Woman in Real Life

April 22nd is Earth Day and I am looking forward to celebrating with my kiddos. We are going to explore the natural world around us with the help of a few enticing books from DK Canada. Right now, DK is offering a selection of inspiring titles in their Earthly Pleasures Boutique. Best of all, these books are 30% off! (I confess there are few things I like more than a discounted book.)

When we bought our house, about five years ago, there was almost no landscaping in the backyard. With a blank slate and a lack of confidence, I convinced my husband to seek professional help. Through a local garden centre we found a woman who draws up landscaping plans for $100, money well spent in my opinion.

She created an amazing plan, including stone walkways and a circular patio. As lovely as the plan was, we decided on baby steps. The yard isn't all that big and we wanted to leave some space for the kids to play. Because we have iron fencing and therefore a lack of privacy, we focused on creating a foundation of trees and bushes. My husband planted about 40 small cedar trees along the fences. I insisted on an apple tree, because I long for it to grow gnarly and crooked like the one we had in our yard growing up.