A couple years ago a friend asked me what those yellow and red berries were.  I had to go over and look at them, and realized she was talking about Bittersweet.  I'm not sure this picture does it justice, but if you are heading up Five Forks Drive, look to the right just past Solitude and you'll see these yellow and red berries vining up in the trees.

 

Climbing Bittersweet, Celastrus scandens, is a woody, twining vine, and in the fall has beautiful berries.  The berries are red, inside a yellow capsule.  When they are mature, the yellow capsule splits, and the bright red berry can be seen.  I've seen the vines with berries for sale in florist shops and places that sell home decor.  They are often used in winter bouquets and mantle decorations. 

 

I'm not sure about stability or toxicity, so I've never used them for decorating; we have a cat.  But they are sure pretty growing in the woods.  Nature's decoration.  

 

Look for Bittersweet now, in its autumn splendor.

 

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!!!

 

I couldn't help myself!!!  I had to take this picture.  I think it was in August of this year....but...

 

We were walking the loop, and saw Mark out working in his yard, sweating up a storm.  Even his sweat shows that it all comes from the HEART!!!!!  And he is ALL heart!!!

 

Thanks, Mark, for being such a good sport!!!!

 

Hey, Linda, this is our friend, Mark.  Cute, huh?  Told ya.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!!

 

 

 

While we were walking the loop the other day, I had to keep stopping to take pix!!!  The trees were SO BEAUTIFUL.  Here are more Red Maples for your viewing pleasure.

 

You're welcome!!!

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

I was walking home from Nancy's the other day, and looked up to see this beautiful sight.  The Hickory trees are in full autumn color!!!  Some are yellowish green, and others are already browning into golden.  

 

We have lots of hickory trees in our yard, and they are gorgeous right now.  They are also dropping tons of nuts.  The squirrels are having a field day planting them everywhere.  I'm sure they're happy for their winter food.  I wonder how they remember where they've stashed them all!?!

 

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!!!

 

 

 

Here we are again in Jim and Roxanne's garden.  Their Japanese Maple is gorgeous right now!!

 

I went to Gibb's Gardens with some friends last week, and the Japanese Maples were absolutely beautiful!!!  There were hundreds of them there.  All showing gorgeous fall color.  

 

Japanese Maples, Acer palmatum, are a bit temperamental here, preferring filtered shade and protection from cold winds.  But Jim and Roxanne have the perfect environment for their's.  It's worth the walk over there to see it.  Go before the upcoming frost, though, because it is going to drop its leaves. 

 

If you want to grow your own, my North Carolina Gardener's Guide says you can plant them any time from November through April.  Just dig the hole wide and plant it at the same depth it was grown at the nursery.  Water regularly, each week for the first month, and during the dry months of summer and fall.  

 

Or just go appreciate some other gardener's expertise.  I love doing that!!!

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

 

Have you been on the Creekside Trail lately?

 

If you haven't, you should take a walk down there and see Al's handiwork.  He has spent hours raking, trimming, and clearing leaves so that we can all enjoy the trail.  

 

Thanks, Al, it looks better than ever!!!

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

Rosemary at the church is blooming!!!  Mine at home is not!  Hmmm!!!!

 

Anyway, let's talk about Rosemary.  

 

Rosmarinus officinalis, has a reputation for strengthening memory. OK. Good reason right there for using it every day. 

 

The leaves are resinous and leathery. But it dries easily, and retains its flavor for a long time.  Plant it in full sun, and protect it from cold winds.  Give it enough room to grow;  typically it grows 3-6 feet.  

 

Once it is established you can use it in almost everything.  Our favorite use for rosemary is to crush the dried leaves into dough when making bread or pizza crusts.  We also use the dried stems as skewers for chicken and vegetables on the grill.  

 

There are various other uses for rosemary:  decorative, cosmetic, and especially aromatic.  Try growing your own, and explore the many uses of rosemary. 

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!!

 

 

 

Success!!!  With a picture that was already oriented correctly.  I'm still working on my other pix.  Stay tuned for Monarchs, Marigold, and Rosemary.

 

Anyway...It's worth a trip to Blairsville to see the Red Maples in the Methodist Church parking lot.  They are beautiful!!!  Botanically, Acer rubrum, not sure of the cultivar, possibly October Glory.  There are lots of native red maples in our woods, and they are all showing their 'October glory,' right now.

 

Look up, it's starting to look like fall!!!!

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

 

 

 

This Monarch is on my Marigolds.  

 

I love this time of year when the Monarchs come through on their journey south.  I saw three in the garden:  gathering nectar, but not laying eggs.  They lay their eggs on Milkweed, and our milkweed dried up during the dry spell this summer.  Sorry, girls.  I'll try to do better next year.  

 

But, thanks for visiting us anyway!!!

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

On October 19, 2017, I wrote about cotton growing in Virginia.  

 

I was on my way home from another trip to Virginia Beach.  Well, the cotton was so pretty THIS trip, I had to stop again and take another picture.  It is so beautiful, it takes my breath away.  

 

That article was pretty thorough, so instead of repeating myself, how about you go to the archives and look up the blog for October 19, 2017, and learn about cotton in the field. 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!