The neighborhood where I live was working-class when these houses were built back in 1961. They are well-built but unimaginatively-designed little ranches that came without sprinkler systems. Some have installed them, some, including us, haven't. There is a frontyard, courtyart and backyard none of which had ANY plantings when we moved in. The backyard has a lovely deck that came with the house and a gazebo my husband added. Otherwise, it's basically wild California grass Interspersed with weeds. The frontyard is vaguely okay, there's juniper and Lily of the Valley and at least I keep it weeded and the little bits along the driveway and the street are nice.

So now we come to the Happiness part...my courtyard. When we moved in it had a stockade fence which we removed and David built a sweet little craftsmen-esque one instead. The courtyard itself was dirt...just dirt. I was out there early this morning pruning, weeding, but not watering, that comes only in the evening, when I realized it was what I wanted to post about today. There's hawthorn, nandina, juniper, a flowering plum, and others whose names I've forgotten. Working there until it got to hot to do so any longer, made me happy. Every plant there, I planted. Every plant, every tree, well..every...everything. And all is watered by hand.

See. The view would be from outside our front door. Click-click for larger.