#travel2015 - greensboro, nc

I guess it means I'm an adult when my New Year's Resolutions actually become habits.  2013 was my year of travel, but this past weekend had that same vibe.  I took a couple extra days off work, and stretched out the drive to Greensboro NC for a friend's wedding.  I spent the night in Clemson, and the whole adventure was full of good friends and laughter.  Even the drive back was pretty relaxing, and exactly what I wanted.

I didn't take many pictures. but you can add Greensboro NC & Nantahala to my travel map.

Nantahala

Watching the kayakers

Can't wait to come back in the spring.

The map, thus far.

march bloom day 2015

Well, this week has been a hot mess, but I did take bloom day pictures on the 15th.  I'm in a state of disbelief, but spring is finally here!!

The hellebores are happy and spreading!

The vica is blooming.

Daffodils are on my prized "survives here with no care" list.  This is the list of plants that bloomed the first year at my house, after being neglected for 20 years or so.  The idea is, plant as many of these plants as I can, so I can enjoy my yard, not be a slave to it.  My first daffodil planting was this row along my driveway.  It's was mostly mid season daffodils and a few hyacinths.  I added some early blooming daffodils from my mom's house late last spring, and they seem to have settled in nicely.  The pictures do not do it justice.

The last two daffodils are from different spots.  I really have daffodils everywhere.  The ones on the left were planted by birds or previous tenants, and this is the first year they have bloomed.  The ones on the right are by my back door, and came from my parent's house last spring.

My grandmother calls this a honeysuckle bush.  It was severely cut back by some of her renters, and is starting to recover.  It still looks like a crepe myrtle, though.  This year I'm going to do some shrub TLC, and this area is going to get some edging, compost, and mulch.  Right now it smells beautiful, and is covered in bees.

Last year was a big planting year, and the first "new" plants are coming up.  I love this little bloodroot from my grandparent's house.  I feel like it just popped up one day, and bloomed the next. I've read that it colonizes, and that ants spread the seed.  I hope it takes off.

Saturday:

Sunday:

When I got the blood root, I also got trillium.  I've never grown trillium, so I don't know much about it.  Last year it was about 8 inches tall, but so far this year it's hugging the ground.  Maybe the stalks will keep growing until it blooms?  We shall see.

That's about it for bloom day.  I didn't get a good picture of the mahonia, but it is blooming too.  Everything seems to be in good shape so far.  The fence roses look at their best since I've moved in, and the new, baby roses are putting out some new growth.  The day lilies look healthy, and I'm hoping they are settled enough to bloom this year.  The baby azaelas look happy, and new mums and peonies are showing growth.  The hostas are starting to come up, and all of my shrubby trees are putting out leaves.  If we can avoid another serious cold snap, I think it's going to be a beautiful spring!

#tbt first daffodil - 2/14/15

This is the post where I document blooms and also remind my future self that just because the daffodils are blooming, it doesn't mean that winter is over.

2/14/15 - first blooms

2/15/15 - single digit temperatures are coming,
so I brought the blooms inside

2/26/15 - up to 10 inches of snow in spots

Come on spring, I'm ready!