Some New Gardening Companions

An update:  we have bought a house here in Massachusetts!  It is not red, sadly, (it's green!) but it sits on a nice large lot with lots of gardening potential!  We actually bought a house that is not completely finished, so it will be another month or so before we are able to move in.  In the meantime, we are living with my in-laws.  It is hard to not have my own garden during such a glorious spring, but my mother-in-law is graciously (and rather enthusiastically) letting me help establish her new garden while we are here.

One of the several piles of plants to plant in my mother-in-law's new garden!

Several family fêtes have been planned for this summer in connection with my sister-in-law's upcoming wedding, so the backyard is being slowly transformed into a lush oasis.

Beyond this fenced-in part of their backyard is a small pond connected to a wetlands area. While out gardening we get to enjoy seeing some of the wildlife that live in the area.  Mr. and Mrs. Mallard live in the area and are frequent visitors to the pond.  I haven't seen Mrs. Mallard very much the past couple weeks - she is no doubt laying on a clutch of eggs.  

I can't wait for little baby ducklings! 

The Mallards are not the only ducks that frequent the pond - a couple of Wood Ducks also live in the area.  They are shyer than the Mallards, but oh-so-beautiful to watch!

the Wood Ducks

On several occasions we have also seen a water creature swimming around that we have affectionately named 'Chuck'.

The Loch Ness Monster's baby?
Au contraire, it's a beaver!

In addition to the waterfowl, there are a number of birds in the area.  One of the more striking ones that I've seen is a partially albino Robin.

And this gardener can never seem to get away from members of the Rodent family.  I have seen many a Chipmunk scurrying to and fro.

I haven't seen too many of those devilish Squirrels around, but I'm sure they'll come out in droves just as soon as we put the bird feeders up!

By far the cutest animal seen in this garden, though, is this little fella:

This is my in-law's new puppy, who always likes to help in the garden..

... and you can all see what a big help he is!  Well, hopefully soon he will be a well-trained gardening companion.

token flower photo

Happy Gardening, everyone!

Saving the Best for Last - the Duke Gardens

So if you had enough time to visit only one more garden in the Raleigh-Durham area, where would you go?

Such was the quandary I found myself in as Mr. Red House and I visited North Carolina for the last foreseeable time to pack up our (sold! woohoo!) house.  Though it wasn't really that much of a quandary - I've long wanted to visit the Sarah P. Duke Gardens in nearby Durham.

Yep, it's that amazing!
(I wish I could say this was me, frolicking amongst the flowers, but, well, it's a slightly more talented performer than myself..)

Even with a couple hours to visit, we still only saw about half of the extensive gardens!  The Duke Gardens are broken up into several parts.  The Terraces is the oldest part, designed by Ellen Biddle Shipman in the 1930's.  It was incredibly stunning, overflowing with blooms.

The wisteria-covered pergola is the crown of the Terraces (and a prime spot for wedding photos).  Steps lead down...

 ...through lush terraces... 

...filled with blooms in all sorts of color combinations...

... and down to a koi-filled pool.

Did I mention it was impressive?

In total contrast, the H.L. Blomquist Garden of Native Plants, another section of the Duke Gardens, had a much more unorganized, natural feel, being essentially a 6.5 acre woodland garden.  

Opened in the 1960's, this garden holds more than 900 species and varieties of plants native to the Southeast.

Mountain Azalea

Many of these plants were rescued from land that was being developed, and it also holds some rare and endangered plant species.

Trumpet Honeysuckle

This garden is very wildlife friendly, and has a large, um, squirrel-feeding station?

We only had time to walk through a section of this garden.  It is too bad this is the first time I have gotten the chance to see it - I would have loved to see the different native plants blooming at different times of the year!  

Native dogwoods and columbine are in bloom along the path.

So if you ever get the chance to visit the Raleigh-Durham area in North Carolina, definitely check out the Duke Gardens.  I was so glad I finally got the chance!

Goodbye Wishes

Dear new owners 

of a Red House,

having sold our Red House, we are back to pack up and say goodbye

I hope this house become a true home for you,

filled with love and laughter. 

Narcissus 'Flower Parade'

May you delight in your inherited garden,

and may it constantly reward you with blooms.

Clematis 'Guernsey Cream'

May it teach you as much 

as it has taught me.

Salvia loves it here!

And I hope you add your own touches

to work towards your own dream of what the perfect garden should be.

May this garden 

be a source of cheer and happiness

Narcissus 'Tripartite'

as well as comfort and consolation when times are tough.

Bleeding Hearts

May it offer you a peaceful place to rest and renew your spirit

and a place to work and play together and grow as a family.

Narcissus 'Mint Julep'

I hope that you fall in love with the Red House and its garden, like I did,

Dutch Iris

and that it takes you to great places

right in your own backyard.

May you enjoy living here as much as we have.

Sincerely,

the former Mrs. Red House

Blooms of Past Efforts

I may have traded in my trowel for a paintbrush in the effort to get our house ready to sell...

Narcissus 'Sweetness'

..but one of the best things about gardening is enjoying the fruit of past labors!

Narcissus 'Julia Jane'

Spring-blooming bulbs are some of my favorite flowers of all, and in the last three years, I have filled the yard with them.

blooming with abandon in my creatively named Mailbox Garden

Even last fall I ordered and planted scores of bulbs, not knowing we were going to be leaving the Red House and its garden.  I am very thankful for the chance to see some of my new acquisitions in bloom before we leave..

Narcissus 'Thalia', one of my new beauties

..as well as say goodbye to some old favorites. 

Leucojum aestivum 'Gravetye Giant'

We will be moving to the Boston area here in a couple weeks as Mr. Red House starts his new job.  I am going to miss my garden.  But Spring is all about new beginnings, and the great thing about most spring bulbs..

possibly Narcissus 'Ice Follies'

is that they'll thrive just wonderfully in my future new Northern garden as well.

Happy Spring!

So... any of you want to buy a red house?

The Post I Never Thought I'd Write

When we decided to build our dream house three years ago here in North Carolina, I thought, that's it.  After moving so often growing up, we were now settling down, raising our family here, and our kids would eventually have to wheel me out of this house right into an assisted living home.

Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans...

our beautiful red house

Recently Mr. Red House got a job offer he couldn't refuse - and it was near where his family had recently settled.  That's right, people, we're moving to...

....Boston!

Um, did you hear that they are supposed to get 3 feet of snow this weekend?

So, for the last few months, since we got wind of a possible move, garden expansion has come to a halt.  My garden as well as the blogosphere has been somewhat neglected as we have been researching the Boston area and taking a couple trips up to visit.  My in-laws made sure we saw the beauty of the Northeast and talked up the area quite a bit (as they could barely contain their excitement at the thought of grandchildren living nearby!)

Beautiful fall color!

Pick your own apple orchards!

Dirt so amazing, the plants evidently grow so well that they swallow large buildings whole!

Of course, I had a couple reservations.  I might have been born in the Northeast and even lived in Alaska when I was young (as Mr. Red House pointed out), but I haven't lived up north since college days, and I have never actually (successfully) driven in snow before.  

Um, what are these for again?

And I would certainly miss our friends and our close-knit neighborhood.  But neither I nor Mr. Red House ever got to live near our grandparents, and the thought of my kids growing up so close to theirs just warms my heart.  (Now I just have to get my parents to move close by!)

on a walk with her Grandpa

So I might not be blogging quite so much for the next couple months as we prepare to get our house on the market and move, but I will be back in full force eventually!  I will miss my Red House garden here in North Carolina, as well as my little backyard wildlife community.

Noooooo!! You can't take the bird feeders away from us!!!

But planning my next Red House Garden will be sure to be fun as well, with a whole new set of challenges and lessons in store, and a whole new family of squirrels to thwart!  

Which leads me to wonder......what color will our next house be?!