Monday, May 3, 2010

What's Blooming in South Carolina Now!

(Click on Images to Enlarge)

Peonies are such a lovely old-timey, heirloom type shrub. My mother, now 84, still talks about her father's garden, which of course included many peony varieties. This one turned up as a volunteer in the front bed. I think it must have been in the topsoil we purchased and placed there when we put in the raised bed and French Drain in that location.


I'm really pleased with the over-wintering of my Geraniums. I just kept them in the dining room which received plenty of light and watered them sparingly. Set out a couple of weeks ago and fertilized, they are already blooming profusely!


Another volunteer that popped up this year is this variegated Iris. I have no idea where it came from, but love how unique it is!

I also overwintered my Asperagus Fern this year, adding some Verbena to the pot. Instead of setting it out during the days and bringing it back in at night, I just left it out and shocked it a bit, but after trimming it up, it is coming back nicely.

The vegetable garden is coming along nicely, although hubby did some damage over the weekend. We had some peat starts for pepper and flower seeds doing really well and almost ready to transplant into the garden when he decided to overdose them with a too strong mixture of water and Miracle Gro. I told him not to do it, but he wouldn't listen. He was really disappointed when they all died, but "live and learn", right? LOL! Off he went to Lowe's yesterday morning to buy some pepper plants. Sort of defeats the purpose of our little "living off the land" experiment!

'Til next time,

Mary

Monday, April 19, 2010

April Showers ...


...usually bring May flowers, but we've had so very little rain this month! We've been watering the vegetable garden with tap water from the garden hose, but rainwater produces the best results. We have two barrels located under the gutters to catch the rain and use it to water the potted plants on the porch and whatever else we can before it runs out, and it really does make a difference!

If the corn we planted this year is going to grow "as high as an elephant's eye," I think we are going to have to bite the bullet and buy some soaker hoses!

Til next time,

Mary

Friday, April 16, 2010

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Wish me Luck!


Tomorrow morning, bright and early, I take my Certification test for Medical Insurance Specialist. To date, all my study of courses in the medical field have seemed so alien. It is an entirely different field from what I have done in the past 35 years of my "career." My inner self is totally conflicted between continuing this endeavor and getting a paying job and wanting to pursue something that is fun and exciting. Which, to me, the medical field really isn't. Lucky, lucky people who have a job that they not only love, but provides a good living. Well off to study, and as I said, wish me luck ~ Please?!!!

'Til next time,

Mary

Thursday, April 8, 2010

A Spring/Summer Blog Makeover

Hi Y'all! I'm so excited to report that Spring is in full bloom here in South Carolina, and as is often the case, our weather transitions to Summer very quickly. I decided to give my blog a seasonal makeover, using photos from our gardening endeavors. We are so lucky to find something new and surprising pop up every year, since the previous owners of our home were very avid gardeners. The property set vacant for several years before being sold, and the gardens did languish. But each year we add more Miracle Grow, and Shazam, something is rejuvenated. This year I found more crocus and some red tulips so far. The only thing I'm not happy to see is Wisteria. While it IS beautiful and smells really lovely, it is very invasive in this part of the country.

We recently started planting our vegetable garden ~ corn, sugar-snap peas, zuchinni, crooked necked squash, and tomatoes, as well as two trays of seed starts of vegetables and flowers which have just started to sprout. I'm really looking forward to a fun-filled gardening year of more surprises ~ including the surprise that I DO have somewhat of a green thumb! LOL!

'Til next time,

Mary

Sunday, April 4, 2010

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