Day 251

John and I went to Home Depot today to cash in on our awesome gift cards that we both received for Easter.  Before I knew that John had also been gifted a $25 gift card to Home Depot I was having to prioritize what I was going to get with mine.  I needed more bird seed for my one feeder, but I also wanted another bird feeder, especially one that held suet.  I knew that these alone would run me over $25 but I also wanted to get either some succulents or some flowers to put in the Seagrove Pottery pot my mom sent me.  So when I found out John also had $25 for HD, I was ecstatic.

Here's the treasures we got.

A cedar bird feeder with two suet holders and the new "wild bird feed," an upgrade from just plain old sunflower seeds.

Birds on the new bird feeder.  Unfortunately, the birds are still eating more out of the old one.  I guess it'll just take some time for them to warm up to this one.

Flowers!  We've got marigolds, deep purple violas, red petunias, and blue lobelias.  We planted 8 of the small sections in this pot and have 7 left over.  If only I had a matching pot.....I guess I'll just have to go get another pot and plant the other 7 in a non-matching pot.

Day 246

Happy birthday, Mom!

My family used to live in eastern NC at a very old house with a wonderful yard.  It wasn't an old dilapidated house by any means.  It was the house where the judge and judges wife had lived and had 12 foot ceilings and arched doorways.  In my young memories of living here, it was an awesome and huge house.

While the awesome part was true, by no means was it huge.  It was just right.

But some of the most prominent memories I have of living in Nashville, NC didn't happen inside, rather outside of that home.

We had a giant crate myrtle tree that we loved to climb.  I remember one of our neighbors, Casey, climbing higher than anyone had when she got stuck and had to take her shoe off in order to get back down.  We had rhododendrons flanking either side of our front door where I remember hiding from one of my friends' parents because we didn't want her to leave.  We also had irises.  Lots of irises.  And my parents loved them so much that when we moved, they dug up lots of the bulbs and brought them with us.

Over a decade later, these irises are still going strong in the house my sister and I grew up in.

One day I'll get some of these bulbs to decorate my yard with.

Day 236

When I woke up this morning and went to check on my seeds in the window boxes I saw signs of life!

I know they're small, but soon there will be more and then hopefully there will be flowers.

I've never planted flowering plants from seed.  In fact, I'm pretty sure my family didn't even plant veggies from seed.  We'd always go to Home Depot and buy the ones that were already started.  Instant gratification.

I'm thinking this will be my last time I plant from seed....the waiting is just driving me crazy.

Day 224

Yesterday was the trip to buy the necessities for flower boxes and today was the day to hop to it and plant the seeds.

So here they are.  My barren looking flower boxes.

I wonder how long it'll take until we start seeing some form of vegetation...

Day 223

I love flowers.  Every spring my mom, dad, sister, and I would go to Home Depot/Lowe's, buy flowers (not seeds), and would plant them in hanging baskets on our porch and in flower beds on the front of the house or around the yard.  So my internal clock has been screaming to get my hands on some flowers and into some dirt, even though I'd prefer to have gardening gloves.

I just hate getting dirt under my nails.

 So today I went to Home Depot to buy some window boxes, seeing as the two hooks that we have on the porch are dedicated to a bird feeder and a future humming bird feeder, potting soil, and flowers.  However, upon arrival I noticed that there were practically no pre-planted, already flowering flowers.  Bummer.  And the few that there were consisted of single plants and they were way out of my price range for one plant.  I'm used to getting the groups of like 4 plants for a few bucks.  Normally things like pansies, snap dragons, marygolds, etc.

The solution was something that I actually think I've never done before.

Seeds.

So that's the cast of characters for my flower boxes.  Some are spring flowering and some are summer flowering.  I'll keep you posted with how they're doing.

I can't wait to watch them grow!!

Day 119

Today is my last day of classes as an undergraduate!!  I cannot believe it.  The past 3 years at NC State have flown by, and this last semester at UMass Boston has been an adventure.  Thank you to all of you who have been there for me!

I went walking through the Pru today and they have tons of beautiful flower beds that they change seasonally.  For the Christmas season, beautiful red amaryllis!!

Day 69

This morning I received some beautiful flowers from John.  They are wonderful!!  Sunflowers are some of my favorites and this combination of carnations, sunflowers, roses, and other flowers smells amazing.  Thanks, J.  I love you!