There you go Dear, I fixed the flag pole...

Well .... Temporarily at best, but heh :-)

Back in 2011 when we got posted here, in Greenwood NS, the house we bought had a rusty flag pole in the front yard.

Barely visible, but the pole is there, middle RH corner.

The two large trees too close to the house, would be cut down later on

Yes, way too close...

So of course, one of my task was to clean up, paint the pole and hang a flag.
Which I carried out diligently, but it kinda look lost into a large flat, feature less front yard.... So....
In the year leading to my retirement (2013), we started to landscaped the front yard, wanting to make the flag area more of an anchoring feature.

Our first plant garden in front of the flag pole, circa May 2013 

Throughout the following years, more plants and flowers were added, some relocated some did not survived some of our harsh winters.,.
We lost the flag pole to a severe windstorm and rust ...

Since then, all the major renovations have been carried out inside, bringing this 1976 house (the year I joined the Airforce incidentally) kicking and screaming into the 21st century :-)

Last year, obviously,  no work was done whatsoever in the flower beds and etc :-(
so this year, it is grand time to tend to them.

First we set up a garden in the back yard, producing both vegetables (now coming out faster than we can eat them :-) and flowers, plants for the flower beds. But would you know it, we need more...!?
I must say that Jean is a very savvy plant buyer :-)

The raised gardens last month

Everything is overflowing and some is our second growth...

As much as I brake for tools in our travels, 

It should be said that Jean brake for plant nursery :-)

First we widen the existing flower bed, then duplicate the half moon bed behind it. I left a space large enough to drive the tractor thru. I can see a classic English garden bench in between later on, once garden area is established or Stefan is finished with his :-)

Every new plants locations have been

 inspected and approved by Rudy

Then listening to chain gang music (well this is a forced labour camp, isn't it :-)
I diligently worked under the blazing sun.
Not to worry, cold refreshing beverages were consumed in this operation... :-)
OK, not really comparable to a forced labour camp, my apologies to whomever got offended by this lame comparison... :-)

Starting to take shape, dug about a foot plus, 

then loosen up the soil under at the bottom.

Was aiming for about even with top of soil in pot 

and about 5 pot's wide holes (diameter) for the trees.

More flowers and plants to come

The trees have a raised mound lip around to make sure 

they get properly watered. Once established, probably by next year, 

that would be replaced by a mound of bark mulch 

The look as of last nite

In our nursery visits, I spied this little flag, so you know I just had to get it and play a joke on Jean :-)

There you go Dear, flag pole fixed :-)

What? You can't see it?

Look how tall it is :-)

And it even meet regulations, it is lighted at nite :-)

yeah, I know, still going to have to fix the real pole or install a new one, one of these day. But for now, I can scratch that from my list ? :-)

In the mean time I am experimenting with a pizza oven 

that you put on your BBQ. Works great

Part of the rear yard landscaping projects is setting up a gourmet kitchen outside. Would love to have a wood fired pizza oven, so I thought we could experiment with this pizza oven box and see how we liked it. A heck of a lot cheaper than building your own, especially for experimenting :-)

And that is about all the news fit to print, Cheers :-)

From our bistro area up front.

The girlie beer (Corona) is Jean :-)

Bob , Jean and Rudy enjoying the front sitting area while discussing our next projects... and keeping an eye out for squirrels...