Chilly morning in April -

 ........but the sun is shining and there is so much to be thankful for.

A busy day ahead once it warms up. Last night was the second night in a row with close to freezing temperatures - so unexpected this late in April and following that mini heatwave we experienced recently.  I pulled the new pots of hydrangeas awaiting planting, the hanging Boston ferns etc. onto the front porch and covered all with sheets - couldn't do anything with the large growing shrubs so they were left to fend off the chill best they could.  

A quick walk around this morning and all looks saved rather than frost-bitten thankfully. The garden is full of life with many squirrels, Chippy the chipmunk is stuffing his cheeks, Northern flicker showing his long tongue at the suet cake, a  sparrow rests on the snowball bush, and an ever-sweet Mourning dove is enjoying a sunny morning drink. The Spanish bluebells are fading but still standing sturdy and proud. The new plants have been moved out into the sunshine..........tomorrow heavy rain is expected so no watering needed today. Most of my seeds are planted - lots of vining Moonflowers and Morning glories in pots, along with summertime cooking herbs. I may be moving them to the porch tonight so they won't be drowned tomorrow!

Neighborhood Changes -

 

It's doubtful one of our favorite local bar/restaurants will return after closing due to COVID right after Christmas 2020. Although a chain, Mia Francesca Trattoria never had that feeling. We started eating there when it first opened in 2011 in a pleasing space on the lobby level of a brand new Renaissance Hotel. We knew many of the staff well. The location is just minutes from the house in the area called Midtown. Just a basic two level shopping mall named North Hills when we moved here in 1977, it has morphed into a small 'town' of its own, north of the downtown city. Not just high end retail shops, boutiques, restaurants, coffee shops, bars, hotels, gyms, movie theatre etc., but elegant multi-story apartment buildings, a posh senior living complex. . . . . and mini skyscraper office buildings - the newest of which will reach 35 floors!  Around these buildings more land is being acquired so quickly we can't keep up with the landscape changes and ongoing construction. 

 

Houses built here on prior farmland in the 1960's to 1980's (when IBM moved so many people from the north to work in their huge facility) are disappearing fast.  Small ranches, split levels, and cottages of that era, are selling like hotcakes for high prices, then being razed and huge homes in the $1-3 million dollar range popping up almost overnight it seems. It's definitely a seller's market, with houses usually selling, some with bidding wars, as soon as a sign goes up. Our neighborhood is a 'hot spot' for real estate listings. Phone calls, cards stuck on the mailbox, letters in the mail, are daily happenings here, all stating a version of. . . . . . . . . .WE WANT TO BUY YOUR HOUSE! 

We will not be enticed easily!  We have a figure which seems somewhat obscene compared to what we purchased the property for new in 1986!  If someone truly wants it and agrees to pay that amount we could perhaps be persuaded to sell. Where would we go?  At this late stage in life it would be hard to make that decision. Right now it looks like we will stay. . . . . . certainly after doing all this gardening lately!!!

 

MIDTOWN - Raleigh, North Carolina - Spring 2021

'Home Sweet Home'

Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,

Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home.

John Howard Payne (1791-1852)

Here at the 'homestead' we planted all these marked trees 

 along with dozens of shrubs and perennials.

The tiny trees each started out in one gallon pots many years

 ago - and I think we'd truly have a hard time moving

and leaving them behind!

Garden visitor -

 

It's not all about the flowers and the trees.........sometimes joy

 comes from the visiting wildlife.

Yesterday 'Chippy' the chipmunk was back for an early morning

 visit and seemed to enjoy breakfast under the bird feeders.

We only ever see one of these little guys which is much different

 from the dozen or more squirrels who drive us crazy.

Hope spring has sprung where you live.

All about the greens and a busy week -

Lately, I seem to run out of time to write here, and to comment - forgive me.

It's just amazing how suddenly the garden awakes and there is so much to do 

to keep ahead of overgrowth and weeds. With no rain we've also had to water

as the afternoon temperatures are really hot.

We spend a lot of time outside, then in the afternoons collapse on the porch

 with a cup of tea, then in to make supper. 

Not only a lot of pinks and purples blooming, plenty of green also

.

Bob is mowing this early morning before it gets too hot - high 82F later!

Note the urn with small conifer in top left - my favorite Carolina wren pair

have a nest in there. The fig tree is almost completely leafed out as

you can also see in that same photo.

There are hundreds of these sprouting oak trees to pull out this year!

Jasmine on the back fence just opening gorgeous yellow blooms.

'Snowballs'

Trumpet vine in all its glory on the side arbor.

Enjoying some green tea in the Anthropologie super sized cups,

or perhaps they're actually mugs!

Luscious, local, freshly picked strawberries enjoyed this week.

Will pop over to the farm stand for more later today.

A homemade strawberry rhubarb galette comes to mind!

Pollen much less at last! 

Sunday in the Garden -

It's on days like this when all the hard, dirty, tiring work pays off!

Again, I walked early in the garden today to take these photos.

A little more rain during the night worked wonders and much is

 blooming. 

Unfortunately the pollen continues and air quality is poor with a gusty

breeze blowing. Not sure whether to head outside and do some garden

 work or just sit here and continue sneezing!

We still have a lot to do regarding hardscaping - a new

low wall across the back bed, re-do the pathways, and perhaps

remove a couple more very old trees, one of which was struck by 

lightning and is damaged. 

As we know. . . . . . ."a garden is a thing of beauty and a job forever."

Damp and dreamy garden morning -

I was 'walking the bounds' early this morning. . . . . and it was beautiful.

Cooler temperatures, less pollen, and blooming going crazy!

Rain came by way of a very noisy thunderstorm last night, washing

 and watering everything.

 

This corner in the front garden is quite lush. 

The magnolia blooms almost finished but lovely bright green leaves out now.

The acer looking magnificent after my gentle prune, the knockout rose and

 hydrangea huge already, the daylilies not blooming yet but their foliage

 looks healthy.

The sun is out now. I'm off to gather my pots around me to prepare

 them for summer bulbs and herbs (basil, dill, parsley etc.) and 

perhaps a couple of tomato plants.

Bob has gone to the Farmers' Market to pick up fresh eggs.

This evening we are attending a small wedding at an historic inn -

our first social engagement with friends - masked and distanced, 

and at least we are vaccinated - in over a year! 

It's 'casual' thankfully so won't be hard to dress for!

Kitchen window flowers from the garden for the weekend.

The death of Prince Philip has brought sadness around the world . . . .

but what an amazing long life and marriage to our lovely monarch.

My thoughts are with Queen Elizabeth and the Royal family.

Have a great weekend wherever you are.

Tales and tails!

 Male Eastern bluebird

Last week I ventured out from my home to the local AT HOME store.

I've been searching for new lanterns for the fig tree - the red ones were falling

apart and had to go! For a change I was looking for blue - we have blue chair

cushions on the porch, blue hydrangeas, and currently bluebells, all around us.

Spotting these three good sized metal ones with glass sides, easy open door 

for candles, and not too pricey ($14.99 ea.) I grabbed them quickly and had them

 hanging a few hours later. 

Brown thrasher

American robin

This female comes to the suet often - robins usually don't do this.

Our 'Peter Rabbit' has been seen a lot this week. He's really large and

 quite handsome............and hopefully nibbling nothing but our grass!

This morning I was surprised by this visitor whom we haven't seen 

since last Fall. . . . . . . . . . . Chippy, the little chipmunk, was busy cleaning

 up under the bird feeders.

Happy to see this delightful little creature again after his long hibernation.

We are having an 88F day here - far too warm for me, especially along

 with the heavy clouds of yellow oak and pine pollen coating everything

 in sight.

Our chimney sweep is due shortly - no more fires on the hearth until

next winter - then I plan to go shopping for my Boston hanging ferns for 

front porch - which is more fun than spring cleaning house which will have to 

 be tackled soon.

We planted three new azaleas and one hydrangea in the back garden this week.

Meanwhile, still awaiting the full blooming of our older, now very large,

 George Tabor pink azaleas - should be any day soon, and with some rain

expected tomorrow and Friday we are looking forward to a pretty

 garden weekend ahead.

CHEERS!