The Adventures of Julie and Bella 2025

Busy day again today—and what a beautiful one it was! The morning started off a little chilly, but the sunshine quickly warmed things up and made for a perfect day to be outside ☀️ I took full advantage of it and got a lot accomplished in the gardens and yard!

I kicked off the day by prepping and planting all the vegetable seedlings I picked up yesterday 🌱 The seeds I started indoors aren’t quite ready for transplanting yet, but they’re getting close! I spent about 90 minutes planting, and it was such a peaceful and calming way to begin the day 🌿

After that, it was time to mow! There’s just something so satisfying about the look and smell of a freshly cut lawn—it instantly makes everything feel more put together ✂️🌾

I took a break to recharge with lunch and read a couple of chapters from my current book 📖 Then Bella and I headed out for a long walk, soaking up the warm sunshine and fresh air 🚶‍♀️🐾 Days like this remind me how good it feels to just be outside.

Later in the afternoon, I made a quick trip to Home Depot for mulch to finish off the garden beds. While I was there, a beautiful hanging fuchsia plant practically jumped into my cart! 🌺 I couldn’t say no. It reminded me so much of my grandma—she always had one hanging on her porch every summer, and I’ve loved them ever since. It felt like a little nudge from her, so of course it came home with me ❤️

Once I got back, I finished mulching and pulled a few weeds while I was at it. I’m thinking about heading to the beach tomorrow to collect some rocks to create a natural border around the back garden 🪨 It’s a little extra work, but I think it’ll look great!

I also started setting up the backyard patio today. The furniture is out, and it’s starting to look really inviting! I still need to hang the string lights and add a few final touches, but I may save that for next weekend when I have a bit more time ✨🪑

Bella and I just got back from our third walk of the day, and unfortunately, I discovered that a deer had made a snack out of my front yard hosta—completely devoured it! 🦌😭 I checked the Ring camera and caught the culprit on video at 5:30 AM. I’ve never had issues with deer in the five years I’ve lived here, so this was a surprise (and a bummer). I just went out and sprinkled animal repellent on all my flower beds—fingers crossed it keeps them safe!

I’m a little worried about my veggies tonight since I didn’t get the fence up around them yet, but I just didn’t have the energy to tackle that today. It’s been nonstop from the moment I got up, and now it’s time to finally rest 🛏️

Here’s to more sunshine, blooming gardens, and hopefully deer-free flower beds! 🌼☀️