Spring officially began on March 20th. It’s absolutely amazing to see the changes that surround our world each and everyday during the Spring season. If you blink, you could absolutely miss it! From the tiny, first buds, early flowers, greening of grass, to trees achieving full leaf maturity once again. The Earth is vibrant with the colors of Spring.
The days become longer in this season, bringing us closer to nature as we spend more time outdoors. The entire Spring process is a gradual progression of warming our outer environment all the while, warming and feeding our souls for renewal. Spring… a time of rebirth in nature and also for me. I hope you will enjoy the evolution of Spring of 2025 through my camera lens.
Floral Spring, A Peak Inside The Garden
From the earliest of blooms to the heartiest flowers beginning to emerge as the warmth begins to encompass the outdoors…
First Blooms of Spring, Forsythia Field of Color…TulipsDancing with the SunSnap!!! The colors of SpringYellow Beauty Iris Glory Double White Amaryllis in BloomPeonies are almost ready…In Full Glory…Peony Strawberries 🍓 growing Lettuce!I’m personally experimenting with growing Microgreens for the first time!!! These gems offer a BIG nutritional boost!!!When ready to harvest… Cut, rinse, and dry … store in refrigerator after drying thoroughlyCabbage growing along the Greenway
Landscape Capturesof Spring
As the early days of Spring begins… the leaves were noticeably absent, but as Spring temperatures rise, the changes begin to slowly emerge. How many slight variations can you find from beginning to end of this sequence???
Hues of Blue Cloud Action Crisp Sunrise Light Frost… the greening of grass begins Monday Sunrise… it’s the simple things Contrail Sunrise Breaking ThroughDark Clouds, April Rain Quiet April Morning Sunrise Sunset Hues and a different viewFoggy Morning in the GardenGolden SunriseThat Touch of Pink Evening Sunset
Spring Mountain Time…
A Spring trip back to Buck Mountain to watch these beautiful mountains grow into Spring, and oh my goodness… I’m in awe…
Mountain Laurel in Bloom
Cicadas…
The arrival of Cicadas in our neighborhood this year is a first. My initial, first memories of these bugs dates back to my childhood playing in my grandparents front yard listening to the consistent, noisy music of these creatures in Elkin, oblivious to their impact on the surrounding landscape.
Now, in present day, each time I go out my back door, those childhood memories come flooding back to the forefront, of those past, playful days, and now, in the process of adding new memories of cicadas in my garden.
I completed a of research about how cicadas life cycle to learn more about the impact of these creatures. My poor little dog, Cookie is so intent on hunting these critters each trip outside that it has become almost impossible for her to accomplish her “natural business”because she gets so distracted by them.
Finding Bigfoot
The legend is strong, about the wandering Sasquatch, in our foothills… Can you believe that he has been spotted at our local grocery store this Spring??? I simply couldn’t resist taking a moment to grab a quick peek for myself and a couple of pics.
Happy Springtime everyone!!! Hope it has been an adventure filled season for you as well!
The weather this week is warming up nicely. It’s time to take a quick inventory of some of the essentials that you might need to replace or upgrade this Spring to make your outdoor gardening experience go smoothly. Nothing is more annoying to go look for a needed garden tool to find it is gone and or completely out of sight… leaving you to think where on earth did I put that???? 😬
With 10 Gardening Seasons now under our belt, here’s a quick guide of some of Wilkes County Hardware’s BEST SPRING SELLERS… year after year.
Thanks Susan for the picture!
Spring Gardening Essentials
1. Water hose/replacement sprayer nozzle – Yes, this has happened to us too! We quickly realized that our old water hose nozzle needed to be replaced in the middle of a project. Luckily, we knew where to go get one…
If you water frequently during the spring and summer months, you need to evaluate the wear and tear on your water hose AND also consider the consistent sun exposure on your water hose! Did you accidentally leave your water hose outside during the winter season??? It might be a good idea to replace the old worn hose or stop by to pick up a new hose washers, or replacement sprayer.
Wilkes County Hardware also has a good selection of replacement parts for hose ends, washers etc.
2. Pair of new Gardening gloves-Can’t find your trusty gardening gloves??? 🧤 Why should you replace those old, dirty, grungy gloves??? First of all, the wear and tear factor of your old gloves, notice any holes??? You probably need to get rid of them. Then you must consider the dirt itself… soil does what is does… soil has bacteria and fungi that are constantly breaking down organic matter, wearing gloves just makes good sense as you garden. Been fighting in the weeds already??? Notice a patch of poison ivy? Definitely replace your gloves after the exposure. It’s definitely a good idea to get rid of those old ones for a new pair. I must admit I’m guilty about this one!!!
Two of our best sellers!
3. Hand clippers- I cannot tell you how many times I have misplaced my handheld clippers that I frequently carry around as I’m working in the garden. It’s always good to have an extra pair!
Good stock of garden trowels, and stop by to pick up a new tool, the Hori, Hori. A fantastic addition to your garden tool collection
4. Grass seed- Need to fill in a small area with grass seed? Wilkes County Hardware stocks 1 pound to 5 pound bags.
5.Weed Eater String – Check your storage cabinet to make sure you have enough weed eater string to finish your garden chores. No one wants to stop halfway through a garden weeding eating task and have to run out to the hardware store to grab another roll. But if you need us, we will be there!
A variety of different types and lengths are available for purchase
6.Pump Up Garden Sprayer- Two sizes are readily available… 1 gallon and 2 gallon pump sprayer are our best sellers at Wilkes County Hardware.
7. Potting soil– Get growing with a fantastic growing medium. Baccto is definitely in order to refill your pots this Spring. Our repeat gardening customers love this potting soil AND it is a fantastic value!!! Other potting soils price their bags per quart or by Cubic foot(based on volume of product and additives) but not this brand! It’s priced by the gallon, making this a very affordable option and a much better value for quality potting soil! As a FULL service hardware store, we load these heavy bags into your vehicle for you!
8. Weed control sprays and concentrates– As the weather warms up the weeds seem to grow better than flowers 😳enough said right ??? Wilkes County Hardware has a variety of different type of ready to go sprays and concentrate weed killers suitable for your specific needs. Stop by to chat with us about your garden care needs soon!
9. “Critter Control”- Many questions arise in the Spring about how to deal with pests in the lawn or garden. Moles, grubs, deer, slugs, snakes, and other insects… the list is long but Wilkes County Hardware has a few product solutions that are readily available.
Deer repellent- This is a vigilant and necessary action in our area. It is also very frustrating for homeowners who have a high deer population in their areas to work so diligently for months on creating a beautiful landscape to wake up the next morning to find their hard work all eaten up by 🦌 deer. Ugh!!!
In order for this product to work Effectively , you MUST reapply after a rain storm, or weekly to keep those pesky deer out of growing gardens.
FYI: On a personal note, I have had to switch methods from using pods to sprays/ granular to keep deer activity to a minimum in my yard. If one method doesn’t seem to work well, don’t feel guilty about moving to another method to see if you can minimize the damage to your plants.
Moles– Tunnel networks visible in your yard??? The food source for a mole is the GRUB. If you can get rid of the grubs, the moles will go away. Wilkes County Hardware has options available for mole control or grub treatment.
A variety of options are available at Wilkes County Hardware
Snakes– Ugh! I definitely don’t want to come face to face with these critters in my backyard! Repellent options are available in store.
10. “Wheels”- That’s right… when working in the garden or lawn you need a good set wheels to get the job done. A wheelbarrow or a garden cart can help you move debris, mulch, or even load it up with tools to work efficiently.
Our team at Wilkes County Hardware is ready to assist you with your lawn and garden maintenance this Spring. Let’s get growing!
May is a prime gardening month. May flowers are in bloom, the vibrant colors are abundant. For me, the month of May means spending time in the garden preparing for the beautiful blooms of summer and waiting for the growth of each young tender plant.
Black-eyed Susan vine
I must confess and fully admit that my garden is always a work in progress… flowers coupled with growing weeds amongst them. This time of the year, the challenge is to keep up with the pace of weed growth, I usually fail miserably. But, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. The memories and the sweat equity of what has been accomplished so far in the garden.
Dill is springing up everywhere in one of my favorite flower beds and I’m absolutely loving it!
My style of gardening is a rustic cottage charm. The cottage garden style is less structured and not as formalized. The plantings flow seamlessly together. This style allows for a diverse mix of plants that I love. Viewing from a distance, the pattern of my gardening style is probably not evident to anyone but me.
The ultimate story behind the gardener and garden itself is revealed walking amongst each flower variety, enjoying the blooms, connecting each flower with its own unique story and legacy.
This pot came from my Mother in law’s home. It is a cherished planter that I look forward to growing beautiful plants inside each year
The garden story is each flower itself. I have a garden of true memories passed down from generation to generation. My personal connections to my garden flowers and what I have planted is deeply rooted and linked to my personal life experiences and memories of those who I love. So each May I work to bring the garden story back to life, creating a garden full of beautiful memories and vibrant blooms. Nothing could be better!
All this being said, I do have a few plant friends that I love to plant each year. The striking colors, the scents, the aesthetics, and durability(long lasting nature) of the plant definitely impacts my decisions to continue to place these into my garden. But, many of the reasons why I pick the same type of flowers each year is due to my associated memories with these flowers… past celebrations, or memories of strolling through family gardens so many years ago.
Red Geraniums are a must have in my garden every year, they bring wonderful memories of my two Great Aunts who always had them in their front flower boxes each year.
So here’s to celebrating this month with a few beautiful blooms. Enjoy the bounty of the blooms that are amongst you at the close of May 2024.
These perennials were transplanted many years ago from my granny’s flower garden. She often shared her beautiful garden flowers with everyone who loved flowers as much as she did.Thyme is growing and beginning to flowerThis planter is an oldie Goldie… passed down to me from my mom several years ago. My strawberries are happily growing New handbuilding project completed, a bright red poppy flower added into one of my flower potsYarrow, gifted seed packet from a dear friend
Gardening Challenges this month:
1. Critters crawlers… snakes and lizards 😳 stories and more!!! Read more about them in the latest blog post, find the link below.
Critter RiddlePest control issues are tough on plants, be proactive and stop by Wilkes County Hardware for best options for your garden
2. Rapid weed growth- May showers have brought an abundance of weeds! Yikes! Time to get out there and get some weeds pulled and sprayed!
Several types of weed control options are available at WCH
3. Excessive Rainfall- My peonies and roses took a beating this month with all the rainfall. It was time to deadhead rose bushes after the rainfall, and I have cut back my peonies after they finished flowering.
Foggy May Morning
4. Deer and rabbits oh my! – I have been extremely lucky this spring and little activity has been noted around my garden, but the nibbles have begun by the end of May😬! Time to grab the granular and the spray!
Options for deer control are available at WCH
Gardening Successes:
1. New garden plants finds!
Shrimp Bush
2. Garden totem pole in progress
These are loosely stacked for now waiting on other pieces to be finished and finalized before the pole is placed into the garden. I hope to finish my first project soon.
3. Planting on the “good garden days”
Yes, I have read up on my almanac for the BEST days in May… find the link below for May Planting BEST Days. June best days are coming out soon on the blog!
Updates to my window to the world (view outside my kitchen window) are constantly changing during the flowering season.Hanging baskets on the back porch are beginning to fill in with color Petunias have been constantly showing off in May
5. Tomatoes are coming soon!
I hope your month of May gardening has brought you joy, and great memories. No matter what state your garden finds itself in, Just get growing!
Just simply marveling in the magic that May brings each year. The month of May brings an explosion of color and beauty as the glory of Spring fully emerges. Sharing a few of my photo favorites from this month’s captures.
Morning Solitude Hues of Blues Storm Clouds Rolling YarrowMagnoliaCatching The Morning Sun My Window to The World African DaisyAmaryllis in BloomHello Little Strawberries! Shiloh Visiting the hardware store
The morning car ride to work is a short drive for me. I’m typically running errands on the way into work, or making phone calls to family…catching up on the latest comings and goings.
This particular morning, I had just left home and the car radio was on and that’s pretty standard. The radio is soothing background noise. What grabbed my attention that morning was the intense discussion between the two DJ’s about the word CRITTER. The opinions were definitely opposed.
“All Creatures, ‘CRITTERS’, great and small…”
One of the DJ’s was intent upon using the word as a negative term in regard to describe an animal/pest situation, such as a mouse or rat. The other DJ debated the word CRITTER as a way to describe any animal. I was inclined towards the later view.
What I gathered from that brief discussion was I never had really thought about that word origin before… was this word, CRITTER a true Southern thing? What is a CRITTER???
According to the dictionary, the definition of CRITTER actually refers to any type animal or creature… all creatures, great and small. The word derives from the term, Creature, as a variation… in regional dialect format. The word first appeared in the early 1800’s in literature as a derivative of creature.
I’m not really sure what I think about this word after my last encounter with the critters of the belly crawling type… lizards and snakes this past weekend😳. My first encounter with a lizard was short, and shocking to both of us. As I dug into an old flower pot, digging out the old roots with ungloved hands, as I began to pull up and out with the old root system, a lizard emerged!!
He was stunned as was I. The “critter” lizard was simply lying on the driveway unmoved. As the shock waves wore off that I had unearthed a lizard, my lesson in grabbing my gloves was brought back to view.
Lesson learned: Grab your gloves before heading into the garden especially when pulling weeds, or digging into areas that are unknown 😳. Wilkes County Hardware has gardening gloves available at great prices!
My other “belly crawling critter” of the snake type, has been spotted in my front flower bed. Ugh!!! Action has been taken to hopefully keep the snake from returning. My eyes are constantly peeled to keep any crawling critters in full view as I walk up the front sidewalk. I think I would actually call him, Mr. Snake, a “varmint” or pest instead of a critter.
Wilkes County Hardware has these available if you need them!
I must confess, my brain went to work quickly on this radio banter probably because we tend to deal a lot with pest control issues/ repellents inside the hardware store.
Folks tend to fall into two camps, as they are dealing with CRITTER issues… repel or embrace/make peace or coexistence with the Critters, making it a bit of Riddle. Which path to take???
Don’t get me wrong… Critters and PESTS are two different things in my mind. Pests can be destructive if action isn’t taken. The question, one must answer is the Critter becoming “Pest Like”??? In order to solve the CRITTER RIDDLE, and make the decisions that are necessary for all critters involved, both should be taken into consideration.
Case in point, Deer. What I have found is that some people welcome the deer into their yards by feeding these critters with offerings of deer corn, or other foods, providing a food source instead of hopefully letting the “critter deer” feast upon the tender garden plants themselves.
Others, repel the “critter deer” away from the delicate gardens in hopes that they will go elsewhere for a yummy treat. The Riddle… requires a bit of ingenuity of what will work well for that critter in order to achieve the desired outcome for each homeowner. Critter v. pest???
Which leads me to ask the question… How do you view that word, CRITTER??? It might not be mind boggling stuff, but maybe an exercise in how we view the outer natural world. A riddle of nature itself.
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The Hardware Life - A wife's journey into the hardware business 