Creating My Own Paradise, In Paradise

A direct quote from Wikipedia, "In paradise there is only peace, prosperity, and happiness. Paradise is a place of contentment, but is not necessarily a land of luxury and idleness." I really like this statement. I think it speaks volumes.

In my quest to create tropical surroundings, I feel as if we have finally developed our own little paradise. In my home, and on my grounds, I truly feel at peace, content, happy, and prosperous in many ways.

This area grows more beautiful every day! We are always adding little touches, like the pavers in the center under the table...done! Mulch around the bananas, pineapples, and tomatoes, and my how they have grown since I took this pic a couple of weeks or so ago! It has been a work in progress for years, but really started coming together when the chain link came down, and the white vinyl fence went up.

We are currently working on a pathway from the front gate, thru the side yard between 2 garden areas, with 3 raised beds that hubby made for me. It's not quite finished, but a far cry from where it was, and certainly far better than the blank slate of a yard we started with. We barely had grass, and zero plants.

This area has a looooooong way to go, but progress is being made. I'm guessing maybe a couple more years til it's finished to what we are planning? It's still my Paradise. I'm at peace here playing in my gardens.

This little picket fence area is where my blueberry shrubs are growing! This area is now mulched in also, and looks so cute. The little fence was intended to keeps my furkids out of here...but the mulch and stone pathway is doing it, lol they hate it...or consider it off limits. Which is fine by me :)

The fish pond was moved when the fence changed....It's bigger than it looks, and we've done a little more with it. This was on the other side of the yard, but I still have my pond with waterfall by the front door.

Changes have been made in the front yard, too.

You can tell by these two photos that this was done around the end of January/beginning of Feb. Well, I can lol hubs is wearing long sleeves. Here in Paradise, we enjoy the cooler days as well :)

Hubby does the heavy lifting, and big jobs. I'm the designer, creator of art, and supervisor. I do get my hands in the dirt, I love to plant, and weeding isn't even so bad now that we've about got them under control (a layer of cardboard under the mulch. We tried landscape fabric, and Florida grew right through it!)

I am currently working on garden art. One piece at a time. And you know it's all going to be beachy, tropical, coastal, nautical, with seashells included here and there.

The only change directly in front of the house, and the front door area, was replacing the plants that did freeze, or got frostbitten. They looked terrible!

So, I'm starting over again, and will try to better protect these the next cold season. The others had gotten so big, and were just beautiful. And yes, we did plant the same plants!

I added this beautiful hibiscus about a month ago.

Check out the size of these flowers! And ignore the dog pee by the plant. That's why it was still wrapped in plastic. I know my boys...it was something new, out of place in the screen room. Boys will be boys! Even in Paradise lol.

Now it has a spot to call it's own. and a prettier pot to boot! And....the boys will leave it alone.

Something I've been wanting to do for a long time, like over a year, was to get the Waterlogue app for my Iphone. A couple of months ago I did!

I've had some fun with this!

I took this at the beach last year, when we were glamping in Crystal River. I used this to make my blog header, using the Waterlogue app.

Unfortunately for me, this Kings Crown was alive, so back he went in the water.
It was a really nice one too, look at the crown on it!!! One day I will find more :) I believe in good Karma. And it sure made a pretty blog header!

I'll try to keep a hold on my blogger cap this time. I have another laptop, so it should be better for me. I've been lost without my laptop, and the desktop computer just doesn't do it for me.

I do have a few choices, after all, and this is just a few of the hats I wear...errrr except the first one lol I left it there.

Welcome back to Paradise....