project 12 of many. . .

A little while back we had a run-in with a gopher. Said gopher went all up and down the front and back of our home eating everything in it's path and spilling dirt everywhere. It took out many plants, including our two oleander bushes in the front yard . . . we were left with something that looked exactly like this. . . The gopher is now dead.
Kyle is gone this weekend in California visiting his friend Danny so I decided to pass the time the only way I know how. . . by starting a new project. The gopher actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Usually Arizona soil is a bugger to break (and it still put up a good fight), however, the intricate tunnel system of said gopher had really loosened things up a bit making this project a lot easier than it could have been.The flower bed has red and orange hibiscus in it as well as some rosemary vine. . . There is also a new tree (shoestring acacia) planted to the left. It should provide quite a bit of shade someday without really blocking the view of the side of the house. . . My only fear with plants is that they make excellent places for thieves (bandits?) to hide behind.
In other news I am liking my front yard more and more everyday. . . I can't wait for it to grow up and only wish that I didn't have to grow up along with it. My cat's claw has really taken a hold of the side of the house and hopefully will envelope the entire side front of the garage by fall. The mimosa (nestled between the two pink oleanders on the right) has also made a remarkable comeback after staying in it's planting bucket for far too long without any water and several below freezing nights. . . I guess I'm just not used to seeing trees loose their leaves. . .