One year for my birthday Momma bought me a cherry tree.  It is about 15 years old, and has given us cherries for the last two years!!  It isn't a big tree yet, but it lives in our orchard, and now it's fruiting!!!  

 

Yesterday we picked about 100 cherries, and there are some still on the tree.  Yay!!!

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

My friends are in Germany this week, and they asked me to check on their outside plants.  When I walked up there a couple days ago, this is what I found.  I don't think the iris were blooming when they left last week.  Aren't they beautiful?

 

I sent them a picture, reminding them "there's no place like home."  But who needs that reminder?  We know it's true.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

This is our favorite Mountain Laurel.  It is the reddest one I've ever seen.  It's not real big, but it is totally red and I love it.

 

HAPPY SPRING!!!

 

Here she is up close.  Mountain Laurel.  So pretty!!!

 

HAPPY SPRING!!!

 

The Mountain Laurels are blooming all over the place, and they are gorgeous!!!  They are all around the neighborhood, and along the highways.  Take a drive along Moccasin Church Road, and you can see whole hillsides covered with them.

 

Just another good reason to live in the North Carolina mountains.  

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

This picture shows why this plant is called Bronze fennel.  The new leaves come out this beautiful bronze color.

 

We love this plant.  We add the leaves and even slices of the small bulbs to our salads.  It is so fresh and tasty.

 

Best of all, the black swallowtail butterflies lay their eggs in the leaves for their caterpillars to feed upon when they hatch.

 

Win/win/win.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

Have you seen the wild roses on the side of the road?  We smell them before we even see them.  Roll down your windows when you drive down Moccasin Creek Road.  The air smells so sweet.  

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

Look at my new potato bin.  We planted potatoes in it back in March, and when I got back from my trip they had really grown up a lot.  So I filled in more soil, covering the stems with good soil.  That is where the potatoes will grow:  into good soil.  So exciting!!!

 

I will keep you updated.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

 

 

You can't believe all the blueberries !!!  I can't believe all the blueberries!!!  When I left for Virginia they were blooming abundantly, but when I got back, I couldn't believe how many berries were set.  Amazing!!!

 

Maybe you can come help us pick berries when they get ripe, because we are going to have a ton.  How blessed we are!!!!

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

The garden is such an amazing place.  This is my rhubarb, re-emerging after its winter dormancy.  All winter we couldn't see anything there.  Now it is emerging with these big, beautiful leaves.  I divided it and put two plants into pots to share with my neighbor, and we still have lots for us.  

 

The leaves aren't edible, just the stems.  If you look closely you can see a little red at the base.  This variety of rhubarb is mostly green, with  just a little bit of red on the stems, but it is still delicious.  And isn't it pretty?

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!