Gratitude - Day 151 - May 31, 2014

What a beautiful day, made all the better by spending it with my wonderful husband all day.

Gratitude - Day 150 - May 30, 2014

It's official - our son and his wonderful, delightful girlfriend are engaged!

Lessons From My Garden

Emily at Chatting at the Sky has invited us to share What We've Learned in May.  Most of my lessons  this month have been learned in the garden.  Mother Nature is a kind and patient teacher, if we listen to her.     

Gratitude - Day 149 - May 29, 2014

I had a fun time today exploring a new-to-me garden center in Raleigh.

Wild Bird Feeders and Houses - So Many Options!

Today I took a trip into town to visit a home and garden center that had been recommended to me by several friends. The place is called Logan Trading Company, and it bills itself as your "One Stop Garden Shop".  Built in an old train depot in the center of Raleigh, NC, it's a wonderful garden center with great plants, pots, tools, garden accessories, and an absolutely wonderful hot-grill cafe.

In a later post I'll show you around the entire place, but today I'd like to take you through their "Wild Bird" section.   This collection of feeders and birdhouses had more types of offerings than I'd seen in one place in quite some time.  It certainly beat out the local big box home improvement center by a long shot!

Gratitude - Day 148 - May 28, 2014

Today is Leap Day in my Gratitude Project 2014.

What?

Gratitude - Day 147

Very grateful today for the transformation of our foyer, stairwell and upstairs hall.  

Gratitude - Day 146

It's not every day that I can walk by the kitchen window and see two colorful birds perching on the feeder, ready for the picture to be taken.  Especially the Eastern Bluebird... he usually stays way out in the back of the yard near the woods, and doesn't get close to the house.  The House Finch is more common on our feeder, though this is a particularly colorful one.

What's Blooming - May 26, 2014

After being out of town for five days, I was happy to come home yesterday and get out into the garden this morning.   I found quite a few bright and beautiful blooms today. Here are some of my favorites.

Gratitude - Day 145

Taking a quiet moment today to recognize all those men and women who have sacrificed their lives for our country.

Gratitude - Day 144

So grateful to be home, sweet home.

Gratitude - Day 142-143

Spending a few days in Maryland for rehearsing with my quartet, Lustre.

Gratitude - Day 141

Spent a couple hours tonight dream shopping for formal dresses.

Gratitude - Day 140

(posted late)

Grateful today for my friends.

Gratitude - Day 139

As we pack up our daughter's dorm room, putting everything in storage for the summer, and send her off to a summer in Germany, I'm grateful for all the opportunities we were able to give her to make her who she is today.

Gratitude - Day 138

New life in the spring garden

Gratitude - Day 137

(posted a day late)

I'm grateful for my three sisters, and the memories we share and those that we're creating now.

Gratitude - Day 136

(posted a day late)

I'm so totally enjoying this beautiful weekend.  

Sweet Birdcage Planter

As we continue through these beautiful spring days, it's so fun to find new ways to bring beauty to our homes.  Today I'm sharing how I put together this sweet little birdcage planter that now graces our front porch.

Gratitude - Day 135

Very happy that my husband is home today.  

Gratitude - Day 134

I'm grateful today for the rain - all 5" of it! - and for the cooler temperatures that it brought.

What's Blooming? May 15, 2014

Things are changing fast around here in the garden, so it's time for another installment of "What's Blooming" here at the Harris home.   Won't you come along as we walk around the yard, taking stock of what's blooming today?

Gratitude - Day 133

Is there anything better than freshly picked strawberries?

Gratitude - Day 132

I'm grateful today for these last three weeks here at home in Raleigh.  

How To Divide Hosta

Hi there!   Thanks for stopping by our garden.   Do you have large clumps of hosta that have outgrown their spot?  Or maybe you want to propagate your hosta to make more plants for your garden?  Or maybe you're like me, and you have a clump of hosta sitting in a spot where you would rather have something else.  

Well, today I'm sharing how I went about digging up and dividing one of the many clumps of hosta that we have in our yard.  Follow along with me, it's easy!

Gratitude - Day 131

This was going to be an easy gratitude post... about having time today to be a little bit creative and repaint this welcome sign rock that I've had in the garden for 10 years or more.  

Gratitude - Day 130

I've been struggling today, with the "mother's day" thing.   

Gratitude - Day 129

I'm positively reveling in the luxury of having my daughter home for the weekend. 

Step-By-Step Moss Wreath Tutorial

Here's a quick and easy project tutorial for a moss wreath.

Fresh Spring Wreath

Here's a fun and easy wreath to make to brighten up your front door this spring.

Gratitude - Day 128

Adding a little bit of pretty to the downstairs hall bath today.   

Iris Season

Here in our new yard, it's Iris Season.   Our front yard is full of large clumps of German Bearded Iris.

Mystery Plants - Can You Help Identify Them?

It's been a fun spring, watching plants come up in the gardens here in our new home.  I know what most of them are, but there are a few things which I haven't been able to identify.   Can you help?  What are these plants?

A Visit to Big Bloomers Flower Farm

Earlier this week, I took a drive to Sanford, NC to visit a garden center that had been recommended to me by several friends.   I'm so glad I went!   It was a great place, with lots and lots of wonderful plants and helpful staff.

Gratitude - Day 127

No, there's pretty much nothing wrong with this view!

Gratitude - Day 126

Grateful for a night out with actual adult humans.

Edging the Flower Beds the Old Fashioned Way

Remember this photo from the Tour of Our Yard?

Gratitude - Day 125

Grateful today for warm weather, free time, and a visit to a wonderful nursery and garden center.  

Gratitude - Day 124

When the cool wind comes across the grass, I'm grateful for the freshness and the new breath.

Painted End Table

A few months ago, I found an old end table at a local thrift store that I thought might make a cute makeover project.   For $20, it was a great piece.  It was in really good condition, except for some coffee rings and scratches on the top.   It was so serviceable, in fact, that I used it in our living room all winter long just as I found it at the thrift store!

Gratitude - Day 123

Today was a quiet day, one that was filled with warm sunny skies and cool breezes, easy laughter and relaxation. 

Tour of our Back Yard

A few days ago, I began taking you on a tour of our yard, as of late April 2014.  I focused on the front yard, and it even took me a second post to get it all completed.   Now I'll show you around the back yard, and once again, it's going to take me a couple of posts just to get it all done, but I hope you enjoy it!

What's Blooming? - May 3, 2014

Oh my gosh, it's so CRAZY that spring is so early here in Raleigh.   When I compare it to what I'm accustomed to from living in Maryland, it's like living in a whole new world!  I'm really enjoying having such an early spring, and the blooms that are happening already in the yard.    Here's a quick look at what's blooming here in our Zone 7/8 gardens in Raleigh, NC on May 3rd, 2014.  

Gratitude - Day 122

What a beautiful weather day we're having!   Perfect for sitting outside on the screened porch, or working in the yard, or alternating between the two!

Gratitude - Day 121

Gratitude - Day 120

Grateful tonight for the opportunity to hear my daughter play in her spring semester wind ensemble concert at the University of Maryland where she is a music major.     

More of Our Front Yard

I recently shared the beginnings of a tour of our yard and gardens in our new home.   But I didn't get a chance to finish showing you the front yard - I can only put so many photos into one post before it gets to be too much - for me and for you!   So here are some views of the rest of our yard, as of April 2014.  Keep visiting to see the rest of the tour in coming days.