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May Days are Gardening Days… Garden Reflections

May 31, 2024 hardwarelifewife Leave a comment

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.

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 flower**

**This 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 pots**

**Yarrow, 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.

**Pest 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.

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!

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!

4. Beautiful Blooms!

**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!

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Earth Day 2024

April 21, 2024 hardwarelifewife 2 Comments

Everyday is Earth Day! April 22nd is the Day we officially designate as Earth Day. The first Earth Day was celebrated back in 1970. Fast forward into 2024, our Earth is still as beautiful as ever! Sharing a few photos of all Earthly things that make our Earthly home just a little bit sweeter… All Things Bright and Beautiful. Remember to take care of our Earth. Enjoy!

All things wise and wonderful. God made them all.

Each bird that sings, He made their glowing colors, He made their tiny wings.

The sunset and the morning, that brightens up the sky

The ripe fruits in the garden, He made them every one.

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April

April 3, 2024 hardwarelifewife Leave a comment

April, preparing her “green traffic light”… April, a month when Spring moves from a quiet, slow, slumber to a full blown reality. The trees fill out with abundant green leaves almost overnight, and the grass greens up. The last of the cooler nights are a short- lived phenomenon and the warmth of a lasting Spring has arrived.

**No Fooling Around**… April 1st sunrise was absolutely stunning.

**Solar Eclipse sunrise**… lots of clouds in view

April 12th… This series of 4 photos were taken the morning after the brief tornado touchdown in our neighborhood. We are fine, no damage to our home. The skies were dramatic this quiet Friday morning.

Blooming in the Garden during the month of April

***Peony buds are beginning to show signs early this year. Normally my peonies are in full bloom around Mother’s Day.***

**Solidarity among the purple blossoms**

**In full bloom along the front sidewalk**

New Recipe Alert 🔔

**Pork Stew and cornbread on a rainy April Sunday afternoon view complete recipe here…** Pork Stew

In the Wild

**Wispy Wildflowers along the Greenway**

**First signs of strawberries** 🍓 **beginning to ripen**

**These sweet horses walked up to have picture taken near Shiloh General Store**

Finished Creative Pieces

**Poppies are glazed and ready to enjoy!**

Happenings inside the hardware store in the Month of April

**New on the blog.. the Spring is Here** MUST HAVE itemshttp://Spring is Here! Garden Essentials 101 April is here and the Gardening season is upon us! I have prepared for y’all a quick list of TEN basic gardening essentials that are selling quickly … https://hardwarelifewife.com/2024/04/06/spring-is-here-garden-essentials-101/

**New locally sourced products arrive during the spring season**

**Hummingbird season is here!** Hummingbird Season

**April 22nd -Earth Day-** Earth Friendly products found inside our hardware store

**Oh no Wally!** Our Front windows received a fresh update this month

**Open doors and empty chair ready for you!**

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Finding Clover

March 17, 2024 hardwarelifewife Leave a comment

Many people consider clover as an invasive weed in their lawn. I believe it is now a LUCKY task for the finder… no matter if you find a 🍀 four leaf clover, all are lucky!

Why do you suggest it is a lucky task???? Clover spreads and often can take over in your grass. Is that lucky??? Well maybe not if you love a perfectly manicured lawn. But for those who continue to read this story maybe you find a bit of inspiration in finding clover today.

I found this green patch of clover flourishing several years ago in my grandparents yard. It was a thick patch of clover that was overtaking an area in their lawn near the driveway.

It was a beautiful capture for me as a photographer, and I cherish it as a sweet memory of my grandparents yard and flower garden.

Time has passed and I recently found this quote concerning clover that is too good not to share today as we are celebrating St. Patrick’s Day and it provided me a bit confirmation of what I already knew.

Legend says that each leaf of the clover has a meaning: the first is for hope, the second for faith, the third for love and, if you can find a 4-leaf clover, the fourth leaf represents luck.” —Jean LeGrand

I never found a four-leaf clover 🍀 in that small patch of clover at my grandparents house, but I was definitely LUCKY. My grandparents gave and showed me all three of those characteristics…hope, faith and love. So I consider myself to be the luckiest person alive. Here’s to you finding a beautiful patch of clover today.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

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Forsythia, Spring is Here!

March 6, 2024 hardwarelifewife Leave a comment

One of the happiest and brightest shrubs in the Southern landscape has to be the Forsythia. You may also know Forsythia as “Yellow Bells”, due to the shape and color of the blossoms . I think the first time I ever heard the term “Yellow Bells” reference to a Forsythia, came from my Granny many years ago when I was growing up.

**Complete Spring** … Forsythia has 4 petals on each bloom… Forsythia blossoms from the spring are produced on the old wood from previous year. The remaining buds overwinters… the leaves are a gorgeous reddish color in the fall season. A complete bush in all four seasons.

Once the Forsythia breaks into bloom, Spring is not far away. Maybe that is why I consider it to be a “happy bush”. The sunny, vibrant, buttery-yellow blooms signals my brain that the spring gardening season is not far away. That in itself is JOY.

*Forsythia is native to China and other parts of Asia*

I recently read that the word Forsythia is related to anticipation. Yes, I get that… the anticipation of SPRING… Beautiful, joyful things yet to come.

What can we learn from the Forsythia??? The blooming Forsythia maybe our slumbering winter wake up call. The arrival of these vivid blooms definitely launches me into a spring planning and gardening clean up mindset. Rightfully so, because it is truly the time to begin focusing on some key elements for your lawn and garden maintenance, taking our cues directly from Mother Nature via the blooming Forsythia.

*Forsythia is a fast growing shrub but if you must trim it wait until after blooming has been completed.*

Once the forsythia finishes blooming, pre-emergents (for weed control) can be used in your lawn. A Pre- emergent is used to help prevent weed growth in your lawn… before the weeds actually begin!!!

If you use the “gardening cues” from the golden blossoms of the Forsythia, and apply your pre-emergents on time, it should then be re-applied three months later, so think about another application in June.

A multi-tiered approach may occur at your home… the focus on the garden… starting seeds indoors or even beginning to think about planting cool season crops once the Forsythia blooms are fading all the while working towards a beautiful, green, and healthy lawn. Whatever you decide to plant or grow this year, just enjoy it, savoring the season.

As you are reading this, the time to begin your lawn care maintenance is upon you! In a few short weeks, your actions will be futile if you delay using Pre-emergents and other actions will be necessary in order to avoid weeds in your lawn in the form of post-emergent weed killers like these in the photo.

*Post-emergent Weed control for lawns: 2-4D works well to reduce weed growth without damaging lawn*

*Forcing Forsythia inside can be a lovely way to brighten your mood on those cool, rainy, foggy days in March*

Within a few days these blooms are opening up! Use a knife to slice the bottom of the stems to open them up so more water can flow into woody stem and make sure to remove bottom blooms in place in warm water.

The Forsythia is legendary to hold medicinal qualities in past centuries. I believe that still holds true for me… maybe not so much in the traditional medicinal sense. The vibrant yellow hues are medicine to my soul, gearing up for another sensational Spring. Happy Spring Y’all!

The Hardware Life – A wife's journey into the hardware business