front of you.  it took the car days to dry out.  what a mess.  but i love it so much and it looks wonderful in that spot.  the little round orb that hangs inside of it made the trip from pennsylvania, too.

this little mobile came along for the ride, too.  my husband gave me this for a gift.  it is made from silverware.  i just adore it and it hangs right outside the entrance to my lanai.

so you've made it to my front door.  i can see you! can you see me?  make sure you make it back for another installment.  behind that door is my newly enclosed lanai.  i can't wait for you to see it!