From the exterior view of Wilkes County Hardware most would just visually see an old, vintage hardware store. But these old walls within this building holds many stories. If you never wander inside, that’s probably all you would ever see. But once inside the hardware store, you are transported back into an earlier time, the gravitational pull of the inquisitive forces takes hold. The questions may begin and the walls reveal its past through the stories that Richard and I have come to know and love about 324 10th Street.
When you walk into Wilkes County Hardware, it is a step back into time… concrete floors that are authentic, wood stove for heat, all natural AC… doors open letting the wind blow in from front to back door.
Some stories are legends of sorts, while others are definitely true. Tall tales have been spun as folks have gathered in our space, sitting around the wood stove, and life events have unfolded inside this old hardware store. After all, the building dates back to the earliest years of 1900. These aging walls hold all the tales of our past.
Our historic hardware store is often a comfortable place for sharing and relating stories. Richard and I have been the keepers of these stories for ten years now. As a wise soul said recently, “nothing ruins a good story like the truth”, but truly these walls need to reveal a few of these stories. It is my hope that you will learn something new about our business on 324 10th Street that you didn’t really know until now…letting the pictures and captions tell the stories.
Here’s our building in 2015, it was a bit of maze as you entered…shortly after we purchased the hardware store. Every surface was lined with merchandise One of the first things that came from our home, initially, was a rocking chair that WE rocked our son in when he was a baby. Richard and I wanted to create a more “homey” /welcoming atmosphere inside our business.Harry spent everyday at WCH and many hours in the rocking chair. Richard and I loved him dearly and considered him to be our family.In memory of Harry💕, to read more about the rocking chair The Wooden RockerIn 2015, a good chunk of the front windows were covered over with pegboard. They used this area for hanging long handle tools. To make better use of our shelf space, Richard and I decided to uncover this area and use our space differently! My what a treasure we found!! These beautiful old doors!!! And MUCH needed light streaming in!!!Wayne worked diligently to get the old, vintage door lock working again. During the hot months of summer, we now open these doors for extra air flow. And it helps tremendously!!! All natural AC!!! This wood stove is a treat and a treasure during the winter months… keeping us warm. To learn more more about the history of the stove, use the link The Warmth & Sweetness of the Winter ChillMany folks have gathered to warm by the stove or even to sit by the stove. We have been told that a handshake deal was made inside the hardware store to begin Vannoy and Lankford Plumbing 🪠 many years ago. As good friends gather around the stove, ideas often emerge. Friday morning meetings are regularly held inside the hardware store now. Coffee, laughter, stories, and business matters are often central. It’s not just guys, I’m there quite often!🤪Friday morning Small Business Advisory Council in full force… this Friday group of minds spearheaded the process of creating a Downtown Merchants Association and eventually, the festival known as Spooktacular. This ladder spans the back wall of the hardware store… and yes, we use it every single day! Still working on researching this little gem.., more stories to be told later. One of the unique features of our “Old School Hardware Store” is the freight elevator. Secret being told, the remaining oral history that we have been given is a bit disjointed. So we have in earnest, started trying to track down some information about this elevator from the direct source… the company that built it, Park Elevator. Park Elevator is one of the oldest, independent elevator companies in the Southeast, dating back to 1898. Yes, the elevator still works! This was the original wall of owners as we were told… BUT… the far left gentleman… well, that was not Mr. Eller…revealed to us by his descendants when they visited us a few years back.This restored photograph arrived from Mr. EE Eller’s family. Now hangs in its rightful place on the owners wall. Read more here Mr. EE Eller, Chickens and Turkeys… Nothing but Clucking, Gobbling, and Plucking out the TruthWe always get lots of questions about why our picture isn’t up there, we feel it’s proper to wait until our time as hardware store owners is up to be up on the wall, keeping up and honoring the previous tradition. Pictured left to right ( Ellers, EE Eller Produce Company, Mr. Yates- began hardware store for his “friends” who were working in moonshine, Harvey Barlow hardware store/began locksmith business next door , Gerald Lankford continued Wilkes Hardware)Due to the impact that Mr. Eller had upon our community, dating back to 1904… we decided to honor the building’s heritage, by using the chicken as the basis of our hardware store logo.The Chicken HatWords truly can’t express the agony… a summer storm brought immense rain into our building in 2020. Days of cleanup and a tremendous outpouring of love… thanks to a wonderful group of friends who spent long hours helping us clean up the mess.Water entered the back door of our neighbors at the lock shop. Their front door was locked, and the water quickly piled up inside to knee deep…😬Our key desk was originally close to the lock shop which held a connected door. In 2015, we decided to move the key desk to its current location, near the back door. Harvey owned both businesses for many years. The connecting lock shop door was a revolving door that folks moved in and out of often prior to 2020. After the onset of Covid, and the massive flood event, access was closed.After the flooding event in the summer of 2020, Sandbags were placed under the connected lock shop door. We now use this area as needed retail space. We occasionally get folks in who wish to head towards that door… but they quickly find out, it is not accessible. Key desk current location! You may or may not notice differences in our brick at the back door, well, here’s the reason why… a runaway truck from the Lowe’s warehouse which sat up above us (looking out our back door)Look up the next time you drop in… see if you can find the tell-tell signs of the runaway truckSmashed right through our walls Ugh… The aftermath… And this happened on our D Street side several years later… Can you notice any differences in the brick??? We updated the side of D Street with our logo chicken , thanks to Andrea Baldwin for her artwork! A perfect photo opportunity!A lot of people are confused about the location of the original Lowe’s. The common misconception is that it was in our building. Looking out our back door, you can view the home of the original Lowe’s.This old safe, it’s not going anywhere fast!!! It’s a beast!!!
One of the stories that has been passed down to us … a downtown bank was unable to get the safe open to begin the banking day. The bank manager called down to Mr. Yates and asked for his assistance. Could he loan him the cash to open up the bank while they worked on opening the safe? Mr. Yates agreed to help. The bank sent two guards down and wheeled back the cash from the hardware store in a wheelbarrow. Problem solved!
The day we will never forget, the fire across the street at Goodwill. A Story in Pictures
This was a life altering experience. The uncertainty was very real, our neighbors down the street were worried about the fire spreading down the street to connected buildings. We were asked to vacate our building in a matter of an hour. What could we do??? Nothing, but pray and wait. We spent many long hours waiting across the street at Dom’s Bakery. Thankful for our neighbors and friends there. 💕
Our community of firefighters and rescue workers came from all over the county to help fight this fire and stayed all night. Every single fire company in Wilkes responded to this fire. Very thankful.
When we began in 2015, Richard and I knew only a small portion about this old hardware store. We have come to believe that this old hardware store building is like an onion, and we slowly peel a layer away at a time, learning a bit more each passing day and asking more questions about what we don’t know.
We sincerely appreciate and wish to say “Thank you” for sharing all of your stories about 324 10th Street. It has been an honor and privilege to gather these memories and stories, helping to keep this building and business alive long after we all are long gone, in hopes of creating a lasting legacy of intertwined experiences of Life in Wilkes… as our building history boasts the beginnings of the poultry industry in Wilkes, the legend of moonshine, and the hardware industry rooted right here in Wilkes.
If these walls could talk… the stories they could tell! Our hardware store is located at 324 10th Street. The outside brick exterior of the building looks well-worn… a few signs of old age are visible, as it should have, this building is approaching the age of 120 years old!
As you enter, you will probably find the front door open most days, weather permitting. The interior is full of beautiful treasures of the past, a fully functional freight elevator, wood stove, rolling ladder wall, and old wooden cabinetry lining the entire back wall. That venture into 324th 10th Street, through the hardware store reveals some of the days from long ago… the legacy and memories of times when hardware stores were simply different.
Yes, I believe that our hardware store is definitely a unique shopping experience that is worth exploring, even in 2024, as the days of ordering online has become a staple for many people. You can’t find some of these unique items online… Only inside these vintage walls. There’s no connecting or having a longing to go back to an online shopping cart versus wandering throughout your hometown old school hardware store. The experience is distinct and rare in today’s modern retail world. The two can’t be compared.
I definitely feel that a stroll back into time to get a visual sense of the origins of this old building is definitely blog worthy. So here’s a more detailed look at some of these iconic, vintage pieces found inside 324 10th Street revealing what we know as the true history of 324 10th Street.
The Freight Elevator
One of the unique features of our “Old School Hardware Store” is the freight elevator. Secret being told, the remaining oral history that we have been given is a bit disjointed. So we have in earnest, started trying to track down some information about this elevator from the direct source… the company that built it, Park Elevator.
Park Elevator is one of the oldest, independent elevator companies in the Southeast, dating back to 1898.
I continue to be absolutely fascinated by the fact that such a massive machine as this one was made in Charlotte, NC!
How very fitting that the former owners at 324 10th Street sourced materials locally and from our state. Richard and I are honored to carry on that tradition still in 2024.
Locally made items are available year round inside Wilkes County Hardware
Our old freight elevator has to be inspected by the state each year. The state elevator inspector requested a full load test in 2023. To be honest, we were very worried about that requirement to continue to have it in use. We debated for several months… what to do… is this a safe thing to do for such an oldie Goldie??? A full load test is a tough thing for an “old school elevator” to handle. Uncertainty loomed in our minds.
We decided to make a few phone calls. The elevator experts were very helpful. We actually have a few elevator technicians who frequent our hardware store and they often speak about how special and unique this old elevator is! They love it! So drawing from their experience and expertise, the phone call was made.
After speaking to the elevator experts about the situation concerning the full load test, we were pleasantly surprised to find out that the needed test was NOT a full load test but instead, a NO load test. Our old freight elevator has wooden side rails, therefore a full load test is impossible to do!! A full load test could literally shred the wooden side rails 😳. We had a path to keep the elevator moving!
State inspection done ✅ . Still waiting on the No Load Test.
The Wood Stove
Likewise, the wood stove was manufactured in Greensboro, NC. The wood stove has been quite a showcase for many of our visitors and regular customers. Check out the blog post that includes details of the information we know about this old classic wood stove below.
Researching and LearningMore About 324 10th Street
Ask and ye shall find! So, here’s the thing, we need your stories about this old freight elevator, and we need more history about our building. I actually had started doing my own research around the time the Smithey building burned down… but I haven’t had an opportunity to get back into it since then.
Life sometimes gets busy and projects get pushed away for a space of time. But here’s a quick rundown of the main essentials on what we know via oral history and research…
1. Building dates back to 1905.
2. EE Eller Wholesale was located at 324 10th Street until 1941 when he moved his business to Forester Street (advertisement in Journal Patriot – 1941) the space was used by ______________________ after Mr. Eller left???? we are unsure of what type of business existed after that…
Learn more about Mr. Eller’s Legacy: Mr. EE Eller, Chickens and Turkeys… Nothing but Clucking, Gobbling, and Plucking out the TruthThis photograph was sent to us by Mr. Eller’s Family and will be hung in its rightful place on the owners wall soon! The original photo hanging on the wall that had been identified to us as Mr. Eller was not really him! To read more about this click the link above about Mr. Eller. Look for this beautifully restored photograph the next time you come by Wilkes County Hardware.
3. Yates Wilkes Hardware began 1940’s???? No definitive date has been discovered.
Legendary Stories: We have been told that Mr. Yates began a hardware store for supplying his “moonshine friends” with needed equipment/supplies… as they say, nothing ruins a good story like the truth. I bet the truth lies somewhere between the two, the legend and the facts.
4. Glascock wood stove- Giant 24N style stove went into production 1930’s-1940’s in Greensboro, NC and unsure of date when installed in building (Nollie Neill, Glascock Stove Historian) Linked in blog today is a detailed overview of what we know about the wood stove.
5. Freight Elevator made by Park, based in Charlotte, NC. Research ongoing.
6. Rolling ladder Wall made by Putnam Rolling Ladder Company
Piecing Together The Puzzle of 324
A while back ago, I asked our social media followers to share their thoughts about painting our front doors at the hardware store. It was fascinating to find out everyone’s thoughts when we were curious about changing the paint on the front doors. Some people said don’t touch those doors, others wanted to make color suggestions.
I enjoyed the story one customer told us about the doors being a beautiful dark green color when she first came to the hardware store when she was younger which helped us connect the past to the present day.
These bits of information and history are the small pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that we are trying to “piece together” of our building and the objects inside. The timing of these stories helps us to “piece the puzzle together” and connect the jigsaw puzzleinto a whole. So we deem everything as important as we are gathering information and adding to our knowledge base of our building and its historical contents.
All of your stories are inspiring to us. Gathering these memories and stories helps keep this building alive long after we all are long gone, in hopes of creating a lasting legacy. Ourbuilding boasts the beginnings of the poultry industry in Wilkes, the legend of moonshine, and the hardwareindustry rooted right here in Wilkes.
Legendary stories, which maybe more fictional than fact, let’s face it, those stories are always fun to tell and listen to. But,ultimately, may not help us with our mission of fact finding concerning 324 10th Street and the ultimate dissemination of the lasting legacy at 324 10th Street. Truth be told, honestly, I believe we need a bit of both types of memories and stories for balance. I realize that we may not ever fully discover everything there is to know about this timeworn, treasure of a building, but it’s definitely worth the discovery in my minds eye.
Yes, in case your curiosity has gotten the best of you and are wondering… we ARE still planning to paint the front doors, BUT we know it will be a HUGE project. The doors will have to come down and be prepared for a full makeover. This old hardware store building is like an onion, and we slowly peel a layer away at a time and tackle what we can as we get time to do so.
As I have mentioned before, in an earlier written blog posts, Stories help keep our past history alive, & keep us linked together.
I feel that it is extremely important to undertake the quest of learning about a building that is close to 120 years old. Not many buildings in Wilkes can boast such a history! Sharing the legacy of a great old historic building in the center of Downtown North Wilkesboro for future generations yet to come should be a central part of who we are and why we are still relevant today.
Thank you for continuing to support us by shopping with us as we head into year NINE of business! We appreciate your willingness to help create the bridge between our past experiences to our present day by sharing memories and stories of a treasured building at 324 10th Street. After all, that is the heart of legacy.
A HUGE thank you to Kim Anderson Reid for this incredible address totem pole!!!
Last Spring I was basking in the sunshine, kneeling in my front flower garden, while planting one of my favorite “memory flowers”, a little white geranium. I should provide a bit of background on a “memory flower” for those who are new to my blog. A “memory flower” is a specific flower or plant that I have associated with special family members/friend that either gifted the plant to me OR I have sweet memories associated with the flower. My personal connections to flowers and what I plant in my garden is deeply rooted… linked to my personal life experiences and memories of those who I love and those who are no longer with us.
Read more about Flower Memories in the blog post: Flower Power
As I carefully took that “memory flower” out of the small, green container and placed it into my hand, I realized the root system of the tiny, white geranium was extremely shallow and weak. I began to cringe. My first thought was that the white geranium wouldn’t make it.
White geraniums are a staple in my containers every year. This planter in my garden has a nice healthy mix of summer annuals
After lots of TLC, it did survive the long, hot summer season but it didn’t thrive like some of my other plants that had a stronger established root systems when they were originally planted.
This shallow planting experience began an instant stream of thoughts about, “Being Well Rooted”. Howwould that translate into my understanding of my own life experiences?
Beginning with the concept in mind, establishing a good root system offering a deeper and stronger bond to the plant, conveying nourishment to all the branches…This began a spiral of thoughts.What roots have I established in my life? Am I well rooted in Wilkes?
All images used in this blog post are courtesy of our beautiful Wilkes County. I hope you find a few familiar places or maybe even some new places to explore.
Life is different here from anywhere else in the world. The pace of living is slower. It’s a great place to live and raise a family. Wilkes is simply HOME. My Roots are here. That part was easy to discern.
All images used in this blog post are courtesy of our beautiful Wilkes County. I hope you find a few familiar places or maybe even some new places to explore.
This blog post was created out of my life experiences and memories… remembering and honoring those who helped me to establish and discover my Roots and in good time, cultivated my unique story.
A Bit of Personal Perspective: A Foundation of Memories
I grew up in Wilkes County, surrounded by the beautiful, majestic mountains as our daily view looming at our back door step. It was the perfect blue mountain scenery that surrounded me and greeted me, and hugged me from the distance. As a rambling traveler moving away from and returning to our county borders, a definite welcome sight, the Blue Ridge in the distance, whispering, “Welcome HOME”.
Summer at Buck Mountain
I spent my “kid summers” wading in the creek that was located in the woods behind my house. No shoes were ever needed on a hot summer day. Running in the grass, barefoot, was the order of the day. As a kid, summer days seemed endless… these days were marked with sweet memories. From eating a watermelon wedge, soaking up the last bite of summertime sweet goodness to a full on chase and catch of lightning bugs, all were definite summer staples. I can remember being absolutely giddy with excitement about the opportunity to put those little, bright yellow bugs into a mason jar and watch them blink away in the dusk of a humid summer evening. Then finally, reluctantly, releasing them from the jar before heading inside before my nightly slumber ensued. Summers were filled with the beauty of the natural world that surrounded me in Wilkes. Wonderful childhood memories marked by the love of family and HOME.
Growing into My Roots
Eventually, I grew up and went away to college and enjoyed the experience that a larger city offered. I came HOME to Wilkes often during those college years to visit my family. Little did I know, ultimately, I had unlocked my ROOTS. My foundation was strong and I was slowly beginning to find my center.
Each return trip back HOME was so similar… marked by the familiar smells of freshly cut grass, and sometimes, with the pungent smell of manure which signaled, the hard work of local farmers. The sights of rolled hay fields, and corn fields in full view abound in my memories.
The sounds of nature … birds singing cheerfully, and crickets chirping their solitary song each evening at dusk. You could also listen to the church bells ringing in the distance calling out to its members singing a soulful little tune on Sunday mornings. The sounds that are mostly removed from the ears…heavy traffic, sirens, and other street noise that tends to dominate city life.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
And if you could pause long enough and listen… the rambling sound of race cars in the distance could be heard certain times of the year. You just know, if you live in Wilkes, when to expect and hear the humming sounds of race cars churning around the race track. I could always hear the roar and hum of race cars rumbling through the woods when the wind carried just perfectly from my childhood home.
Thankful to see North Wilkesboro Speedway open again!
And lastly, the pinnacle view, that I always took for granted, as a young person, the mountains in the distance, all signaled that I was HOME. Those beautiful mountains, served as a big hug from my surroundings here in Wilkes County, HOME. All familiar, and part of my heart and soul from my own life experiences. Memories branching out becoming my ROOTS.
A view from my front yard… we are blessed to have Mountain View’s everywhere
Finding Support and Growth
After College Graduation, I found myself returning HOME again, looking to fully take up ROOTS as an educator in my community where I grew up. Those formative years provided me with a sense of belonging to a welcoming community, where Southern hospitality still exists and I’m grateful that we live in such a friendly place.
The colors of Fall🍁
I found work and I began to prepare for the future. I worked in middle school education for over 25 years before retirement. I enjoyed teaching. What I discovered in my educational years, Creativity was at the utmost importance as I planned my lessons to make middle schoolers feel more engaged with their learning, but, it still had to be challenging. Creativity was a central element that has become part of my internal root system.
Summer at Kerr Scott Lake
Sometimes we realize that change is happening, and I knew it was time to concentrate on my ROOTS again. People can be easily replaced at work with another person, but you can’t be replaced at home. HOME and FAMILY an essential part of my daily being, deeply rooting me back to where I needed to be, HOME.
Initially, my vision of work after retirement was not what I anticipated. The ultimate reality that happened… Staffing changes, COVID, and other factors have put me in the forefront along the side of my faithful husband and partner who definitely welcomed me with open arms. We are now ROOTED in the hardware industry that had such strong roots and ties within our local community.
All images used in this blog post are courtesy of our beautiful Wilkes County. I hope you find a few familiar places or maybe even some new places to explore.
Branching Out
When retirement came, it was a bit a relief. I was utterly exhausted. I had been as they say, “burning the candle at both ends”. I had been working as a full time Mom, as an educator, working as a part-time business owner for our hardware store, blogging, and lastly, beginning to care for my aging grandparents. My life was extremely full.
We have found a rhythm at work inside our “old school hardware store” and have launched headlong into helping our community as we can through our business ownership in Downtown North Wilkesboro.
Thanks Susan for the pic!
In the last few years, Richard and I have worked alongside other Downtown Merchants, to form The Downtown North Wilkesboro Merchants Association, and we both actively participate in this group. You may recognize this group, as we have worked to create, The Spooktacular Festival for our community when the Greenway Trail of Treats was cancelled a few years ago.
The Hardware Life: A Life Lesson in Grafting
Wilkes County hosts a Peach Festival in July and Apple Festival in October, so the tradition of farming is central in our community. Fruit farmers often graft their fruit trees to create a new variety. The act of grafting… taking one plant cutting and merging with another, creating a unique union and the growth of a new species.
One of the quickest ways to send information out to our hardware store customer base was using the different creative tools that social media platforms offered. I literally had to dig deep into these tools and just go for it. Over the last 9 years, we have slowly grown a loyal audience on Facebook and Instagram, growing and expanding our hardware community. We have been able to share our product offerings, and our staff personal skill sets that make our hardware store a unique shopping experience for our customers.
My blog has continued to grow since I began, The Hardware Life Wife in 2018. As a novice writer, the blog pieces were fairly short and without pictures. I have learned more about the “how to blog process” as I have had the time. Initially, I honestly couldn’t devote much time to it. It was mostly a “summertime project” and I worked on blog posts between planning school lessons while I was still teaching full time. My blog has been a wonderful ROOTED creative outlet for me to share with others.
After a few years of consistent blogging, it became a goal of mine to add as many authentic pictures as I could to help break up the longer content pieces that I was now writing. Photographs provide a visual experience for the reader, adding an extra dimension, or as I could say “branch” to the story that is needed.
Kerr Scott Lake Sunset begins
Drawing upon my experience as an educator, I knew that I must give reluctant readers a reason to engage with my blog, as my writing pieces grew into more lengthy content. Another overall goal was to increase my blog readership.
Using these new goals and being ROOTED in educational experience, I decided to use “Chunking”. Chunking is breaking content down into smaller sections. I could use photographic images to further break down the information which would help the reader to stay focused on the writing content and the images adding to the overall narrative. Grafting in action!
Sunset at Buck Mountain
The use of stock images was not my intention, so I opted to insert my personal images into each blog post where I could create a more vivid reading experience for my readers.
Surprisingly, my personal photos were well received. I was stunned. This new finding was giving me the confidence and the opportunity to share more of my personal photography for which, I’m thankful and extremely grateful. I have been able to “branch out” and graft my core ROOTS into new areas of creativity and it has been an amazing journey!
Slowly, my heart has been wrapped around creating more beautiful images to share with my readers. My love of photography has grown and developed over the last few years. Seeking my ROOTS of creativity… ROOTED in my heart, showcasing everyday life in Wilkes County as I see it through my life lens using my camera, Rooted In Wilkes. All of the images you see today are all my own, with the exception of the photo of myself and Richard. I hope that you find these pictures add to the story.
Closing Thoughts: My ROOTED Experience
I must admit that one does not have to be a native of Wilkes to enjoy the beauty our area. The sights, sounds, and scenery of our greater community where I grew up and discovered my ROOTS. As I age, my appreciation of the beauty of my surroundings has grown. Anyone can Experience life in Wilkes if you are willing to take a moment to “branch out” and look for new opportunities and places in your nearby surroundings. Grafting opportunities are endless. Change is constant. So no matter wherever you find yourself, share your roots/story with others.
All images used in this blog post are courtesy of our beautiful Wilkes County. I hope you found a few familiar places or maybe even some new places to explore.
The beauty of Wilkes is all encompassing and deeply rooted in my life and for that, I’m grateful. I encourage you to go ahead and make some deep roots here. I found HOME, multiple opportunities to grow into my ROOTS, expanding my branches of creativity and learning, and how to GRAFT when needed. My ROOTS have allowed me to stop and slow down to appreciate the small things in this world, which ultimately are the BIG things in life. I think you will be glad that you took time to be Rooted in Wilkes.
This piece is dedicated to all friends and family who have been such a supportive influence upon my ROOTS growing up in Wilkes County.
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!
Made in McGrady created this sign for us a few years ago, thanks for your friendship and encouragement always!
Eight and half years ago, we just started. Richard and I launched ourselves into hardware store ownership… Beginning our journey into “The Hardware Life”. This new venture into business ownership was exciting, challenging, scary, and ultimately life altering. All of these different emotions could be filled up in a 5 gallon bucket. Dip your toes into the water, “sink or swim” as they say.
Richard was excited about beginning a new career path, exploring the opportunities to learn more about the inner workings of the hardware industry. He had always been around it, as he worked for a paint manufacturer for over 20 years. Richard pushed hard for the first few years without me at Wilkes County Hardware. It soon became apparent, that we needed to grow our business or move on. So, we decided to grow together. I launched into early retirement, leaving my 26 years in education behind. Our skill sets are different…utilizing them to bring the best hardware store experience possible our customers.
📸 by Hannah Crow PhotographyRichard and Angela Searcy- Owners of Wilkes County Hardware 📸 By Hannah Crow Photography
Working together, Richard and I have slowly made changes inside our historic hardware store walls, such as resetting our shelves and changing the flow of customer traffic. Other avenues we have explored included adding new hardware products into our existing lineup. But probably the most distinctive aspect that we are becoming known for is finding and curating locally sourced goods. All of these changes have created an unique shopping experience for all who visit our hardware store in Downtown North Wilkesboro.
Handmade baskets, stained glass, local soap, honey, pottery, and woodworking… just a few of the items you can find inside our hardware store. 📸 Hannah Crow Photography
For those of you who may not know, our building dates back to 1904!! The timbers tell our story, just look up as you enter through our front door. We are doing our best to honor our building history by keeping it as authentic as we possibly can.
As you enter the front doors, the chippy paint may catch your eye, but the beams that built this place will definitely keep your interests . 📸 Hannah Crow PhotographyHonoring our legacy…. Read about some of the changes we made inside & out in 2023 at Wilkes County Hardwarehttps://hardwarelifewife.com/2023/12/27/reflections-and-highlights-of-2023/
What motivates us to keep moving forward… especially during “roller coaster” times????? In other words, WHY DO WE DO WHAT WE DO at Wilkes County Hardware??? The answer is simply YOU!!! Our customers are our driving force. We have been so blessed to have formed many new friendships and made lasting connections with our customers, helping them meet their needs each and every day.
Those personal connections are also applicable to our staff. Our staff at Wilkes County Hardware has been an amazing part of our story. We have been able to hire staff with hardware expertise, or offer on the job training as in my case…. AND I have been able to reconnect with former students, watching them learn and grow as employees. Leaving us, as they head off to college, or work, taking away with them valuable insights and knowledge that they will take into adulthood. That’s success in my book.
Our business story is simple. We thrive on interaction with our customers and our greater community. Without that, we would not exist. We have heard too many stories about how old, vintage, authentic hardware stores are just not around anymore, and we are thankful that our community still supports our local hardware store.
Lastly, I know we both think and spend differently based on our learned business experiences…. As a result, we have decided that supporting locally owned businesses in our community is important to our community success. We eat at locally owned restaurants, and make purchases from local businesses. After all, the community supports our business and we will reciprocate helping to grow our local economy.
Living the "hardwarelife", join us in our journey of hardware store ownership
The Hardware Life - A wife's journey into the hardware business 