Now showing… What’s blooming in the garden now.

Now showing… What’s blooming in the garden now.

The gardening is becoming thick with foliage! Its so lush with all the rain and the increasing heat and humidity. The season has progressed from the Spring bloomers to the early Summer bloomers. The irises are really putting on a show.

This is a yellow water iris (Iris pseudacorus). It is growing in the lowest area of the yard in a pocket which is moist most of the time.

20140513-162325.jpg

Pink Primrose (Oenothera speciosa) growing in the front bed among German irises. It can be a little weedy but its a good thing!

20140513-162342.jpg

Blue Light clematis on the front side of the house. It opens up like below….

20140513-162401.jpg

Within a few days becomes this ball.

20140513-162418.jpg

And many German irises. The variety below is all over the yard. They were salvaged from a yard which some yuppies purchased and cleared everything out. They were all piled in the street.  I was glad I stopped and inquired!

20140513-162435.jpg

And no day is complete without a Iced Mocha Latte from Cup-A-Joe.

20140513-162454.jpg

And Oliver. Andy’s cat. He has a little attitude!

20140513-162512.jpg

atb

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

20 Comments

Filed under General Gardening, Plants

Birthday trip to the coast!

My birthday was May 1st so we took a three day trip to the coast of North Carolina. It’s been two decades since I left coastal North Carolina to attend East Carolina University and Morehead City has not changed much. I am more of a big city guy than a small town guy. I only miss the water…

The Morehead City Waterfront

20140504-000640.jpg

20140504-000707.jpg

20140504-000726.jpg

20140504-000743.jpg

Beaufort, North Carolina
20140504-000801.jpg

20140504-001022.jpg

20140504-001046.jpg

20140504-001113.jpg

20140504-001148.jpg

Atlantic Beach and Fort Macon, North Carolina

20140504-001715.jpg

20140504-001727.jpg

20140504-001805.jpg

20140504-001818.jpg

20140504-001935.jpg

20140504-001949.jpg

On the way back to Raleigh we stopped in Historic New Bern, North Carolina to visit Tyron Palace. You might recognize the former governor’s mansion as the backdrop for the Sleepy Hollow tv program with Tom Mison.

20140504-002225.jpg

And near by gardens-

20140504-002326.jpg

20140504-002340.jpg

20140504-002351.jpg

20140504-002458.jpg

So much history!

We stopped on the way back to Raleigh in Greenville, NC where I attended East Carolina University, for Mongolian Grill food!

20140504-002733.jpg

I will welcome my own bed tonight!

19 Comments

Filed under General Gardening

Yeasty dough how I love thee!

I can’t think of anything which is more fragrant than fresh dough rising in the kitchen.

20140430-121335.jpg

My birthday is tomorrow so I am not working and I will be heading down to the coast for a few days.

Also, Wednesday is cooking show day on PBS- food. I love the program Modern Irish Food because the accent reminds of the brogue or accent the people along the North Carolina Outerbanks speak and which I grew up hearing.

We have been experiencing thunderstorms the past few days with a couple tornados touching down about two hours away. Luckily, we have only seen spotty storms with intermitting heavy rains and gusty winds. It’s natures way of cleaning everything and blowing the dead limbs out of the trees.

I did manage to clean up the pachysandra beds along the drive between downpours. In the ten years since the original plants were planted they have slowly multiplied but a few runners have made an escape under the concrete border. They were moved back into their homes!

20140430-121813.jpg

Now, back to my French bread and PBS cooking shows as the rain moves back in!

atb3

13 Comments

Filed under cooking, Food, General Gardening, Plants, Seasonal Maintenance