RYG 2016 in Pictures … What a Year It Was!

I’m still not certain if all this social media shtuff is a net-good-thing or not. Which is quite ironic given that I’m relying on social media to reach you … and it’s partly the foundation on which I’m trying to build Redeem Your Ground. Oh the tension of life.

Regardless, one thing I do appreciate about social media is how it makes looking back over time much easier. So today…the first day of 2017…I’m going to take a look back at 2016 through some of the images we posted on RYG’s Instagram account (@RYGblog). I hope you enjoy the walk back in time. [If there’s a blog post associated with any given pic, I’ve included a link to it as well…in case you’re interested.]

Apparently the first few days of January 2016 were a bit drier than they have been this year. Which was perfect weather for me to try out my new string lights…with one of our lighted Christmas balls as a chandelier over the patio table.

When our Loddon Lilies emerge in March, it’s one of the first signs of spring. Spring 2016 was no different.

When a few friendly rats arrived at our home last spring, Britt finally broke down and allowed me to get a couple of garden cats. This is “Baby Kitty”…and she arrived with her momma, “Momma Kitty”(very original naming, I know). But thanks to our cat-raising-ignorance and a neighborhood Tomcat, “Baby Kitty” became “Baby Momma Kitty” and 2 cats became 7. Fortunately, we’re back down to 3…which still seems like 1 too many.

Easter 2016 once again included Britt and the girls making Easter Egg birdseed ornaments.
On the business front, we launched the RYG Store last Apirl…where you can purchase your very own RYG tee shirt. Check it out if you’re looking for a comfy, outdoor-themed tee. Clearly I’m biased…but I think the designs are really cool and the tees are mucho comfy.

Thanks to Super-RYGblog-Follower Helen (aka, my mom!)…who reminded me, I’m adding the photo above that I grabbed from Britt’s Instagram account of the article about Redeem Your Ground that appeared in the April 2016 issue of Southern Living. I left it off this post initially not because being in Southern Living wasn’t a big deal…because it was a HUGE deal..but because I didn’t post a pic of it on Instagram…and the photo shoot took place and the article was written in 2015. Nonetheless, it certainly does deserve to be represented in the 2016 look-back in RYG pics. (Thanks Mother Dearest for the prompting!)

We still love raising our backyard chickens. This is Ginger…and unfortunately she went to the big chicken coop in the sky this year. Replaced, but never forgotten…Ginger will likely remain our all-time favorite feathered friend for some time.

We loved how our 2 simple strands of string lights allowed us to extend hang-time with friends and family well into the evening.

Even though I lean towards a simple, classic green & white garden…we’ll always make room for some Nikko Blue Hydrangeas.

Sting Lights + DIY Wine Bottle Tiki Torches (- Mosquitos) + 2(Glass of Wine) = Laid Back Summer Evening

We love growing blueberries. They make the perfect outdoor-snack-on-the-go…and Britt makes a mean blueberry pie.

Our family veggie garden last summer…under the watchful eye of Sally the Scarecrow.

Morning pic of our chicken coop…on the day our friends from Growing a Greener World were here to shoot the episode on Redeem Your Ground…that will air Spring 2017. So be on the lookout.

I’m a wimp when it comes to spicy food…I leave that up to Britt and the girls. However, I love how cool these peppers look with our mini cherry and pear-shaped tomatoes.

Britt loves to welcome our guests with a bit of seasonal flair. As in years past, this is what our back door looked like in July 2016…complete with a DIY flag door hanger.

With the shorter days our ladies have slowed a bit now, but I was pretty much guaranteed a shirt tail full of eggs every day this summer.

There are a number of reasons why I love Limelight Hydrangeas, but I’d have to say the fact that they continue to add beauty to my back yard through the hot summer months when most of my other flowers have given up probably tops the list.

Last August I had the amazing honor of visiting Monrovia’s incredible nursery outside of Portland Oregon…celebrating their 90th anniversary. I met some really incredible folks from Monrovia, as well as some fellow garden bloggers…and I learned a ton. This is a pic of a luscious red coneflower (not certain of the variety)…one of what seemed like millions that graced us that morning.

Here’s a Mango Popsicle Dwarf Poker I saw that same morning while touring Monrovia’s Portland nursery. And the cool thing was…just 2 months later, Monrovia’s Chief Marketing Officer was touring my back yard as I tried my hand  (or face!) at being in front of the camera – doing a Monrovia-branded video on fall shrub care. If you missed the video or post I did on all that goodie, you can check them out here. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that they’ll be some additional opportunities in 2017 for RYG to connect up with Monrovia.

Here’s the harvest I came home to from my trip to Monrovia…num-num!

Gerber Daisies are one of Britt’s favorite flowers. I love how they look outside…drawing pollinators into our veggie garden…and how they bring a little sunshine inside as cut flowers.

Given our warmer than normal fall, our peppers kept producing and producing. So much so that we couldn’t eat them fast enough. So we just sliced and froze them – allowing us to enjoy homegrown produce throughout the year. Bonus!

I can only take credit for the photo of our Thanksgiving table…pre-feast. The rest of the credit goes to Britt’s mom who has a penchant for entertaining in a beautiful way.

And last but not least…our Christmas tree. We love how it brightens and warms up our home so much. She is still standing…just like this…upstairs. We’re going to try to squeeze out a few more days of warmth before taking her down…which will be a sad day. But fortunately we have next Christmas to look forward to…which is only 359 days away!

What a great year 2016 was! Now it certainly was not without its challenges…in fact, it was probably one of the most challenging years for us. But regardless, with 2016 behind us we’re looking forward to 2017 and all that it has in store.

Our hopes and prayers are that 2017 is a life-giving, beauty-making, redemptive year for you, your family…and ours!

Take care & Happy New Year friends!