Nice to Meet You!

Hello my fellow gardeners! :)

I was sitting in front of my computer today, and I found myself visiting online plant nursery sites. Yes, it is only January 6th, and the gardening bug has bitten. It is the middle of a rare cold snap in southeastern North Carolina, so that may be the only bug around at the moment...:)

As I have said in my profile info, I am originally from Edmonton, Canada. That is Zone 3 on the cold hardiness map. First official frost free date is May 28th. Yikes!

I now live on the southeastern coast of North Carolina, Zone 8a. A jump of 5 zones, folks! The growing season is technically all year round, depending on what you're growing. I was so fascinated by all the beautiful things that grow here, I had to start gardening.

My husband (let's call him Mr. A) lived in this house before I arrived on the scene, and I moved in with him. He didn't have the time and passion to do much with the landscaping, so I had a clean canvas to work with. Just the thing for an artist such as myself!

There were no trees, no shrubs, and only a few scraggly flower bulbs planted in the 'gardens' when I came along. And I was in the process of immigration, so I couldn't work. What better to fill my time than gardening? I wasn't sure if I had a green thumb, a brown thumb, or a purple thumb :)

One of the very first things I planted as a newbie was this repeat-blooming hybrid tea rose, 'Bella 'Roma'. Beautiful scent, and the colours are so vivid when it blooms for the first time of the season.

Now it can get quite large, I prune it back quite low every late winter. The only problem is the horrendous black spot disease it has acquired. I try to get rid of it, but it just ends up taking over no matter how hard I try. :( Roses are very fussy in this area, the humidity does a number on them. I have since tried a climbing rose in a completely different area of our large yard, made sure all my tools were sterilized, and I wouldn't even go near the thing if I had walked by the Bella 'Roma. Didn't water it overhead, it had excellent air circulation...that one still got black spot. :( No more roses for me.

I want this blog to be an outlet for my gardening passion, but I may include other things at my whim. My husband and I love to be outdoors, and I may include some pictures from our adventures...whether they be of flowers, animals, beaches, neat cemeteries, cool houses and gardens of other people in the area, etc...from the past or present. I have seen some beautiful things in the 4 years prior to starting this blog, and would like to share some of my memories and experiences.

Hopefully you will enjoy reading this blog as much as I will enjoy writing in it. :)