It is so hard to believe that the Summer of 2025 is coming to an end soon! This blog post is devoted to my photography favorites from this Summer as a reminder of some of my treasured moments. I hope that you will enjoy these photos that I have complied as the Best of Summer in photographic form… a “love story” of Summer.
Life is Always Better In The Garden…
First Blooms of Summer Bursting Open Searching for the Sun Flower Tower Power!!! “Heavy Metal” ProjectThe garden tableDaisy ShowButterfly 🦋 Moment Double Butterflies 🦋
Summer Snapshots…
Blue Skies AheadSummer Hay Season Storm Clouds Rolling Darkened Storm SkyGood Day Sunshine! Sleepy Sunrise Summertime Color ShowSummer Morning Hues Clementine SkiesFresh Blackberries… it’s Sonker time! Sonker SummersHeavy Metal Object
July 4th Fireworks…
Summer Mountain Time… Wespentsome restful, quality time this summer at our friend’s cabin on Buck Mountain. I’m always amazed by the beauty that surrounds me there. I hope you enjoy these captures as much as we did.
Dimensions of A SunsetDefinitely 💕Movement of Fog at Sunset Fog Hugging the Ridge Where the Clouds Meet the Blue Ridge Sunset RaysSleepy Sunday Sunrise Hues of the Blue Ridge Glory of SunsetSerenity of the Blue RidgeGolden Hour in ProgressMeet Jethro… our newest family member Just A Peachy Little Summer!
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!
Summer is yet another season. Many of y’all may not enjoy the hottest months of the year, but don’t forget to savor the memories you make each and every day with those you love. Each photo I have taken has a connection to those I love, even though it may not a visible sign to you as you view each image. I hope you enjoy my favorite collection of summer 2023 photographs and remember to enjoy each day.
Summer is simply incomplete without the best fresh fruit Squash Cheddar & Rosemary Bread Summer temperatures often climb high! Light fog hanging in the trees This little zinnia was too cute not to capture, simply imperfect but stunning at the same time Love the red! Our new mural was completed this summer outside the hardware store Sunlight filtering in through the trees In bloom Lovely, large petals! Summer in Wilkes County, cut hay, roll it and putting it up Growing Grapes The Blue Ridge Mountains, storm is coming Blue Ridge Overlook Unique Heavy August Morning Fog… Foggy mornings in August could indicate the snowfall forecast for our coming winter season Good morning sunshine! Purple Crape Myrtle Canning season Growing corn fields Summertime Vacay… a walk along a pier to find this Oldie Goldie Calabash On my perch Clouds stirring in the water Pier walk Serenity Heavy clouds above the pier A quiet place Kudzu blooms Kudzu blooming is aromatic and distinctive
These daisies started blooming last week. Just in time for the beginning of June.
The warmer temperatures are definitely here to stay. After reviewing the almanac for the entire month of June, it appears that it is a wonderful time to share with y’all all of the information for you to get growing this Month in June. No, it’s not too late to plant! We still have plenty of warm days ahead to begin seeds, and enjoy flowers all summer long.
Stop by and pick up a few more seeds! We have a small bundle of these gardening guides left. Stop by to pick one up soon!
June Gardening Guide
June 1-2 Planting DaysJune 3-4 : Harvest Days These lettuce seeds were planted in May and almost ready to harvest! June 5-6 : Plant root crops, prune to encourage growth June 7-8: Destroy weeds, and harvest crops . Wilkes County Hardware has a wide selection of weed control products… sprays and concentrate. June 9-10: plant, transplant, prune to encourage growth, apply organic fertilizer. Black Wonder composting soil now back in stock!
June 11-12: Harvest crops
June 13-14 : plant, transplant, prune to encourage growth
WCH Recommends: Baccto potting soil
June 15-17: destroy weeds, harvest crops
WCH Recommends: A 2-4D concentrate will not harm your grass but targets the existing weeds.
June 18-19: plant, transplant, seed beds, prune to encourage growth, apply chemical fertilizer
By mid June your garden should be in full bloom!
June 20-24: Barren signs means a great time to do weed control. Never plant during a barren sign… slow to no growth. Never trim bushes or trees during a barren sign.
June 21st Marks the first day of Summer!
June 25-29: planting days resume. June 28-29 are good days to seed beds, apply chemical fertilizer.
June is a good time to address any emerging issues that you might have with your roses. Be proactive, and shop early to prevent any damage.
June 30th: Prune to discourage growth
No matter what you grow this year… flowers, vegetables or maybe both… just enjoy your surroundings. Happy Planting!
Gardening became a lovely little side hobby of mine when we purchased our first home years ago. I loved learning about all the different types of trees and flowers in my yard. The gardening gene runs deep in my family. From my youngest memories, my family always had a garden full of veggies and beautiful flowers dotted the yard.
Snowball Hydrangeas were a staple in our yard growing up.
June is normally a month when your flowers and vegetables begin to show off in full beauty. The hard work of May and the other spring months pays off but it is not a time to relax just yet!!!
For a beautiful garden, June is a month when watering, weeding/hoeing, and monitoring for insects & disease can reap rewards. If these go unchecked during the summer months, it can definitely lead to disaster!!!
I love, love 💕 this water hose for watering plants!!! It is lightweight and easy to move around in the yard to water flowers during those drought filled days.
Wilkes County Hardware has the tools in order to help you be a successful gardener this summer. Don’t forget to stop by and consult with our staff if you have questions, concerns, or if you need gardening supplies. We will be there to assist you.
Black Wonder soil builder has been a garden favorite of our gardening customers!!! What a great way to supplement your soil and add much needed nutrients!!! You will definitely see the difference!!!
According to 2022 Blum’s Almanac, June is a great time to continue to plant tomatoes 🍅, eggplant, peppers 🌶, cabbage, beans, and celery. Sowing seeds for later transplanting…collards, cabbage, & cauliflower. Plant blackeye, crowder, and lady peas, squash, cucumber, and pumpkins 🎃.
Only a few of these are left! Gardening calendars still available.
In your flower garden, plant all types of lovely cut flowers like zinnias, marigolds, dahlias, calendula, nasturtium, phlox for later fall flowers. Remember to monitor your gardens carefully for insects 🕷, pests, or disease.
Deer 🦌 are always in my yard. I use the deer spray pictured here to keep activity at bay. It works well for me! Spray your plants routinely for 3 weeks to get the scent firmly established on the plants. Reapply if you have a heavy rain. After the 3 weeks, you should be able to apply once a month depending on the rain. Plants looking stressed??? Use this concentrated spray to give your plants a boost! Good for struggling house plants too!!!
The “Best” days to plant 🪴 for June … 1-2, 8-11, 18-19, 23-24, 28-29.
We still have seeds left for planting!!!
The “Best” Weed killing days are June 16-17, 25-27. But these 3 barren signs (Leo, Gemini, Virgo) is usually a good time to spray weeds.
Wilkes County Hardware has several options available for your weed control needs.
Tuesday June 14 will bring the Strawberry 🍓 Moon!!! This moon is named after the wild strawberries that ripen in the month of June.
I love fresh strawberries!!! This dishpan makes it easy work. Yes, these dishpans are available at Wilkes County Hardware 😎
Also, Don’t forget to fly your American flag 🇺🇸 on June 14th for Flag Day!!
Need a new flag??? Don’t worry, you can drop off your old flag at Wilkes County Hardware too!
Happy Gardening Y’all!!! 👩🏻🌾👩🏻🌾
New ladies gardening t-shirt !! This one is selling fast!!!
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The Hardware Life - A wife's journey into the hardware business 