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!!!!

When it is this cold we tend to want to just stay inside and keep warm, but this is the best time of the year to get out and look up. The stars and planets are amazing when the cold night is clear. My view is to the South/Southwest and it never fails to give me a show. I wanted to share a couple things to look for this month that are really cool.

 

First, have you ever looked up and caught a satellite flying by? Just spend a few minutes about 1/2 hour to 1-hour after dusk just when its just dark out and you can see them all the time. They dont blink and are considerably faster than an airplane. Its around this time of night and early in the morn the sun lights them up and you can see them fly by. One of the favorites is to catch the Space station flying over too. That is very bright and you know it when you see it go over. There is an app/web page to help you know when to look for that over Murphy in the "Fun Stuff" menu on the web site. The direct link to the page is here: http://www.fiveforksnc.com/info.php?pnum=559777ab374eaa

 

There is a "short life" satellite that someone sent up there with the only purpose of having us find it and look up. Its called "The Humanity Star" and you can find when it will fly over here: http://www.thehumanitystar.com It is only designed to be up there for 9 months and is a large, highly reflective ball. It should be as bright as the satellites and slightly brighter than most of the stars. Go hunting for that one in approximately 22 (2/28) days over Murphy. Here is an article on it:  https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/satellites/a15892673/satellites-orbit-naked-eye-humanity-star/

 

Looking for meteors is a favorite past time of my family. You would laugh at seeing us out at 2am looking up for a scheduled meteor storm. However, we see them all the time in our S/SE view.  This time of year I find Orion just off to the left of our view and it crosses in front over night of us to find meteors all the time. A good place to find what is in our view is at the Astronomy.com site. Here is what is going on this and next week: http://www.astronomy.com/observing/sky-this-week/2018/02/the-sky-this-week-for-february-2-to-11 One of the games we always play with people hanging with us at the fire pit or on the deck is to get all the people that night to see the same fireball. We usually manage to get that to happen but it can take all night sometimes :) 

 

Now, the planets we get to see are always a thrill. This month we get to see Jupiter right next to Mars in the early morning sky off to the South.  You cant miss them. The two full moons this last month are always amazing to look up to. If you were to sit on Tere's porch (I would ask her first to do that :) ) and watch that moon come up over the ridge to her left you can easily touch it! There is a picture of one super moon in our photo albums coming over that ridge. I enjoy training my telescope at the planets and sharing the view with neighbors. We have seen the rings and moons of Saturn and the moons and bands on Jupiter together just from our deck. Give a shout if you want the experience one of these evenings and we will plan a gathering when a planet is visible.

 

Finally, we are very luck to actually have a view of the Milky way. I am always amazed at the folks I know living in Atlanta who have never seen this wonderful structure. Its our astronomical neighborhood and should be part of everyone's experience living in the mountains. This is where we are in that huge neighborhood...

 

If you ever wondered what part of our galaxy we can see this is a good video to watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdFWbEwsOmA&feature=youtu.be

 

Get out there and look up. We have a view most do not!

 

 

 

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!!

 

 

 

There is a facebook group called the Murphy Mouth (Link to the Murphy Mounth) that often has amusing and useful comments on it. This morn there was another report of a screaming women sound coming from around the Glen Stalcup/Martins Creek area. That just over the hill from us. This not the first time there has been a report of a sound like this in our area. To add to that, a couple weeks ago, we had a footprint on our deck that looked exactly like a bobcats. Naturally that video camera was not on at the time  so I cant prove what the critter was. :/  We always seem to have something running around on our deck such as raccoons, opossums, or an occasional human leaving incredible tasting gingersnap donuts. 

 

Now, many have said they seen mountain lions in the area. That may still be possible but much less likely. From some research I did both the bobcat and mountain lion can make that screaming women noise. The bobcat is still a sizable animal so it could be mistaken as it runs away. So now I am watching the trail camera a little closer to see if we can get lucky and spot this one.

 

Here is some information to help you decide if one has visited you.

Here is what the local variety looks like..

 

The foot print I saw looked just like this and had the right size.

Now the sound they are hearing probably is like this... 

 

When you listen to a mountain lion scream it is very similar.

 

The other odd thing is that we have had a bunch of cats visiting our carport and I do see them on the video. They always sniff the one wall so I know they have been decorating our place as they stop by : One was a large tabby with no tail. Another a black and white cat. The one we see the most is a large Maine Coon and he could easily look like a bobcat but still way smaller. 

 

So watch your pets when they are outside. I understand the bobcats have attitude unlike our bear buddies who simply want to each our bird feeders and wander off.

 

 

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!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Now here's a beautiful evergreen!!  You may know it as Southern Magnolia or Magnolia grandiflora.  No grand flowers this time of year, but look at those gorgeous, shiny green leaves.  I have pictures from Colonial Williamsburg of fabulous Christmas wreaths made using magnolia leaves.  They provide such a great foundation.

 

Magnolias can be found along the east coast up to Delaware and down to Florida, and west to Mississippi and Louisiana.  They don't do well in colder climates;  the leaves get windburned, and turn brown.  But they grow well in maritime forests, and apparently here in the mountains.  

 

Magnolias grow to be huge pyramid shaped trees, up to 120 feet tall and 40 feet wide!!  They really need lots of room to grow.  Given space, Magnolias make breathtaking specimens.  You can see giant magnolias on big college campuses and  southern plantations, where they can really spread out and provide shade year-round.

 

They bloom in late spring, with 10 inch, citronella scented white flowers.  And the seed pods that follow are interesting too, with red berries nestled in the furry, cone like pod.  Birds and squirrels will eat the berries;  but the best use for them, I think, is decorative.  They're really festive looking.

 

The particular tree that I photographed is fairly young, so it has no seed pods yet, but I'm looking forward to seeing blossoms on it this spring.  I'll get back to you.

 

HAPPY WINTER!!!

 

 

 

I hope this isn't too late!!  I know you know most of this already, but I would like to share a little about Christmas tree care, and while we're at it a little Christmas tree lore.

 

I recently read that a fresh cut tree can drink up to a gallon of water in the first 24 hours.  Good reason to recut an inch off the bottom, and fill that tree stand to the top.  And be sure to check it every day.  The tree can drink a quart more each day.  Some people add stuff to the water, like sugar, aspirin, Sprite.  Not sure if any of that works to bubble the water up the trunk;  the main thing is the WATER.  

 

Some interesting Christmas tree lore: 

Nearly all ancient cultures had myths about the sun disappearing at the winter solstice, so they hung gifts to the gods on evergreen tree branches hoping to appease the gods and bring back the sun.

We use evergreen trees to symbolize immortality and everlasting life, mistletoe to bring peace and happiness, and holly for protection and good luck.  

 

We love hanging ornaments on our evergreen tree, not to appease the gods or bring back the sun,  but because they are pretty and bring back fond memories of Christmases past.  

 

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!