This is Lolly, the loblolly pine from which we had the tree company remove dangling branches after Hurricane Matthew. It is surrounded by a ground cover that had escaped and tried to take over the backyard. I spent two days pulling it out of the lawn and shaping it back into a tidy circle, and three more days scratching sand gnat bites.
Behind Lolly is a woods with a border of azaleas, Chinese fringe, an old crepe Myrtle we couldn't tell if dead or alive, camellias, killer vines, and goodness knows what else. Unidentified things keep surprising us and bursting into bloom.
On the east side is our new vegetable garden and a gift from our neighbor, a fig tree.
We mentioned we were looking to buy one and a few days later, Malcolm came to the door with his shovel and Phineas the Fig and said, "Where do you want it?" Really, how many people have a spare fig tree laying around?
We have hit the neighborly jackpot when we landed in this neighborhood!
Behind the fence is the vegetable-garden-in-progress. The peas are doing nicely.
I'm showing you these photos now because we are supposed to have a killer freeze tomorrow night, 25F after days of temps in the high 70s and even 80s. Bye-bye flowers.
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Yesterday we were zipping down the highway south through the Francis Marion National Forest and I spotted something I've never seen before: a litter of wild pig babies rooting in the grass alongside the forest, 8 feet from the road! I think there were five.
They looked just like this guy except a little younger and had their snouts buried in the new grass eating breakfast. The adults are mean and scary and popular to hunt at fancy hunt clubs down here.
The Writer was once in a Jeep when a herd of wild boars began attacking the vehicle. We sped on by, not taking any chances that Mama would appear and take a dislike to white Toyotas with a photographer hanging out the window! (This photo is from the State DNR website.)
Lovely yard. Great job! My garden has been neglected since the fall. If I want a garden of any kind this year I best get my butt out there! Praise God for annuals. They give me color when I have been lazy.
ReplyDeleteCynthia your garden looks great.
ReplyDeleteWow! Azaleas in bloom already and peas coming up. Looks like you are reclaiming the rampant neglected growth in the back.
ReplyDeleteYour azalea bush looks better than mine...... the rain, hail and wind here in so called "sunny Terrigal"
ReplyDeletehave played havoc with my pride and joy.
Ah - you want to see wild pigs......... come to the land of OZ! They are a feral pest of the highest degree here
and are extremely dangerous. I think I told you of my younger days when about 10 years of age when mustering cattle.
My good mate broke a golden rule and rode his beloved pony into a thick mulga (scrub) patch to chase out a rogue cow and her "mickey bull calf" and a wild boar raced at the horse and ripped open the horse's guts. Thankfully young Tom was not attacked and some of the stockmen were close by and heard the scream of the horse. They shot the boar and I can tell you, young Tommy and I, didn't sit down comfortably for a few days............ we broke ( well he did) a golden rule........ don't ride into the mulga.
I'm not surprised than Paul even had an encounter in his jeep..... they are a nasty beast.
Cheers
Colin
Oh forget - Tommy's beloved horse, Andy, who he won show ribbons on, was killed - stomach just ripped to pieces.
DeleteColin
Those Azalea's look wonderful they must be a few years old to be that big.
ReplyDeleteWild pigs, oh dear they are ever so cute when coming down the middle of an outback highway, well the little wee ones do.
Very nice neighbour you have then giving a tree away, seems he definitely didn't want it.
Hope your plants survive the freeze as you call it.
Your garden looks beautiful, it is a surprise to watch what is coming up after winter. It is great to have nice neighbours that is always very pleasant.
ReplyDeleteWonderful - it'll be a month or two before we see blooms like that over here - hope the frost isn't too severe. Hunting wild boar used to be a big thing in medieval Europe - if there are any wild pigs in the UK today (and there may be) they will have been released or escaped from captivity.
ReplyDeleteI'm not naming names, but a Minnesota gram could get jealous to read about peas coming up and doing nicely in your yard. The flowers though...how gorgeous! I hope you didn't get the killer freeze.
ReplyDeletei loved being here as you have great sharing .
ReplyDeletei loved gardens too and you are so lucky to have more than one friend!
your neighbors sound so generous and kind heart.
these pig look scary
Your yard looks great, your azaleas are gorgeous. We're in Japan, will probably find all our plants frozen when we get home.
ReplyDeleteLovely azaleas! Your post reminded me to run out and check my fig tree. I had been waiting for them to ripen and then forgotten about it - luckily the birds have left plenty. I hope your fig tree turns out to be as super as this one, so kind of your neighbour.
ReplyDeleteOh! The lovely azaleas ..
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful blooms you have in your yard! I am jealous!! :)
ReplyDeleteYou have a lovely property I do hope your garden isn't harmed in the freeze that would be such a shame. Wild pigs are pretty dangerous and I chuckled at the writer hanging out the window to get pictures. :-) You did luck out with neighbors, it's nice to hear there are still areas where neighbors are friendly. I too lucked out with my move here.
ReplyDeleteThose big beautiful azaleas remind me of living near Charleston South Carolina. I love them. I know what you mean about the frost and freezing weather. Our pretty blooms are now brown and ugly. Hopefully, everything will come out again when the weather warms up...and stays warmed up!! You have a pretty yard and pretty garden. The soil there looks dark and rich.
ReplyDeleteHope your were spared the killer frost, or at least the flowers survived. It must be very rewarding seeing all the hard work paying off (as long as you have stopped scratching and the flowers survive!) We are gardenless now & just had a message from the kids back in Oz, the prolonged hot weather has killed off all my plants so I am here to sympathise, we'd all being doing better without Mother natures inputs!!
ReplyDeleteWren x
Beautiful flowers. Hope you didn't lose them. As to wild pigs we saw some in Florida two winter ago and I don't believe I'd do any hiking in any woods with them around....
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