We planted this Forsythia several years ago. 

 

See the tall, spindly branches?  I pull them down to the ground and anchor them with 6 inch garden staples.  They root themselves and grow new plants.  We just keep doing that until they fill in the whole area.

 

They are very easily propagated.  Try it!  Start with one plant and tack down long branches to create a hedge.  Good news!!!  The deer nibble, but don't devour them.  It actually works like pruning, encouraging new growth.

 

They are SO beautiful in the spring.  They look like sunshine to me.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

The sun enters the sign of Aries today at 12:15 pm;  otherwise known as the Vernal Equinox.   

 

That means it's officially SPRING!!!  GOOD!!!   We've been wishing for it since, ummmm,  January.

 

Our peach trees are blooming!  So are the pears, plums, and blueberry bushes.  The apple trees are getting buds, but we have another month before they bloom.  They usually bloom for my birthday.  

 

Being an April baby, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Spring.  My mom hates riding in the car with me in spring, cause I'm looking at everything in bloom, not focused too much on the other cars.  Can't help it!  I love seeing trees in bloom.  

 

I'll try to be better about posting the pictures.  Winter just got to me this year.  Too many days inside.  But we're back outside now, working in the garden, enjoying the fresh air!!!  We even got some spinach and kale in the ground. 

 

There are lots of beautiful days ahead.  Be sure to check the Farmer's Almanac for good planting days.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

We love this cherry tree in Murphy.  It's at the intersection with the McDonald's.

 

I sent this picture to my sister who lives in Yorktown Virginia, and she sent this next one back.  I guess everybody loves cherry trees.   They just shout SPRING!!!!!

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

I'm here in Virginia Beach visiting my mom, and I've seen some daffodils blooming. 

 

Today Jon sent us pictures of daffodils blooming in my yard!!!!  I gotta come home!! 

 

Soon it'll be time to get seeds started for the garden.  See you soon.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

OMG!!!  I saw daffodils BLOOMING today!

 

OK, I'm farther north than you, but I still saw a few daffodils in bloom!!

 

There's hope for spring!!

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

 

Ever since we first started walking the loop in 2004, I've noticed these two trees.  They are on the hillside just at the curve below George and Priscilla's house.  They seem to be hugging.  I'm not sure what could have caused them to grow like this, but I love them!  And Valentine's Day seems the perfect occasion to point them out.

 

They remind me of the Art Nouveau painting by Gustav Klimt:  The Kiss.   

 

Click here:   The Kiss   and see the beautiful painting.  

 

See what I mean?  :))

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!!

 

Karen brought up a good subject for our blog!!!  Deer, and what they eat.  More specifically, what they won't eat.

 

The first time I heard my sister speak of "the damn deer" I was shocked.  How could you not LOVE seeing deer in your yard?        Now I get it.  They eat everything!!!

 

They really like corn, and lots of people put out corn for the deer.  Once you've trained them to come to your yard looking for food, they seem to think that everything in your yard is there for them to eat.  But it is so tempting to see them up close, that we (or our neighbors) take the chance.

 

There are some plants that deer like less than others, but no plant is deer proof!

 

Here is a great list of trees, shrubs, ground covers, and flowers, rated as to their resistance to deer.  I thought I could just tell you some good things to plant, but this list will let you decide whatever YOU like.  It's a fascinating list of plants; some we've never heard of, but many that do well here in NC.

 

Go to Rutgers University list of deer resistant plants and look for plants you like.  They are rated A B C D as to deer resistance.  The first group lists the most resistant plants, followed by less resistance, and the last group lists plants that the deer have already wiped out in our neighborhood.  

 

Now, I'm going to go take a picture of deer in our yard.  Jon's been feeding them corn since it got so cold.  Then I'm going to go back and find something to plant to replace everything in my yard.  :\\

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

 

 

 

 

Rosebay and Catawba rhododendron are native rhododendrons. These are at Meeks Park in Blairsville.  Native Rhodies are common all along the Blue Ridge Parkway and into the Great Smoky Mountains.  They grow all along our roads, sometimes creating dense thickets.  

 

Rosebay blooms white, and the Catawba blooms pink.  We'll have to wait til they bloom to see which ones these are.  The peak blooming time is usually June and July, and you can see they have already set their flower buds for next year's event.  These leaves look great right now, but they react to freezing weather by bending downward, and rolling into tight coils.  Some of the older locals claim to be able to tell the temperature by looking at the angle of the rhododendron leaves.  Be sure to look at them when it gets really cold, it's interesting!!  

 

There are a lot of cultivated rhododendron, and they usually bloom in May,  around Mother's Day.  There are hundreds of beautiful ones planted at the Fair Grounds in Hiawassee, GA.  We love to go there when they are in bloom:  it's spectacular!!  You can also see wildflowers in bloom about the same time as the rhododendron.  We've seen Jack in the pulpit, trilliums, Mayapple and snowdrops in those gardens.

 

Gosh, it's pretty early to be dreaming of spring;  it's only the first day of winter!!!  Can't help it.

 

 

HAPPY WINTER!!

 

 

 

I finally figured out a way to keep the deer from eating my pansies and parsley.  I stuck the dried Echinacea seed heads into the pots.  Since then, nobody has bothered my plantings.  I guess they don't like getting their noses poked by the prickly seed heads.  

 

Whatever it takes, right?

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

Winter is a tough time to be blogging about gardening.  I'm really searching for interesting subjects, cause I love writing everyday. But it's not that easy.  So keep checking back, even though I may skip a day or two now and then.  Right now I'm thinking about evergreens, those symbols of everlasting life.

 

Leyland Cypress is a hybrid of two Pacific Coast species, Monterey Cypress and Alaska Cedar.  Its botanical name is expressed:  X Cupressocyparis leylandii.  It was introduced to North Carolina in the mid 1970s, and became an instant hit with nurserymen and homeowners.  They still enjoy huge popularity, especially as living fences.

 

Once established, Leyland Cypress can grow three feet a year, making them great for privacy screening.  It is suggested that when planting them for hedges, you plant them 3 - 5 feet apart.  Since they can grow up to 50 feet tall and 12 feet wide, it's best to plant them where they can spread out.

 

There are many examples of Leyland Cypress in our area.  Some are specimen trees, standing alone; and some are beautiful hedges.  Best to plant Leylands in full sun, and 10 feet off the road.  They are great trees when given the conditions and space they need to grow.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!